Saturday, January 08, 2000
Firefighters suspended in flap over testing
BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FAIRFIELD — Seven firefighters accused of improperly possessing paramedic training tests are being punished but will keep their jobs.
Six of them — Thomas Wagner, Chris Theders, Randy McCreadie, Jamie Ruhl, Ronald Lang and Richard Hall — received 60-day suspensions without pay on Friday. Fire Capt. James Howell was suspended for 96 hours without pay.
The firefighters, who were about midway through a paramedic training course at D. Russel Lee Career Technology Center, also will be forced to start from the beginning in another program. Officials also wanted to reassure residents that the quality of paramedic service, which is provided by an outside company, is not being compromised.
Bob Welch, a Cincinnati attorney representing the seven firefighters, said his clients have been through a tough ordeal and are having a hard time accepting the punishment. Still, Mr. Welch said, the penalties are much less harsh than the men could have faced. “Dismissal was seriously considered,” he said.
City Manager Arthur Pizzano said the suspensions, rather than dismissals, were issued in the spirit of “making sure the punishment fits the crime.” He did not elaborate.
An eighth firefighter, Thomas Hibbard, who is part-time and took the course at his own expense, will undergo a hearing Jan. 14. His attorney, John McNally, didn't return a telephone message seeking comment.
Mayor Robert Wolpert would not comment on the propriety of the punishments. However, he did say, “I'm disappointed that our first venture into this turned out this way. It does make me very concerned for the future.”
This is the city's first crop of full-time firefighters, and would be the first group of paramedics trained under the city's watch. Independent Specialized Paramedics Inc., a Cincinnati-area company, has provided paramedic service to the city for the past 17 years. The city has said it intends to retain that relationship “on a long-term basis” even after the firefighters are trained.
Fire Chief Donald Bennett said the city wants to offer combined firefighter/paramedic positions to give people more career opportunities and incentive to stay with the department, which has had staffing difficulties in recent months.
Officials instructed the seven trainees to begin a new paramedic course through the University of Cincinnati. Officials said it was unknown whether the city could recoup any of the $2,000 tuition it paid to D. Russel Lee for each trainee.
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