Excerpts from patch.com:
An investigation found that Clarendon Hills firefighters violated their department’s callback compensation policy more than 1,500 times over three years, and the inquiry identified tensions between two groups of the department’s members.
On Tuesday, the village released an attorney’s report of a months-long investigation into the compensation system. The problems are believed to have led to the ouster of longtime Fire Chief Brian Leahy earlier this year.
The attorney said the 1,592 violations ended up costing the village $52,000 from 2020 to 2023.
On Jan. 1, 2020, Leahy started staffing the fire department with four personnel at all times, rather than three. The stated intent was to reduce the callbacks of paid-on-call firefighters related to minor alarms and mutual aid calls to Hinsdale lasting less than 15 minutes, which was later extended to Westmont.
In 2020, callback violations made up 8 percent of all calls, which increased to 12 percent in 2021 and 15 percent in 2022. The rate dropped to 10 percent in the first nine months of 2023.
The chief, who was put on leave in November, entered a severance agreement with the village. As part of the pact, he agreed to be interviewed for the investigation.
The report said the tension between part-time firefighter paramedics and paid-on-call firefighters was an issue in every interview during the investigation, and that Leahy acknowledged the tension, but viewed the paramedics as the main complainers. He said the paramedics complained that paid-on-call members abused the callback system.
In an interview late last year, administrative Lt. Jim Weil, who was also put on leave in November, acknowledged the callback policy was not properly followed over the three years, but said it was not abused and that he would question the accuracy of certain callbacks and bring them to Leahy’s attention. Weil said the chief would make the final call on whether they were approved or denied.
When Leahy and Weil were put on leave, the village immediately changed the policy on callbacks.
In a memo to the Village Board on Tuesday, internal controls were put in place for callbacks in November. The village installed a new door system to track attendance, put in place new attendance sheets, and corrected past practices of “rounding up” and pyramiding hours.
The village also installed cameras at all of its buildings, and employees received extended training on proper payroll procedures.
Under state law, the village could have kept the lawyer’s report secret, citing the secrecy of attorney-client communications. But the village resolved some time ago to release it. It was posted on the village’s website.
The 68-year-old Leahy started as chief in 1985 and joined the department in 1971.
He couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
thanks Scott
#1 by Scott on April 4, 2024 - 11:35 AM
“The townies would come in for a callback and leave. They would sign each other in. Members coming in for their free morning coffee. If a call came in, they would sign in and immediately leave for their full-time job. The $50,000 grand is what they could prove with data and call sheets. The cost was significantly more. One guy was nicknamed ‘curb’ because he would wait at the curb for companies to pull out, then go in and sign in for the call, never going on the call. A police officer from a neighboring department working part-time came in just to say hi while on duty. They signed him in for the call without his knowledge and he was disciplined by his department. Members would also sign in to be paid long after the call was over. The leadership fostered this type of behavior. I guess someone’s integrity is worth a few thousand dollars.”
#2 by Wayne on April 4, 2024 - 7:36 AM
Precisely! However, the bean counters have NO idea what it would be like crawling a smoke filled or super heated hallway alone! Same old, same old thinking and planning in this SUPER conservative little Mecca. What a shame IMHO
#3 by Tom Foley on April 3, 2024 - 8:21 PM
Am I way off base here? $50,000 over 3 years seem pretty cheap.
The way I look at it, there are only 4 people for each shift. Two on medic 86 and two on ladder 86. Arguably, understaffed at that point.
When Clarendon gives mutual aid, they leave 1 member back at the station… either ladder driver or a firefighter paramedic. Somehow, it’s written that ladder 86 and medic 86 will be “somewhat available” during a response to Hinsdale and can break away. Maybe that’s just within the first 15 minutes…?
Personally, for $50,000 over 4 years, it’s certainly worth it to have more than 1 person respond to my fire or medical event. (Under the scenario Clarendon is committed and callbacks were toned.)
Additionally, if this is the cost of providing mutual aid, how much is given in return? What’s the value of that…? It’s not listed how much is received.
Someone may have to dumb this down further as to why it’s that big of a deal. Seems like a small price to pay to safely staff your station in times of mutual aid or when call backs are required. The cost of one guy in the course of a year would far exceed $50,000. Let alone adding a 5th to each shift… and then multiple by 4 years.