35 Cleveland Firefighters Disciplined Over Secondary Employment Violations
Thirty-five Cleveland firefighters are being disciplined for working in violation of the department’s secondary employment policy.
The discipline follows an investigation prompted by a local TV Station, WOIO-TV Channel 19, that proclaimed “some Cleveland firefighters [were] violating the policy on part-time work, putting themselves and citizens at risk.”
The firefighters were working for a company, AeroMag 2000, an international firm that provides de-icing services to commercial aircraft. The firefighters reportedly either failed to secure permission to work a second job, or exceeded the department’s policy by working in excess of 20 hours per week.
According to news reports, administrative charges have been filed and disciplinary hearings for the firefighters have been scheduled.
Can someone PLEASE tell me why when a person works two or three extra jobs they’re hustling, bettering themselves and racing after the American dream, but when Firefighters do it they’re scamming the system?!? And really, these news readers are “concerned” about “fatigued” Firefighters?? NO ONE sleeps in this country, it’s the drive that makes this country what it is. What makes 20 hours a week the magic threshold for fatigue in the Cleveland FD? Everyone, including management and the yoyo politicians who oversee our municipalities think all we do is lay around and sleep anyway. Not a sermon, just a rant.
Steve
Excellent point. It does seem rather strange that journalists and reporters like Carl Monday who fancy themselves as a vehicle to expose of the truth to the public – don’t stop and ask a simple question like that: does the damn 20 hour rule make sense to begin with? Is it fair? Why did Carl Monday start the whole “gotchya” angle on the story… Kind of like 1 psi of air in a football… is it really that big a deal or are folk more concerned with making and perpetuating headlines?
Unless the Cleveland FF’s local took some sort of compensation benefit to approve the 20 hour policy it seems a huge stretch. It appears to be a policy looking for violators, pretty hard to not work when you have the ability and too often the need.
EXACTLY. And you can bet that the same people who piss and moan about Firefighters “scamming” the system by working 2 or 3 side jobs or running a side business are the same nitwits who complain about all the free loaders who suck up welfare. They cry about people who are able to work and they cry about people who are able to work but don’t. Sheesh.