Thirty-five Cleveland firefighters accused of violating the department’s outside employment policies either failed to request permission to work a second job, worked too many hours on that job, or both, Chief Patrick Kelly said in an interview Friday, reports cleveland.com
Kelly found cause to bring the charges after an internal investigation revealed that firefighters working for de-icing company AeroMag 2000 abused the department’s secondary employment policy.
The firefighters, who on Friday were sent letters notifying them of the administrative charges, face punishments ranging from a written warning to suspension, Kelly said. The names of the firefighters and details about their charges have not been released.
According to department policy, firefighters must file a request each year they plan to work outside the department. Once approved, firefighters can only work the second job a maximum average of 20 hours per week.
Kelly said the weekly average is calculated per month. The written policy doesn’t specify that. Firefighters union president Frank Szabo said the vague policy is partly to blame for some of the rule violations.
“I think a lot of the members are thinking that it’s an annual average,” Szabo said, adding that the charges are a way to distract the public from the department’s issues with inadequate equipment and low staffing levels.
“It’s an attempt to divert attention from the serious, significant safety issues that Cleveland firefighters have brought to the public’s attention in the last six months,” Szabo said.
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