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.