A top Los Angeles Fire Department official is alleging corruption in the city inspection programs he once administered as part of a $5-million retaliation claim filed Tuesday. Deputy Chief John Vidovich was removed from his post as fire marshal last month after a two-year tenure that was marred by disclosures about delinquent inspections and mounting criticism from the firefighters' labor union. In his legal claim, Vidovich said he was pushed out after he exposed fraud, extortion and overtime schemes among the LAFD units charged with enforcing fire safety codes for apartment houses, schools, hospitals, film shoots and other buildings.
He pointed the finger at a group of senior inspectors who told The Times in May that, under his leadership, the bureau put the public at risk by requiring it to cut corners on safety reviews in a frantic drive to clear a massive backlog of uninspected buildings. Vidovich denied those accusations.