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Chicago’s I.G. is Back, Still Trying to Whack FD Staffing

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Fergie Seems Determined to Degrade Fire Service

WE LAST HEARD FROM CHICAGO's Inspector General back in August when we wrote HERE about his attempts to instruct the Fire Commissioner on how to discipline his firefighters and how to organize his department.  We led off that posting, as we will again today, by saying:

THE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, INSPECTOR GENERAL Joseph Ferguson has it in his mind that he should be running the fire department, even though his office has no responsibility for it at all. In fact, he doesn't run any department. According to the Office of Inspector General's own website, his mission is:

…. to root out corruption, waste, and mismanagement, while promoting effectiveness and efficiency in City government. The IGO is a watchdog for the taxpayers of the City, and has jurisdiction to conduct investigations and audits into most aspects of City government.

He's an auditor. That's it. He doesn't manage anything (except his own office) and he doesn't plan anything. He audits.

Well, I.G. Joe is back and telling the City Council that they should reduce staffing levels on fire engines and ladder trucks from five to four.  He told the council that the cash-strapped city could save $57 million annually if they follow his advice.

Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff fired back yesterday (Tuesday) telling the council and everybody else, in no uncertain terms, what would happen if this were done.  The Chicago Tribune reports:

Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff said Tuesday that fire-related fatalities would rise if the city reduces the number of firefighters per truck.

Hoff said he is "adamant" in his opposition to lowering the minimum staffing on all trucks to four — a five-person minimum is now in place on most trucks and engines — to save money in coming years.

"Number one, it affects our performance," Hoff said, explaining his opposition to the change at a hearing on Emanuel's proposed budget. "And number two, it (affects) the lives of firefighters and paramedics and the people that we serve. Our fire deaths will go up."

Hoff also said he opposes a host of other potential changes that could be the subject of union negotiations.

"Any decrease in manning, any decrease in fire companies, ambulances or closing of firehouses, I'm literally deathly against," said Hoff, a decorated Fire Department veteran who was appointed by then-Mayor Richard Daley in June 2010.

The current contract between  the city and the firefighters' union specifies minimum-manning requirements for all units, but it expires in eight months and negotiations will be starting soon on the new contract.

IAFF Local 2 WEBSITE.

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Posted by on October 26, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, labor • Tagged: , , ,

Chicago FD Fires 4, Suspends 43 from Prevention Bureau

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Follow-up To Controversial Audit by City Inspector General

CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER Robert Hoff announced Thursday that four firefighters will be dismissed and placed on the city’s do-not-hire list for padding their mileage reports.  In addition, another 43 FF's, all assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau, will be receiving suspensions without pay ranging from 30 to 60 days.

Chicago Fire Prention Bureau Headquarters
(Google Street View)

These actions are the result of an internal audit that showed nearly half of the Bureau's 115 inspectors and supervisors had been padding their mileage records to improperly increase their pay.  The inspectors all use their personal cars for transportation and file mileage records for reimbursement of expenses.  The discovery was first brought to public in early August when the city I.G. Joseph Ferguson not only leaked the report, but also very publicly attempted to seize the disciplinary process and pronounce his own punishment on the firefighters.  Firegeezer reported on this bizarre bit of grandstanding HERE.  The Chicago Tribune reports:

Six other firefighters who were investigated chose to retire. One person is on vacation through the end of the month, which is when their disciplinary action will be decided.

The city’s legal department will look at the cases to figure out whether the city can recoup the money.

The four firefighters who were let go previously were fired in 2008 for accepting or facilitating cash payments in exchange for making weekend pump inspections at high-rises. The inspectors got their jobs back after their cases went through arbitration, but were told if they had another infraction they would be terminated, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

Along with the 43 firefighters, Commissioner Hoff also demoted Nicholas Russell, deputy commissioner of the fire prevention bureau, and Sal Marquez, Russell’s deputy chief, for exercising lax supervision.

The Chicago Tribune has the STORY.
The Sun-Times has MORE.

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Posted by on September 16, 2011 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics, inspections, News • Tagged: , ,

Phony Radio Contract Costs Chicago Official His Job

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IN LATE SEPTEMBER THE CITY OF CHICAGO Inspector General’s office disclosed that the first deputy of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Jim Argiropoulos had issued a bogus contract for 18,000 spare parts from Motorola and spent the $2.25 million on a radio console upgrade that was never built.  See the Firegeezer report HERE from September 29.  At the time, the IG recommended that Argiropoulos be fired from his $149,832-a-year job.

On Tuesday it was announced that he has resigned to avoid being fired.  He cleaned out his desk over the weekend and has departed while using up his leave until the end of this month.  By resigning, he is protecting his  pension which could be jeopardized if he was fired.  He also stands to lose it if he is convicted of a felony related to his office.

agiropoulis a

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting:

The alleged irregularities took place in 2004 and 2005 while Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman was running OEMC.

Huberman has accepted responsibility for what the inspector general has called a “significant management failure” that set the stage for the contracting scheme.

Sources said he has also ordered Adrienne Hiegel, his top deputy at OEMC at the time, to take a 30-day suspension.

The inspector general’s office has said Hiegel was so complicit in the phony voucher scheme, she should be fired if she still worked for the city. She was specifically accused of directing underlings to “work backwards to get to $2.25 million — the cost of developing the Motorola software — by using 18,000 radio parts to add up to” the same amount.

On the surface, it appears that there could still be a chance of a criminal charge arising from this scheme.

Read the full STORY HERE.

Posted by on November 10, 2009 • Filed under: current events, investigations • Tagged: , , , ,