Employer Suspends Jefferson Chief For Responding to Fires
Port Authority says Thomas Jardines was doing department work when he called in sick.
Thomas Jardines, chief of Jefferson Township Fire Company No. 2, has been suspended from his position as a Port Authority police officer for 45 days after he was caught on videotape doing fire department work and responding to fires on days he called in sick from his Port Authority job, according to a story on NJ.com.
Quoting agency officials, the report said Jardines will lose $11,000 in pay based on his salary of $90,000.
According to the story, the agency launched the investigation last year after it was found that Jardines took what it considered to be a high amount of sick days over several months.
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Jefferson Township Fire Department Company No. 2
700 State Route 15, Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Mark Rabtzow
4:25 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sue,
Sad to see something of this nature. It is more of a gossip piece, than newsworthy to Jefferson Township. This is a man who has devoted himself to helping our community and if my understanding of what a firefighter does is correct, he's a man who has risked his life for our community. There is no need to publicize his dirty laundry. If any one of our homes was burning to the ground, this is the guy who's coming to help.
Sue Toth
4:36 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Mark, thanks for your comment. While I understand your position, I believe this is more than gossip. It is a news story about a person who, while he is volunteering rather than getting paid by Jefferson, is still in a high-ranking position in town.
keith
4:43 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Agree with Mark. Nothing to do with Jefferson. Why print dirt like this? This is what tabloids do.
Dr Dennis
7:52 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
$90K!?!?! This is the biggest scam going. Public employees (teachers, administrators, cops, fire, etc) are the most overpaid workers. They are immune from getting fired, have crazy benefits and pension, and have the most secure jobs in the economy. Does anybody really respect a public school teacher or a cop anymore? ("Oh, he 'copped' out") It's because in the old days, society would compensate civil servants with respect. Now, after rewarding themselves at the trough of the tax payer, we tolerate their big salaries and pensions, and they earn our disrespect.
Davey
9:01 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
This is not dirty laundry.This is clearly an abuse of his duties as an Port Authority employee,who is compensated for his sick time at the expense of the tax payer.He knew he was doing a wrong and he got caught..........Pay it back buster.
Curt Wall
9:00 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Port authority is Ridiculous! Since when does it matter what the man does on his personal time?! If they have a problem with him taking sick days then talk to him about it or don't allow it to take sick days, but to penalize a guy for WHAT HE DOES on his "sick days" is absurd. Port Authority needs to answer for this.
Bryan
9:31 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
@ Dr. Dennis. Teachers and police officers have the most secure jobs in the economy? Really? And not for nothing, I would want citizens who are protecting the rest of the population and those that are educating their future leaders to be well paid. But hey, what do I know. I'm just a regular Joe who finds it absurd that an office visit to the local "doctor" costs more than a day's pay for a 30 minute visit.
Christine Genarrio
3:59 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012
@ Bryan I'm glad I'm not the only one a bit disturbed by the comment concerning teachers and police officers. Both my mother and grandmother are school teachers and let me tell you they make nowhere near $90k. My mother who has her Masters and is tenured has had the school she worked at for 16 years close down leaving her jobless. After she found a new teaching job 2 weeks before school opened, at a humongous pay-cut I might add, she found out my precious dad had pancreatic cancer and had 4 months to live. Because her new medical insurance would not kick in for 90 days at her new job she was forced to take advantage of COBRA and pay for a continuation of her old policy in full until her new one kicked in so my dad could continue his treatment at Kessler. Even though her salary was so "Huge" (sarcasm) she had to take on another job at night just to pay for her insurance while my sister and I took care of my dad because she couldn't afford the home care attendant dad required. Unfortunately our Father didn't make it the 90 days for the new insurance to kick in so my mom could quit her 2nd job and spend what precious seconds she had left with him. So please Dr. Dennis try your best to sling your disrespect in the direction of the people who deserve it. Thank you.
Ed
3:05 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The port authority has progressive discipline policy, if an officer of the port authority receives a lengthy suspension as 45 days one can be certain the matter has been addressed several times. If an officer is out sick and opts to answer fire calls, its pretty evident that they were healthy enough to work and not be away from
Work recieving pay for a sick day. If the internal affairs division found it fit to look into it, it was happening with greater frequency than one would think. As far as the claim from dr Dennis referring to a port authority police officer being a public sector position he unfortunately is very misinformed. The port authority is a private corporation with both ny and nj interests. They are not tax supported at all, they are supported by tolls, and various fees charged to airlines, shipping corporations and cruise lines to name a few. Are they well paid? No doubt, they are certified police officers, and firefighters in two states. The police department was enacted by congressional mandate so that their facilities could be policed and protected without the need to drain the tax payer funded local and state agencies
Lynette Skok
3:53 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Port Authority got it wrong, if he is allowed a certain amount of sick days well, that's just the way the game is played. Don't any one reading this go out 'sick' to take care of going to the dentist or a kid function of some kind - same thing. I am proud to know that we have such a dedicated fire cheif is in our midst. Someone who answers the call to help with a fire delaying him his work time is just bad timing. He makes his choice and he chooses us!