Bogus firehouse drill nets suspensions for 2

But Fire Department response to home remodeling allegation less severe than city recommendation
December 17, 2010|By Hal Dardick and Todd Lighty, Tribune reporters

Ten on-duty Chicago firefighters helped a colleague renovate his home under the guise of a training exercise, but they were spotted by neighbors who knew an abuse of taxpayer resources when they saw one, internal city watchdogs concluded.

The phony drill involved sending a truck and engine from a far Southwest Side firehouse to a nearby home, where firefighters stripped siding from the exterior walls, sources said. Investigators later determined firehouse supervisors — and the firefighter they helped — misled them in an attempt to cover it up.

Inspector General Joseph Ferguson recommended that two fire lieutenants and the home-owning firefighter be suspended without pay for 30 days, the sources said.

via Bogus firehouse drill nets suspensions for 2 – Chicago Tribune.