By Shawn Regan
The Eagle-Tribune
HAVERHILL, Mass. — The hearing officer in a disciplinary review of four firefighters accused of abusing sick time has recommended three of them be suspended 10 days without pay.
The hearing officer has recommended the fourth firefighter be suspended for one day without pay.
Attorney Michael Marks, who was appointed by Mayor James Fiorentini to preside over hearings to consider the city’s case against the firefighters, made the recommendations to the mayor, Fiorentini said today. Fiorentini has yet to act on the recommendations, but said this morning that he intends to do so later today.
The city has also released documents identifying the four firefighters accused of violating sick leave rules.
The documents detail the specific allegations against each of the firefighters, who were videotaped last December by private detectives doing various strenuous or recreational activities on days that they had called in sick from their city jobs, according to the documents.
One example in the report details the city’s case against a firefighter who called in sick for a 24-hour shift on Dec. 18. at 8 a.m.
At approximately 7 p.m., about halfway through what would have been the firefighter’s shift, a private investigator videotaped the firefighter arrive at his home in a Budget Rental Truck, according to a report by Marks.
The firefighter directed the unidentified driver of the rental truck to back the truck onto his front lawn. The firefighter then began moving boxes, furniture and other household items from the home into the truck, the report says.
“At one point, video surveillance showed (the firefighter) putting a ladder up to the second floor window of his home so that a bureau could be removed and carried down the ladder and into the truck. (The firefighter) made numerous trips from the home to the truck carrying household items and furniture.”
Fire Chief Richard Borden began the disciplinary process by suspending each firefighter without pay for five days, with a recommendation to increase the suspensions to 30 days with Fiorentini’s approval. The firefighters appealed Borden’s decision, triggering the hearings that concluded last month.
Leaders of the firefighters union have refused to comment on the hearings or the city’s case against the four firefighters, but the union has released on its Web site a statement on Marks’ report.
The statement says, in part: “Although disappointed, we are not surprised by the outcome of the hearing that the city of Haverhill conducted with Mr. Marks. It was little surprise given Mr. Marks’ history of ruling in favor of local government, instead of an unbiased recommendation based on the facts of the case.”
“Local 1011 is confident these four men will be vindicated through the civil service and court systems,” the statement said. “We look forward to clearing the good names of these men.”
Copyright 2009