Firefighters laughed, joked when they called in sick
By Shawn Regan
sregan@eagletribune.com
September 11, 2009 01:04 am
—
HAVERHILL — One firefighter who has been suspended for violating sick-leave rules joked and laughed with a dispatcher when he called in sick in December.
Another firefighter who called in sick said, "I'm supposed to work but I don't want to.''
A third firefighter made reference to the fact that someone, possibly a supervisor, would be angry that he was calling in sick for the second time in a short period.
That is according to audio tapes of the conversations released by the city. All calls to the fire dispatch center are recorded.
The city's personnel office released the audio tapes to The Eagle-Tribune yesterday, two days after Mayor James Fiorentini suspended firefighters Christopher Cesati, George Sarrette and Andrew Lafferty for 10 days without pay and Raymond Robinson for five days without pay.
Fiorentini's decision mirrors the recommendation of the lawyer who presided over hearings on the city's case against the firefighters, except that the hearing officer, lawyer Michael Marks of Lynn, recommended Robinson be suspended for only one day. The firefighters have refused to explain their side of the events — declining comment to The Eagle-Tribune and refusing to testify at the city hearings.
Sarrette, a former president of the firefighters union, called in sick Dec. 22.
"I'm supposed to work, but I don't want to," Sarrette is heard on the audio tape telling the dispatcher, who is another firefighter working a shift at the emergency dispatch center.
The dispatcher responded by asking Sarrette if he wanted to use sick time to cover his full 24-hour shift.
"Ya, probably. Might as well. (Expletive) it," Sarrette answered.
The dispatched responded, "Ya, if you're gonna take a day off you gotta get healthy. I'll put you in for 24 — you're out.''
Marks' report says Sarrette called in sick for a shift that started at 8 a.m. At about 3 p.m., Sarrette was videotaped by a private investigator shoveling snow in his driveway and clearing snow from a car in an adjacent garage, according to Marks' report.
After removing snow, Sarrette picked up a female passenger and proceeded to Central Plaza, where he parked in the fire lane at the Rite Aid store while his passenger entered the store, the report says. At 4:30 p.m., Sarrette made another stop at Market Basket Supermarket, the report says.
"The video over the next hour shows Mr. Sarrette performing errands at several stores in the Haverhill area, arriving home at 7:30 p.m.," the report says.
Cesati called in sick Dec. 18 for a 24-hour shift. On the audio tape, the dispatcher is heard questioning Cesati about why he is calling in sick so close to the start of his shift. Cesati tells the dispatcher that someone is "gonna lose his (expletive)" when he learns Cesati has called in sick for the second time in recent days, to which the dispatcher agrees.
"He's gonna lose his mind? Ya, I'm sure," the dispatcher says.
"I'll be out the full 24 this time," Cesati said.
Later that day at 7 p.m., private investigators videotaped Cesati arrive at his home in a Budget Rental Truck, according to Marks' report.
Cesati directed the unidentified driver of the truck to back the truck onto his lawn, the report says. Cesati then began moving boxes, furniture and other household items from the home into the truck, the report says.
"At one point, video surveillance showed Mr. Cesati putting a ladder to the second floor window of his home so that a bureau could be removed and carried down the ladder and into the truck," the report says. "Mr. Cesati made numerous trips from the home to the truck carrying household items and furniture."
When Robinson called in sick, he and the dispatcher could be heard laughing on the tape.
"Robby calling in sick," the conversation begins.
"You sound like (expletive) Robby," the dispatcher says, laughing.
"Oh yaa," Robinson says, as both men continue laughing.
Robinson called in sick Dec. 30. He was videotaped later that evening driving his Dodge Caravan to the New England Sports Center, an ice-skating facility in Marlborough, according to Marks' report.
"Mr. Robinson can be seen in the viewing gallery watching a hockey game," the report says. "During the event, Mr. Robinson was summoned to the (ice) to assist a player. He can be seen jogging around the rink and onto the ice, where he provided assistance to the player. At approximately 9:45 p.m., Mr. Robinson, along with what appear to be his children, proceed to the parking area and leave the sports center. He returned home at 10:30 and remained home until surveillance ceased at 12:30 a.m."
The city was unable to locate an audio tape of Lafferty calling in sick, City Solicitor William Cox said.
Lafferty, also a former union president, called in sick Dec. 23. During what would have been his work shift, he was videotaped shoveling snow in front of a home and on its stairs and porch, Marks' report says. Later, he drove to a Taco Bell restaurant, the report says.
The firefighters were videotaped by private detectives after the firefighters union complained about attendance counseling offered by the fire chief, according to city officials.
"The audio tapes provide a glimpse into what appears to be the culture surrounding use of sick time in the Haverhill Fire Department," Marks' report says of the calls made by the firefighters.
Fire Chief Borden began the disciplinary process in July by suspending each firefighter without pay for five days, with a recommendation to increase the suspensions to 30 days with Fiorentini's approval. The firefighters appealed Borden's decision, triggering the hearings overseen by Marks that concluded last month.
The firefighters may appeal Fiorentini's decision to the state Civil Service Commission and then the courts, but the city does not have to wait for those appeals to suspend the firefighters, the mayor said.
The days of the suspensions are to be determined by the fire chief and may be staggered to minimize the impact on the department, according to the mayor's decision.
Fiorentini has said only firefighters with a history of excessive or questionable use of sick leave were targeted in the surveillance operation, which cost the city about $13,000. The mayor said he targeted firefighters because they had been calling in sick at a much greater rate than other city workers.
Since the videotaping became public knowledge in July, Fiorentini said the rate at which firefighters have been calling in sick has significantly declined.
The union fought to hold the disciplinary hearings behind closed doors and keep the names of the accused firefighters secret.
On Wednesday, the firefighters posted an Internet YouTube audio tape of conversations between the Borden and Marks from the closed-door hearings. The snippets purport to show Borden and Marks making disparaging comments about firefighters in general, but Borden has said his comments were taken out of context. The city solicitor has said the conversation was recorded secretly by firefighters at the hearing. The mayor has said the city is investigating were the audio recording was made illegally.
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