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Battalion chief arrested in OT fraud investigation: North Providence Mayor Mayor Charles Lombardi has been complaining about the amount of overtime being earned in the police and fire departments. His police department is doing something about it. Officers arrested Battalion Chief David Charello yesterday morning and charged him with fraudulently billing some of his overtime. Chief Charello is now out on $10,000 bond. In 2006 Charello was on a list as the sixth highest paid worker in North Providence making $39,000 in overtime for a total salary at more than $93,000. The mayor had asked the police department to probe OT in the fire department. Firefighters have pointed out in the past that the reason for all of the OT is unfilled vacancies in the department. Watch the story above and read more here.
WARNING- This is not the most important story of the day, but you will most likely want to read it and send it to your friends: The Costa Mesa Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team saved a member on Tuesday, but it wasn’t a fellow firefighter. They were called to a local hospital to handle the most delicate of extrications involving a man who just wasn’t satisfied with what his parents gave him. He didn’t call an 800 number to order one of the many male enhancement products on the market. He took matters into his own hand and used a sort of home made device. That’s where the firefighters came in. Who else are you going to call in a jam like this? We have all of the details right here. Believe me, it’s more than you really want to know.
Village agrees to pay firefighter $850,000 in sexual harassment claim: It was in February of 2008 when we last mentioned the then two-year-old lawsuit Sharon Januszewski had against the Village of Oak Lawn, Illinois. Januszewski has been a firefighter since 2000. She claimed, among other things, that a firefighter ejaculated on her bedding, and there was pornography throughout the firehouse. Firefighter Januszewski also said officials did not properly investigate her complaints. According to news reports the Oak Lawn Village Board voted 5-0 to pay Januszewski $850,000. She also gets to keep her job. Read the story.
Union claims 500 missed calls at PGFD’s Capitol Heights station: IAFF Local 1619 continues to press the staffing case, citing the number of missed calls since career firefighters were removed from Station 805 on August 1. In a Wednesday night press release, union vice-president Andrew Pantelis specifically cites two scratches on recent significant calls, including one where a man was murdered and the home set on fire. Pantelis also points to a September 18 house fire in Station 832’s (Allentown Road) first due where three of the four engines and two ladder trucks all responded understaffed with two firefighters on each unit. You can read the press release here. It was late evening when we contacted PGFD for a response. We will let you know if there is anything to report.
A little more on the dismal news from Baltimore: Details on the Board of Estimates meeting on Wednesday morning. The fire department still has 20-days before the next decision point on layoffs versus furloughs. Annie Linskey’s article in The Baltimore Sun does mention the impact the Prince George’s County furlough case may have on the plans. Click here.
Budget cuts are threatening mutual aid: California’s mutual aid system, key to handling the massive brush fires, is being impacted by budget cutting. That’s what fire officials told state legislators yesterday. They point out that mutual aid response on the Station fire, the largest in Los Angeles County history, was down by a third when compared to other recent fires. More details from the Los Angeles Times.
Back to the overtime issue: The amount of overtime the mayor of North Providence is worried about (top of the page) is small compared concerns in Miami. A paramedic captain made just short of $100,000 for working 500 hours overtime. The city is looking at OT and other compensation for firefighters as a way to trim the budget. Read the story.
City’s first firehouse is destroyed by fire: But Ypsilanti, Michigan’s Thompson Block building was more than a firehouse. It was built in 1861 for Union troops and had some other historic firsts. Click here for the story.
Senate says no to federal money for wildland firefighting in Washington … DC that is: Remember The Washington Times story we told you about where the wildland firefighting funds were being spent on park activities in The Nations Capital? The United States Senate doesn’t like that idea. Here’s the update.
I hope they at least gave the firefighters a tote bag or another premium gift: New Hampshire Public TV in Durham had to call firefighters to their studios twice last night. Let me tell you those TV people are a real pain. Read the story.
A weight problem: Firegeezer has an interesting story about a California Sheriff’s office with a new command post vehicle that is more than a ton overweight and shows it. Click here. And something tells me to expect more from the Geezer on the very lame fire connection he uses as justification to run details of a very special motorcycle event from New Zealand. Just go to Firegeezer.com and tell him at least Statter has some standards (boy do I have some nerve after my lead story).
