Monday, March 26, 2012  There’s another “disabled” FDNY retiree who’s off to the races — NASCAR Cliff.

Cliff Stabner, a 55-year-old city firefighter who retired in 2003 with a three-quarter disability pension of $95,000 annually, has surfaced as a member of the fire rescue team responding to crashes at Dover International Speedway in Delaware.

The Post has obtained photos of Stabner wearing an orange jumpsuit and a helmet and standing next to a rescue vehicle at Dover’s “Monster Mile’’ track.Stabner also is a fire captain in his quaint new hometown of Lewes, Del. He’s even been seen climbing roofs.

Stabner is believed to have obtained his disability pension — which is 25 percent more than a regular pension — based on lung-related issues. He was overweight at the time, which may have been a factor, said a source familiar with Stabner’s case.The source said it’s outrageous that the city approved him for the pension.

The private, business-backed Citizens Budget Commission, which has pushed for an overhaul of the FDNY’s disability-pension standards, also slammed Stabner’s payouts. “I’d rather have [Stabner] running into a building in New York City rather than rushing to NASCAR accidents if we’re paying a 75 percent disability pension,” said the CBC’s Carol Kellerman. “The problem is that many of these firefighters are not really disabled.”

The FDNY medical and pension boards, she said, “are just routinely approving these claims.” About three-quarters of FDNY firefighters retired with disability pensions in recent years, up from 50 percent before 9/11. The FDNY pension fund paid out $588 million for disability pensions last year, more than double the figure from a decade ago.

Stabner was a member of FDNY Rescue Co. 3 in The Bronx, which lost seven firefighters on 9/11, and he participated in rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center.“It’s 10 years later. I’m banged up from my life physically and psychologically,’’ he said. “I have serious medical issues.”Asked to specify, he said, “That’s my business.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/the_fa_lane_for_ailing_fireman_CBznD7jXw9CyXfAiZ3QZMM#ixzz1qM6lqCEw

Monday, March 26, 2012  A Roanoke firefighter who engaged in sexual shenanigans while on the job has failed to prove he was the victim of sexual discrimination. Dennis Croft, a lieutenant in the city's Fire-EMS Department, was demoted from his rank of captain for having a tryst with a paramedic in the bunkhouse of a fire station. The paramedic, Deborah Van Ness, received a verbal reprimand.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Croft maintained that his harsher punishment as a male for the same offense committed by his female partner amounted to gender discrimination.

But Judge Glen Conrad found no evidence of discrimination in a written decision this week, noting several differences between the cases of Croft and Van Ness. Croft was Van Ness' supervisor, for one, and he was on duty at the time of the sexual encounter while she was not.

According to court records, Croft has admitted to an off-duty sexual relationship with Van Ness, while denying that it was carried out the night of April 15, 2010, in Fire Station No. 4, as she alleged. He was fired at first, but later won his job back, although with a demotion, after appealing to a city grievance panel.

John Loeschen, a Roanoke attorney who represented Croft, said his client never supervised Van Ness, a part-time employee. And by granting the city's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Conrad did not give Croft an opportunity to argue to a jury that the sexual encounter never happened, Loeschen said. "I don't think you should ever be punished for something you didn't do," he said.

By Croft's account, he and Van Ness fell asleep on a couch while watching television together at the firehouse. Croft reported to his supervisor that he had violated a 10 p.m. curfew and was given a verbal reprimand.

Several months later — and not long after Croft and Van Ness had a nasty breakup — she told fire officials that they had had sex. Croft was then fired by city officials, who cited his unethical conduct of having sex with a subordinate while on duty and on city property.

After Croft challenged that decision, a grievance panel reinstated him at the lower position of first lieutenant, finding that Van Ness' allegation alone was not enough on which to base his termination.

"While Croft may have legitimate arguments as to the adequacy of the internal investigation or the fairness of the outcome," Conrad wrote in his opinion, he failed to show that gender played a role in the city's disciplinary process.

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-ems/articles/1260799-Va-firefighter-accused-

Wednesday, March 21, 2012  ABILENE, Texas -- A Hamby Volunteer Department firefighter, a lieutenant, was arrested and charged with arson after trying to set a church on fire Tuesday morning.

He was arrested by Taylor County Sheriff's investigators and charged after he allegedly admitted starting a fire at a Hamby church just after 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Taylor Dupree Partain, 24, of Abilene, allegedly started the fire at the Hamby United Methodist Church off County Road 503. An outer wall of the church was damaged by fire.

Hamby Volunteer Fire Chief Ray Watson declined to speak to KTXS on camera but said this has significantly affected the department."Beyond comprehension" were the words Watson used to describe the suspected crime of his lieutenant and fellow volunteer firefighter Taylor Partain.

additional details: http://www.ktxs.com/big_country_news/30725445/detail.html

Wednesday, March 21, 2012  BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) — An arrest warrant has been issued for a former deputy fire chief in Bensalem, accusing him of collecting on a false workers’ compensation claim.



Bensalem police say the arrest warrant accuses 27-year-old David Jerri Jr. of insurance fraud and theft, all felonies of the third degree.Police say the Croyden man, who had been deputy chief at the Union Fire Company, filed a claim saying his injured his hand on the job.

But police sergeant Andy Aninsman says that wasn’t the case.“It was through the investigation we allege that he had injured his hand at a non-fire call or employment event,” Aninsman told KYW Newsradio today. But he would not elaborate.
Police say Jerri collected nearly $7,000 before his workers’ comp was terminated. He was recently jailed in Bucks County on burglary and related offenses for allegedly breaking into the yard of his former employer.

Detectives have been trying to get Jerri to turn himself in to face the new charges.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/03/20/former-bensalem-fire-official-accused-of-workers-compensation-fraud/

Tuesday, March 20, 2012  Police say a southwestern Pennsylvania volunteer fire chief was drunk when he drove to a medical call in a fire company pickup.

Online court records don't list an attorney for 49-year-old Donald Hindman, who had been chief of Cecil No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department in Washington County. Hindman's father, Donald Sr., is president of the fire company and told the Observer-Reporter of Washington, Pa., that his son has resigned after the incident about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Cecil Township police say the younger Hindman's blood alcohol content was 0.253 percent — more than triple the 0.08 percent limit for drivers.

Read more: http://cumberlink.com/news/state-and-regional/police-pa-fire-chief-drove-drunk-to-medical-call/article_bde029b4-728d-11e1-9bc4-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1pgL53PNZ

Tuesday, March 20, 2012  A Cleveland police officer was hit by a pick-up truck while working downtown during St. Patrick's Day celebrations.According to a department release, the officer was hit while working at W. 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue. The officer was treated and released from the hospital after seeking medical attention following the incident.

Investigators say the officer was closing off W. 6th Street with traffic cones when a man in a pick-up truck tried to go around the cones despite the officer's orders to stop.

The driver hit the officer as he went around the cones and dragged the officer a short distance. The driver then continued on. Other officers stopped the driver a short distance later.

Police have arrested the driver for DUI, hit-skip and failure to comply. The driver is a University Heights firefighter.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=237012

Monday, March 19, 2012  The Orlando Fire Department recently demoted a district chief for being drunk on the job while in uniform, officials told WFTV. However, WFTV learned that he was given his district chief position back.

Officials said that Orlando Fire District Chief Jerry Keith was demoted to a lieutenant after drinking beer while in uniform and showing up at an off-duty city event intoxicated in April 2010.

But because the city failed to gather enough evidence to prove Keith was drunk, he was given his original position back, even though he admitted he was intoxicated and had been drinking in uniform earlier that day.

"When it was reported Jerry was acting different, there was a failure to conduct a drug or alcohol test," said Union president Steve Clelland. "There was no evidence that Jerry was under the influence."

Keith told investigators he had a drinking problem and was embarrassed by his actions.

On the day he reported to the off-duty job, other firefighters said they witnessed Keith fall at one point. They said he smelled of beer and was staggering.

Keith later went to Gino's Pizza to get food for the firefighters. A citizen at the pizza parlor said he thought Keith was drunk and filed a complaint.

Another fire chief then drove the Keith back to the fire station to try to figure out what to do next, WFTV was told.

The other chief told Keith to stay upstairs in the dorm room, but when they went to find him, Keith had taken a set of keys and left, according to a report.

Reports show the city was unable to track down Keith and he didn't answer his cellphone.



http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/district-fire-chief-demoted-being-drunk-job-gets-j/nLXmX/

Monday, March 19, 2012  A Nashville firefighter is facing weapons and driving under the influence charges here after an officer stopped him Friday on Thompson Lane, just moments after police said he almost struck a patrol car.

Michael R. Calvin was charged with DUI, unlawful possession of a firearm while intoxicated and violation of the implied consent law around 1:50 a.m., moments after he almost struck a Murfreesboro Police officer’s patrol car near 206 N. Thompson Lane, according to an MPD report.

An MPD officer said he first observed Calvin’s vehicle near the 200-block of Thompson Lane as he was responding to aid another officer on a suspicious subject call. After his patrol vehicle was almost struck, the officer said, he witnessed Calvin’s vehicle cross the center double yellow lines on several occasions.

When the officer pulled Calvin over, he reported, he could smell alcohol on his breath. Calvin also spoke with slurred speech and had bloodshot eyes, he added.Calvin agreed to field sobriety tests but failed them, according to to the officer. When read the implied consent law, Calvin refused to take a blood test.

Calvin was subsequently booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on $2,500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court June 4.

full story: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120319/NEWS03/120319016/1969/NEWS

Thursday, March 15, 2012  Two Titusville firefighters charged in connection with putting a poisonous substance into another employee’s canteen have resigned and are no longer employed by the City of Titusville.“It’s case closed on our side of things,” said Scott Gaenicke, spokesperson for Titusville Fire & Emergency Services.

Randy Moore, 40, driver and operator, resigned Tuesday. Rod Donhoff, firefighter and paramedic, resigned Feb. 29. Moore faces charges of poisoning water/food and aggravated stalking. Donhoff was charged with stalking and petty theft of government property.

full story at:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120315/NEWS01/303150047/Titusville-firefighters-charged-tainted-canteen-incident-resign?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

Thursday, March 15, 2012  CLEVELAND - Cleveland's fire department is once again under fire, as city leaders on Tuesday released a second audit of the department. The new audit shows widespread abuse of sick time within the department, as well as shift trades by firefighters.

Those abuses cost taxpayers millions of dollars and even forced the city to temporarily take fire trucks out of service.

The new audit suggests as many as 200 firefighters, a quarter of the department, may have worked the system for years. Among the findings, sick-time records of some fire division employees were never adequately kept and some shift trades were not documented.

Because of the audit, Cleveland is enacting new procedures to better track who is working, and for how long. Cleveland safety director Martin Flask said the newly-consolidated EMS and fire payroll will be overseen by a civilian employee who will report to the assistant director of public safety. The fire department will no longer be in charge of payroll.Cleveland will also install new fingerprint time clocks, which would require an employee to place his finger on the clock when checking into work.

The latest findings come four months after auditors first found problems with the department. However, that audit was limited to a small sampling of data from last year. This second review, looked at sick time and work shift trades dating to 2006.

For the Firefighters union response and to Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/cleveland-fire-department-audit-finds-taxpayer-dollars-wasted-public-safety-possibly-put-at-risk#ixzz1pEf2GVg8