April 10--UNIVERSITY CITY -- It may all come down to the definition of "uniform."
Six University City firefighters are being investigated for alleged involvement in political campaigns while on duty or in uniform. The firefighters are displayed in campaign literature for at least two City Council candidates, City Manager Lehman Walker said.
"Several residents brought it to my attention and considered it to be inappropriate that firefighters be directly involved in an election," he said. "We believe city employees should be neutral."
The issue comes amid tension between representatives of firefighters and some city officials. About 40 firefighters work for University City.
According to Missouri statute, first responders can participate in political activity "while off duty and not in uniform." The photographs appear to show a violation, Walker said, "but we are still investigating it."
In one of the recent ads for Tuesday's election, six firefighters pose beside a red firetruck with 1st Ward candidate Jeff Hales. Four of them wear firefighters' protective gear. A blurb in the ad says Hales will "restore civility and integrity to the city council." Officials have copies of a similar ad for 2nd Ward council candidate Dennis Fuller.
Fuller said the photograph in his ad wasn't taken in University City and was taken while the firefighters were off duty.
Reached by telephone Wednesday, Jen Stuhlman, one of the firefighters in the photographs, referred questions to Fire Fighters Local 2665 business manager Jeff Proctor. He split hairs about the definition of an official uniform.
"They looked at the uniform policy and made sure they weren't in what is constituted as the uniform," he said, referring to specific brands of clothing and official patches needed to meet uniform requirements.
One of the firefighters in question has more than 10 years of experience with the fire department; each of the others has four to five years of experience, the city manager said.
Walker said he would review the matter over the next couple of weeks. He said potential punishment ranged from a verbal reprimand to dismissal. Fire Chief Adam Long said he didn't have anything to add to Walker's comments.
At a City Council meeting in March, a union official blasted city officials for what he said were misrepresentations of firefighter contract demands. Last summer, the union sued the council and other city officials, alleging that they failed to negotiate in good faith on a city firefighter contract. The suit was dismissed by a St. Louis County Circuit judge, but the union has appealed.
In Tuesday's election, the union supported Hales, Fuller, 3rd Ward council candidate Bwayne Smotherson, and Steve McMahon, a write-in candidate for mayor. All of them lost. Based on the latest results, Hales lost to Stephen Kraft, 924 votes to 902; Fuller to Michael Glickert, 795 votes to 680; Smotherson to Rod Jennings 587 to 581; and McMahon to Shelley Welsch, 3,169 to 1,151.
Photographs of Fuller standing with firefighters weren't available on his political website Wednesday. He took them down but wouldn't say why.
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