Published: April 12, 2009 10:32 pm      

CFD training records clear audit

One firefighter missing an hour

CATLETTSBURG — The audit last month of the Catlettsburg Fire Department’s training records has come back clean, according to investigators.

Kentucky Fire Commission Executive Director Ronnie Day said auditors found training records needed for full-time firefighters to be eligible for state incentive pay were accurate and up to its standards with one exception.

“We have one individual who was in question that didn’t receive his 400 hours within the first year. There is one hour in question,” Day said.

He said it is highly unusual for just one hour to be missing and investigators are expected to follow up in the coming weeks. Day said the hour could have simply been recorded incorrectly on paperwork.

Under state law, professional firefighters are entitled to receive incentive pay after they have completed 400 hours of training within the first year on the job. That firefighter, along with all the other professionals in the department, must receive at least 100 hours of training to continue to receive the pay.

Training hours are submitted to the Kentucky Fire Commission on a monthly basis and incentive pay — a total of $3,100 annually — is paid out monthly.

“On the audit we did the previous fire chief was not able to produce all the records. We want to go back in and look at the hours and make sure the previous chief didn’t overlook anything,” Day said. “We have a meeting next (this) week.”

In the time since the audit was done, Chief Danny Cornette has stepped down and has been replaced by Chief Robert “Rusty” Armstrong.

Armstrong said Friday he believes the agency had found the records indicating the fireman had indeed met the requirements and were in the process of applying to the state for him to receive incentive pay. The department has three full-time firefighters including Armstrong, two of whom are receiving incentive pay.

Armstrong said the department has four full-time positions and is in the process of hiring another professional firefighter.

CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.