Disgraced ex-Tahoe-Douglas fire chief faces accusations in Bay Area
By Michele Ellson, Oakland Tribune
Last week wasn’t the first time Alameda fire Chief David Kapler faced allegations he misused fire department resources. Kapler was accused of misusing his department vehicle when he was chief of another fire department nearly two decades ago, one of a host of allegations that ultimately led to his resignation from that job.
He resigned as chief of the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District in 1991 after the allegations surfaced that he misused a department-owned vehicle.
Two developers also accused Kapler of soliciting contributions in exchange for the right to build, and he came under fire for soliciting ski passes, a mountain bike, vacations and other contributions for a program to curb fire department absenteeism, newspaper articles written at the time reported.
Kapler said he was cleared of all wrongdoing in connection with the allegations in Tahoe. He also said his Tahoe-Douglas contract allowed him to take a district vehicle for personal use.