County's Ethics and Compliance Investigation into ECFR Contacting Volunteers' Employers is Closed

In a particularly infamous scene from King Kong--the beast shakes a giant log knocking multiple people off a cliff to their deaths...King Kong didn't want them around so he "knocked them off the log"

I requested a meeting with Administrator Janice Gilley and attorney Alison Rogers yesterday afternoon.

The topic was an investigation into why a county fire official, Craig Ammons, called the employer of several dozen volunteer firefighter candidates in 2019--leading to many of them not being able to serve as volunteer firemen in our community.

The seven page document I received is a quick read;  although it is a public record, the cover requests that it not be disseminated and therefore I will not link it.

The issue stems from several volunteer trainees being told they had to resign, after an official with ECFR called their employer to get clarification on whether or not these particular employees could volunteer with the fire department.  There were concerns that an "unwritten" policy might have been in place with this particular employer which prevented certain employees of this employer from volunteering.

But the investigation revealed there was no such existing written policy.  Upon being called about this--the safety officer of this employer had to check with his direct superior, who then in turn had to check with the his superior in a different part of the country.

The big boss--once contacted--eventually said "not just no, HELL no they can't be volunteer firemen." according to the report.  

And so that is the end of a steady stream of young, energetic volunteers.  What a shame.

My contention all along was simple:  Why are we calling volunteers' employers?  Is that our jobs, to be babysitters of grown men and women?  Is that the protocol? Is it a violation of privacy?  Is it potentially a privacy act violation?  I mean---why do it??

According to the report---this was not and is not our policy (calling volunteers' bosses).  This led to the Administrator questioning why this happened, and why our employee made that call which led to the turning away of  nearly 20 volunteer trainees.  "What concern was it of his whether these people volunteered?" was her question.

As a result of this matter, the official stance going forward is that ECFR will not contact the employers of volunteer candidates;  as should have been the case in the first place--we need to let grown men and women who want to volunteer do just this----and we ought to let them work it out with their employer as this is between them and their employer.

Otherwise this has the unseemly appearance of another attempt by some within ECFR of discouraging volunteers, which in turn costs us more money in personnel expenditures necessary to hire full-time paid firemen.  Although some in ECFR hate it---we are a combination department.  

After reading this report--my opinion is that there was a deliberate attempt to discourage these men and women from volunteering with our fire service.  Why else would we proactively call this boss ---when we never call anyone else's boss?  A part of the conclusion sums it up, when it describes this action creating"..an unprofessional appearance of conduct inconsistent with a public service organization that depends in part, on volunteer services as a basis of necessary support."

We ought to find ways to facilitate and encourage volunteers---not ways to "knock them off the log!"