Spokane7
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December 22, 2011 in City
Firefighter loses job for alleged violations
A Spokane firefighter fired in August won’t get a third “last chance” to keep his job.
The Spokane Civil Service Commission this week voted unanimously to accept the decision of Fire Chief Bobby Williams to terminate James F. Frederick, whose disciplinary history included calling in sick for firefighting shifts on days he worked as a substitute school teacher and failing to follow other departmental procedures. He’d been a firefighter since 2001.
Frederick didn’t show up at the Tuesday hearing to present a defense.
Frederick was caught substitute teaching after calling in sick in 2007, but the city and the Spokane Firefighters Association crafted a “last chance” agreement to allow him to keep his city job. After violating that deal, Frederick was given a second “last chance” agreement last year. Even after that, city officials say, Frederick’s “pattern of irresponsibility and disregard for policy and procedure continued,” according to the city brief prepared for the Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Just before the commission voted, Civil Service Commissioner Craig Hult held up a thick packet of documents the city used to document its termination case. He noted the hours of city staff time needed to deal with the case.
“The mere fact that this had to go through this process is just appalling to me. In private industry this wouldn’t have even been given a warning,” Hult said. “If it were possible to bill Mr. Frederick for their time, I would do that.”
At a disciplinary hearing in July, Frederick denied the recent policy violations. Attempts made to reach him were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
Frederick earned $67,460 last year for his city position even after not getting paid as a result of his suspension for two months. He earned $82,947 in 2009.
In 2007, Frederick was given his first “last chance” agreement after he was found to be skipping work. According to a city investigation, Frederick was caught after calling in sick on Oct. 10, 2007; that same day, he called a fire station, and the caller ID said Frederick was at Rogers High School.
City officials checked with Spokane Public Schools and discovered that Frederick was substitute teaching that day. They later found that Frederick had taught school as many as 14 times from 2005 through 2007 after calling in sick.
Frederick, who was injured in the line of duty, argued that health issues made him unable to work as a firefighter on the days he called in sick. City officials said if he was well enough to teach school, he was well enough at least to perform light duty work for the Fire Department. That last-chance agreement required him to strictly follow city rules and file paperwork on a regular basis.
When he didn’t file required paperwork and called in sick on a day he took a test in hopes of becoming a deputy fire marshal in 2010, the city suspended him for 60 days and gave him a second “last chance” agreement. Williams said at the time that he wasn’t fired because language in it didn’t specifically say he would be fired for another violation. Even though the city didn’t fire him as was threatened, Frederick appealed the punishment to the Spokane Civil Service Commission, which unanimously ruled against him.
MAC faces angry crowd 
v1grwil on December 22 at 6:54 a.m.
Who says the city unions have WAY too much power. On the Spokane Police dept web site: First year cop $36,000 plus benefits..by the start of the 3rd year they are at $54,000 and rising..five years $60,000. Tha’s $5000.00 a month. Look at Frederick, ten years $86,000.00.
Compare avg wage on the www.city-data.com site. Median household inc. was $38,000.for 2009.
Analysis: By the time the first year rookies are finished they are par with our median income. By the 3rd year they are approx $17,000.00 ABOVE the city’s average, and still climbing! In addition how many jobs in Spokane pay and are available to residents who are qualified for the median wage, i.e. $38,000? No, the unions don’t have us by the ‘short hairs’, Look at Thompson. His attorney, (sorry for misspelling I could care less if I got it right) Oscarvich has received over $330,000.00 in fees! And he is still billing. No we the citizens are not getting the old shaft.
What do you think?
PassinThru on December 22 at 8:16 a.m.
I think you’d be happy occupying a communist country where everyone is paid the same. High-risk jobs like cops and firefighters, along with high-skill jobs like brain surgeons, paid the same as janitors. Maybe get to live one or two floors higher in the building, but that’s all. Heaven on earth, eh, Marxie?
Now, back to the article… good riddance to a slacker. The firefighters get 24 on and 48 off. Many have good jobs on their off-days, such as being a real estate salesman or perhaps a teacher. There’s shouldn’t be any reason to need the third day off. That’d be the day my neighbor’s house catches on fire, and it’d be nice if the whole shift showed up.
brianrbreen on December 22 at 8:31 a.m.
The fact that this case went through the open civil service appeal process is significant. Had this been a police officer it would have been handled in secret, and by an arbitrator, because of the Police Guild Contract. The chances of termination and discipline moves on the part of the employer being upheld are far greater in the civil service process than through the secret arbitration process.
Bottom line… in order to get rid of bad employees, don’t agree to a contract that has an arbitration of discipline clause like the Police Guild now has.
Jon on December 22 at 9:43 a.m.
@ v1grwil
Go down to city hall find out when the fire department and police department are hiring. Apply for the job, go through the process and become a fire fighter or a police officer. Very few i are qualified as I bet you are not.
Blacksheep3 on December 22 at 9:58 a.m.
@ passinthru - Spokane City Firefighters actually work 24 on and 72 off.
PassinThru on December 22 at 12:38 p.m.
I stand corrected. Thanks, Blackie!
icantbelivethis on December 22 at 12:46 p.m.
well gosh john, think about this, if the new mayor wants to save money and increase staffing on the trucks, get rid of D shift and put the extra staff on the other 3 shifts. This would save money and increase staffing to IAFF recomended levels…..oh yeah, get rid of the fire union!!!!! they are as worthless as the police guild. Um another point, it doesnt take alot of qualifications to be a city firefighter so dont think you have to have a phd to get the gig.
Ed Byrnes on December 22 at 4:21 p.m.
Brian, thank you for the insights on contract differences between SPD and SFD.
Ed
cryssT on December 22 at 5:36 p.m.
24 on/72 off, my Dad is spinning in his urn. Back in the (pre WWII) day he was ecstatic to get a full time job on the fire dept (another state). 24on/24off - life was great. Spokane doesn’t have that many fires that it couldn’t be 24/36. Wouldn’t that type of work shift shake up things for those that have second jobs. At $84K a year, why is a second job needed?
Notapatriot on December 22 at 11:15 p.m.
Unions. Scourge of what is left of America.
EthicsinLE on December 23 at 2:05 p.m.
I could never figure out the guys that do stupid things like this, especially after two last chance letters. He just pissed away a good career. Have a great christmas all and be good to each other.
Open_Spokane on December 23 at 6:48 p.m.
With a couple of thousand employees, the City of Spokane is bound to get a few bad ones that need to be fired. Maybe I read a different version of this article. I understood it to say
“The civil service system works” Even stupid employees deserve due process.
Organized labor isn’t nearly as bad as public apathy.
Spokane has the exact government it deserves.