| Plow Driver Who Left Job To Fight Fire In Hot Water Templeton worker suspended pending upcoming meeting |
| Tara Vocino Reporter TEMPLETON After a hearing in closed session on Wednesday, a case regarding Templeton laborer/truck driver and on-call, volunteer Royalston firefighter Michael Caisse’s employment status will be brought in executive session at a Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. Caisse was working a day shift plowing and sanding the roads after a January snowstorm when a two-alarm fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 in Royalston. The building was home to Phillipston Police Officer Bill Chapman and his family. The house was destroyed, and Chapman’s 9-year-old son Colton’s dog, Dozer, died. Caisse said he responded to Royalston to fight the fire in his role as a volunteer Royalston volunteer firefighter, leaving his job plowing the roads in Templeton before his shift was over. Caisse was placed on paid administrative leave, and his return date is unknown. However, Caisse said a decision will be made on Monday as to the next steps. The purpose of Wednesday’s hearing was so that interim Town Administrator Robert Markel could hear Caisse’s side of the story. According to Highway Superintendent Francis “Bud” Chase, Caisse is suspended without pay for an indefinite amount of time. Caisse said he was working his day shift from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 13. He left around noon to go to the fire. He explained why he left to fight the fire during work hours. “Royalston is a small town,” Caisse said. “It has a small fire department. Whenever there’s a call, especially for a structure fire, we need as many people as we can get.” He knew that Chapman lived on Turnpike Road, but he wasn’t sure of the house number. “When dispatched, we’re provided with the residence number,” Caisse said. Chapman lived at 224 Turnpike Road and he is now living next door at his father Bruce’s house. Chase said the case remains under investigation, and he doesn’t want to speak much about it so as to not jeopardize the case until it’s heard and decided. “I can’t predict the future,” Chase said. “I run day-to-day operations. Mike has a foreman supervisor, but I’m the overall supervisor.” Board of Selectman Chairman John Columbus said it’s up to Caisse to decide to hold it in executive or public session since it’s a personnel issue. However, the incident will be listed as an agenda item. |
Paul working for you.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Plow Driver Who Left Job To Fight Fire In Hot Water
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This is bull shit Call firefighters are hard to get every call dept needs them and to punish him for leaving his job to respond to a house fire is so wrong in many ways. It seems that people forget that templeton relies on them also So if he gets punished don't expect Templeton call firefighters to leave there jobs to respond to a fire in town.
ReplyDeleteMike chojnowski
Spot on Mike! This action will have a negative impact on call fire fighting in Templeton.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with you Mike, this was not just ANY day, he was much more needed as a driver during a storm , we had our own "emergency" right here in town to keep our roads clear.
ReplyDeletei wouldn't call a dusting of snow a snowstorm it not like we got a foot of snow ..this is still a bull shit call on bud!!
ReplyDeleteThere must be more to this story than is out here for us to see,,, maybe something a little personal????
ReplyDeleteMikes truck continued on a short time after he left. As a steward of the Templeton highway and sewer department i can only say we will stand behind Mike and fight for his return to work ASAP. "Do is Stupid" if it were your home or apartment on fire would you be ok with the limited fire fighters being limited and not responding?
ReplyDeleteWe don't have fire fighters full time and can't afford to not have them.
Normally we require a email to smart@nii.net to keep comments up.
I think in this case it's better to let Do is Stupid be that way! STUPID!
Thank you Mike! Well said.
I think if the insurance companies get wind of this they may review our town and ajust our premiums to reflect the gamble they have in Templeton when it comes to fire.
One more increase to add to all the others in TEMPLETON.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteIf DO IS STUPID knows the facts he should list them and after i will correct him on the mistakes he makes.
ReplyDeleteIf we knew who DO IS STUPID is i could call it and have a chat with it
it = boy or girl ????
"unknown" should contact me by emailing me smart@nii.net
Everyone should check in with Dave before they place anything on the blog. What is good for one, is good for the other. For as long as I can remember, call firemen left their jobs to respond to a fire. This is a New England tradition...Mike did the right thing. Small towns are lucky if they can round up enough help during the week making people working in Town more essential. If the Town does not have a policy on this, then make one, and call it a day.
ReplyDeleteVolunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians; responding to emergencies; discharge from other employment
ReplyDeleteSection 177B. No employer shall discharge or take any other disciplinary action against any employee by reason of failure of such employee to report for work at the commencement of his regular working hours where such failure is due to his responding to an emergency in his capacity as a volunteer member of a fire department or ambulance department; provided, however, that no such employer shall be required to compensate any such employee for any period of his normal working hours during which for such reason he fails to report for work and at the request of an employer shall submit a statement signed by the chief of such fire department or ambulance department certifying the date and time such employee responded to and returned from such emergency. Such employee shall inform his employer or immediate supervisor of the reasons for such failure.
As used in this section, ''responding to an emergency'' shall mean responding to, working at the scene of or returning from a fire, rescue, emergency medical service call, hazardous materials incident or a natural or man-made disaster in the good faith belief that the action is necessary to prevent the imminent loss of life or property, where the emergency occurs during a period other than normal working hours of the employee. As used in this section, ''volunteer member'' shall mean a volunteer, call, reserve, or permanent-intermittent firefighter or emergency medical technician, but shall not include any person who received compensation for over nine hundred and seventy-five hours of services rendered in such capacity over the preceding six month period.
Any employee who is terminated or against whom any disciplinary action is taken in violation of the provisions of this section shall be immediately reinstated to his former position without reduction of pay, seniority or other benefits, and shall receive any lost pay or other benefits during any period for which such termination or other disciplinary action was in effect. An action to enforce the provisions of this section shall be commenced within one year of the date of the alleged violation, in the superior court within any county wherein the action occurred or wherein
So what is the problem ?? It does look to me that Mike is covered by this article and never should have been "punished" at all. This should clear up this matter for all of the people in these positions. It may be that he was going to Phillipston, but I did not see anything that said you had to be working in the community you were responding to. Way up here on the end of South Road, if my family, or neighbors need help I do not care where it comes from, as long as it gets here. Thank you Mike for trying to help one of Templeton's friends. I am sorry you had to go through this, but once it is ironed out, this issue will be dead, I hope.
DeleteIt is important to point out the comment posted above is not the mike on paid administrative leave this article is about. I also found this protection law.
ReplyDeleteVolunteer Emergency Responders Job Protection Act.
[35-1401 - 35-1408]
If anyone has more to add feel free to post laws you find that protect those who Volunteer
Hello who ever is reading this.
ReplyDeleteI have shared this absolutely rediculous suspension without pay to all the military sights I belong to. I have gotten more then enough responses. Most of them ask what asshat suspended him. So I would hope you reinstate him and pain him all the back pay he should have made.
As me and all my fellow veterans find that this suspension of this HOME TOWN HERO to be the most stupidest thing we ever heard of.
So as soon as I hear about all this has been resolved I will post updates to all the military sights I posted it on.
Ps. He should be given an award for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Yours truly
Army Disabled Veteran.