Firefighters named in sick leave abuse case

Clark County officials on Thursday named the firefighters and supervisors who sent e-mails showing they collaborated in possible sick leave abuse during 2009.

By disclosing names, county leaders reversed their earlier stance of keeping those suspected of abuse anonymous to comply with rules on employee confidentiality.

The district attorney's office decided it was OK to release the e-mails with the names revealed instead of blacked out, county spokesman Erik Pappa said.

That decision comes amid a public uproar over 231 firefighters missing more than a month of 24-hour shifts in 2009 because of sick calls and a dozen missing more than three months of work.

Because of tight staffing, firefighters receive overtime pay when they fill in for co-workers.

The e-mails indicate that sick days often were used for vacation rather than for medical problems, a violation of the labor contract.

Several county commissioners are calling for a criminal investigation.

Nearly all firefighters named in the e-mails couldn't be reached for comment Thursday because their home phone numbers were unlisted or were disconnected.

However, Nathan Fishman, a fire engineer, talked about the e-mail in which he told battalion chief Roy Session that he would rather take vacation than call in sick. Session, his supervisor, approved the request.

Fishman said he didn't remember the e-mail exchange. But he contends he would not threaten to call in sick if he wasn't given vacation.

"Especially talking to a battalion chief," he said.

"The only reason I would do that is if I had a doctor's appointment and wanted to use a vacation day instead a sick day."

Firefighters get four bonus days off if they use no more than two sick days per year, Fishman said.

One e-mail shows battalion chief Renee Dillingham appearing to create a special roster for sick leave.

In a message to other battalion chiefs, she writes, "Please do not post the August roster with SICK. I have added the other roster for posting and the sick is for you to take home."

Dillingham arranged sick leave months in advance for battalion chief Gina Geldbach-Hall. Neither had listed or working phone numbers.

"I will be taking off June 10, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25 (all sick days if I can work it out ..)," Geldbach-Hall writes. "Again, thanks. It is so much nicer having a scheduler I can work with."

Fishman said he is embarrassed by the excessive sick leave use that was revealed.

He said he could understand firefighters missing eight to 10 shifts a year to cover their illnesses and those of family members. But taking months off is unacceptable, he said.

"There's no excuse for that," Fishman said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.