State-Journal.com - Firefighter Morgan suspended for going AWOL

Photo By State Journal/Hilly Schiffer

Scott Morgan, training officer for the Frankfort Fire Department, talks with his attorney, JoEllen McComb during a City Commission meeting Monday. Morgan was suspended without pay for three days.

Scott Morgan, the training officer for the Frankfort Fire Department, embroiled in controversy over incentive pay, has been suspended for three days without pay and for seven days with pay.

The action came late Monday night when the Frankfort City Commission met for nearly five hours in both open and closed session.

The action to suspend Morgan was in the wake of a July 7 ruling by the state Fire Commission that the Frankfort Fire Department must repay the state nearly $30,000 in fire incentive pay.

The five-hour hearing was held in public before a crowd of firefighters and family members and others. Commissioner Doug Howard announced the action against Morgan at almost midnight.

Frankfort Fire Department Chief Wallace Possich brought the charges against Morgan before the City Commission.

Possich served the charges on Morgan July 10 in a letter signed by the chief, which alleged insubordination, improper fulfillment of job duties and violating the chain of command.

City commissioners said as midnight approached Monday after about 15 minutes of closed deliberation, it had determined Morgan was "AWOL" (Absent Without Leave) for three days, which correlates to the three-day suspension.

Possich recommended at the meeting Morgan be suspended without pay until issues with the Kentucky Fire Commission are resolved and a pending state police investigation is finished.

City officials said Morgan can return to his present position July 29, pending discussion with City Manager Tony Massey, Possich and city human resources personnel.

Possich testified Morgan disobeyed an order to make himself available to him and to return his phone calls, as well as a direct order to enter training forms into the state fire incentive pay system.

Morgan, represented by JoEllen McComb, a Lexington attorney, testified that he felt what he was asked to do was against department policy.

"I didn't think it proper to move yet," Morgan said in reference to Possich's request to enter the training forms into the state fire incentive pay system.

Morgan said he wanted to wait for the outcome of the Kentucky Fire Commission's ruling and he felt Possich's directives were unreasonable. The state fire commission's ruling will be appealed to Franklin Circuit Court.

"I couldn't put my name to it," Morgan testified of Possich's order to sign off on the training sheets, which eventually would be the basis for awarding the incentive pay to Frankfort Fire Department firefighters.

Morgan testified he had original copies of training sheets Possich asked him to enter. Morgan then said Possich sent him changed or altered documents.

"I will not follow an order to commit an unlawful or unethical act," Morgan told the city commissioners.

Morgan testified he turned over a packet of information to the Kentucky Fire Commission. The state fire commissioners, in their July 7 action ordering the Frankfort Fire Department to repay nearly $30,000, also turned over documents to the state police for investigation that it said contained allegations of forged or altered documents.

Morgan said Possich intimidated him after the July 7 meeting of the Fire Commission during which it was said the state police were investigating possible criminal activity in the Frankfort Fire Department.
In cross-examination, Morgan, who testified he met with a state police detective in his office, said state police did not tell him not to talk about the investigation.

During the closing statement of McComb, Morgan's attorney, McComb referenced a letter of recommendation written by Possich for Morgan, citing his honesty and "integrity."

"He (Morgan) should not be a sacrificial lamb for the problem," McComb said.

Attorney John Baughman, who represented Possich, made no other closing statement other than that he resented the claim Possich asked Morgan to break rules.

At this point, the City Commission went into regular session to allow public comment.

Tommy Young, the Frankfort Fire Department's second-most senior firefighter, took the floor and told the city commissioners he did nothing wrong. Young said when he found out he was short on training, he took it upon himself to complete it and submitted documentation.

Young said he did not know why he was not given credit for completing the training. "We embrace training," Young said.

Young said he will demonstrate to the city and the fire commission he completed his annual training.
Young had been named by the Kentucky Fire Commission as coming up one hour short on training along with Ray Travis and Daniel Miller, who has retired.

Travis and Miller did not attend the hearing Monday. The state fire commission has also named Deron Rambo, the emergency operations coordinator for the city of Frankfort, as being ineligible for incentive pay. Rambo was not mentioned at last night's meeting.

Gary Gephart, president of Frankfort Professional Firefighter's Local 1017, has told The State Journal he believed Frankfort firefighters were not the problem.

"This is not firefighters taking money from the system and dodging training," Gephart said.

David Suetholz, attorney for the local 1017 firefighter's union, said allegations of forged or altered training documents are a separate issue from the three firefighters who, according to the fire commission, did not complete training requirements.

Suetholz said Young maintains he completed the hours and did not alter documents in any way.
Former Frankfort firefighter Mike Fitzpatrick said Kentucky State Police interviewed him regarding documents he had regarding Rambo.

"They're not messing around," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick is currently involved in a lawsuit alleging the Frankfort Fire Department retaliated against him for questioning Possich regarding the job duties of Rambo.

15.	Posted by hadenough July 17, 2008
	People in this city need to embrace truth and not simple opinions. The truth is that 3 firefighters for the Frankfort Fire Department did not meet the requiered training hours for the year by the state. Hours turned in by these men to Morgan were not all submitted to the commission. Morgan is the training officer and is ultimately responsible for this lack of hours. Morgan does not teach classes, schedule classes, or monitor training in anyway other then submiting hours to the commission and writting 20 page papers on the decline of training hours for the department during his tenure. The chief runs the department and is ultimately responsible for these issues, i.e. Rambo, training, and public image. The fire department is showing there is a problem with the administrative portion. The leadership for the department comes from various ranks, the management comes from the highest ranks, and management is the main problem for the department and the city. The Rambo issue was also convinently skipped at the meeting Monday night. Why is it this man continues to be over looked? Rambo is not doing a bad job or even a good job. I have never heard one way or the other. The truth on Rambo is he does not have the degree requiered for his position. He also lied on his application about having a MAsters degree. Yes, I said LIED. Anyone stupid enough to think they can get a Masters degree without a Bachelors is one thing, but to stand by the fact he did all this hard work to get it. Liars will fight tooth and nial to prove to someone they are not a liar. Rambo was also recieving $3500 a year for fire incentive and $4000 for paramedic incentive. Rambo is not a firefighter with the Frankfort Fire Department nor is he a paramedic with the department. The truth is he was a firefighter with the Franklin County fire depoartment back in the mid 90's. He is a state paramedic but not a working medic with the city. Rambio recieved this money from 2003 until 2008. The people of Frankfort need to know htese facts and remember them when complaining about the fire department. The city commissioner and other officials need to be held accountable for these types of wrong doing in any city department. A 3 day suspention and 7 day vactatiopn is a joke. PAying a liar and an idiot to obtain a degree he should already have is also a joke.

12.	Posted by doesitreallymattereddie? July 16, 2008
	Sorry for the re-posting from the earlier article, but... seems some of my previous speculation has come to be more reasonably 'TRUTH'. About the only part I feel wrong about is that maybe Morgan is void of the wrongdoings, and I'm assuming the rest will fall into line later. "As with every group there are 3-4 people that fall short. In this case they need the training hours. Seeing that 3-4 people aren't going to meet the State required, Morgan sends it up to Possich who in turn sends it up to Massey, 'Hey, these guys are short on some of their hours. Everyone in the department is going to loose their $3,500 because these 3-4 fell short.' Now, Possich and Massey agree to forge the documentation and so that they do not have 40-50 local firefighters losing $150k. ACT II Fire Commission questions documentation, discovers forgery. Massey and City Commissioners scatter and scrounge for a fall person to take the heat off of Deron Rambo (who's at fault for receiving over $17k in extra pay by FRAUD, and being in an adminstrative City position with critical duties, in the Public Service, and for having lied about his education, application, etc.), Possich, who would have authorized the forgery, and Massey who would (or should) have known about it and given the go ahead, and WE'LL BLAME IT ALL ON SCOTT MORGAN. Why? His job title is 'Training Officer'. This is a 'Training' Incentive. Scott Morgan is not totally void of all wrong doing, but he IS A PAWN. This is all speculation of course, but knowing the parties involved and the events as I think and ponder on the subjects... makes sense to me."