PROVO — Three Provo fire chiefs are endorsing Mayor Lewis Billings instead of one of their own — Billings' challenger in next week's election, retired firefighter Dave Bailey.

Former chiefs Bill Blair and Rod Jones and current Chief Coy Porter served as Bailey's bosses and knew him during his career. They outlined their concerns about Bailey's ability to run the city in a campaign mailer they signed and approved for distribution over the weekend by Billings' re-election committee.

The mailer drew strong reactions from Bailey, a former captain who worked for Provo for 30 years, and retired Deputy Chief Mike Bledsoe, a member of Bailey's campaign advisory staff.

Bailey said the endorsements have created a rift in the fire department, which he said overwhelming supports his campaign.

"Lewis is really desperate, and I'm really sorry for the families being put through this," Bailey said. "This is going to be a strange Christmas party this year."

Bledsoe used far stronger language, attacking Billings for using "derogatory and insidious statements." Those comments are part of a statement he said will run in newspaper ads over the next few days.

Blair, who served as chief from 1987-92 and 1997-99, said Bailey steered away from tough issues and confrontation. "The biggest question in my own mind is — if Dave is elected who is actually going to run the city? I know from my years of experience of working with Dave that it is not going to be him.

"He may have the title and sit in the mayor's office, but someone else will be the moving force behind a Bailey administration. The question is — who will that be? What are their qualifications? What do they stand for?"

Jones was chief from 1992-97 and has known Bailey from the day Bailey joined the Provo Fire Department.

"I just haven't seen him show the qualities or the abilities to lead the city of Provo," said Jones. whose wife is a Provo employee.

Porter said Bailey was content as a captain and never attempted to become a battalion chief.

"I saw only lackluster efforts on his part to make any attempts to advance and become an invaluable member of the department," Porter said.

He added, "His choice of fire stations to work at have always been those which, on average, responded to the least number of calls over the period of a year."