Thomas MacMillan Photo
After a combative three-hour hearing, the Board of Fire Commissioners sentenced firefighter Reginald Blakey to a 24-day suspension for being absent without leave last November.
The vote came in a top-floor conference room at fire headquarters on Olive Street, where the board convened at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The matter at hand was a continuation of another contentious hearing from last month: The case of Reginald Blakey (pictured).
Blakey was charged with being absent without leave on Nov. 17, 2012, when he arrived to work between 15 and 30 minutes late. The commission found him guilty of that charge and sentenced him to a 24-day suspension.
He had previously been disciplined several times for similar offenses, including with a 12-day suspension.
Firefighter union president Jimmy Kottage (pictured) blasted the decision. He said Blakey was unfairly singled out. He promised to appeal the decision.
While tardiness was the fundamental charge in the case, last month’s hearing veered into larger allegations of racism and capricious disciplinary practices in the fire department.
Thursday’s meeting remained more closely focused on Blakey’s case, in part because the head of the New Haven Firebirds, the black firefighters’ organization, was not available to testify about allegations that Blakey was being disciplined in retaliation for the Firebirds pursuing an aldermanic hearing on behavior in the fire department. Assistant Chief Pat Egan has denied those allegations.
Even without a department-wide inquiry, Thursday’s hearing still stretched to over three contentious hours. It was characterized by constant objections and counter-objections by lawyers representing both sides.
Attorney Patricia Cofrancesco represented Blakey and the firefighters union. Attorney Saranne Murray represented the chief’s office and the fire department.
Throughout the proceedings, Blakey (pictured being sworn in to testify) never denied that he was late on Nov. 17, 2012. He testified that he overslept and didn’t make it to his firehouse by 8 a.m., when he was due to start his shift. He said he called in at around 8:05 a.m., said he was on his way, and arrived at about 8:25 a.m.
Firefighter Sean Lockwood, who had worked the overnight shift, testified that he stayed 25 minutes extra to cover for Blakey. He said this is a common practice: “Firefighters look out for each other.”
Lt. Melissa Allen (pictured), Blakey’s supervising officer on Nov. 17, testified that the practice of hold-overs is common, but only when a tardy firefighters calls in in advance. She said that when a firefighter knows he will be late, he calls in advance of when he’s supposed to be at work, finds a firefighter willing to “hold over” for him, and then calls his supervisor to ask if that firefighter can hold over until he arrives to start his shift.
“I’ve always said yes,” Allen said.
But that’s not what happened on Nov. 17, 2012, Allen said. Blakey called after his shift had started. Allen reported the tardiness to her supervisor Capt. Bill Gould. She said that hold-overs like the one in question, without a phone call in advance, are very rare.
Following testimony from Egan and Kottage, Chief Grant told the commission he recommended a 30-day suspension. “Discipline is paramount,” he said. Getting to work on time is a self-discipline a firefighter must possess, he said. Blakey has repeatedly been late for work, and has been given a chance to correct his behavior, Grant said.
The board went into private “executive session” to deliberate. Out in the hallway, Kottage said firefighters holding over for each other, even when the tardy firefighter does not call early, is a common practice. “It happens all the time.”
Egan said the practice is not common, and results in discipline if it’s repeated.
Back in public session, the board announced it found Blakey guilty of being absent without leave and sentenced him to the 24 days of suspension.
Blakey declined to comment on the decision, and slipped out of the building with his kids and other family members.
“If we gave less time, it wasn’t going to send a good work to the department,” said George Longyear, chair of the commission.
“You’re going to take over $10,000 out of a guys pocket — for a tardy,” said Kottage. “We’ll be grieving this. We’ll go to the state.”