Cleveland's mayor is moving to install time clocks that read fingerprints at all of the city's fire stations after an internal city audit found some firefighters collected pay for hours they didn't work, according to The Plain Dealer.
The audit -- released last month -- found one man collected two years of pay while working a total of 11 days.
Auditors also found that some firefighters failed to record sick time and violated the city's bereavement policy, the reports stated.
Officials from Cleveland Fire Fighters Local 93 told the newspaper late Friday that they support the city's decision to install the time clocks.
"The city is still operating under archaic conditions," Joseph W. Diemert, a lawyer for the union, said. "To monitor -- clock in and clock out -- is something that the guys think is wonderful and a good thing to do. There are mix-ups and there are slip-ups. This is something that they could have done long before this and they don't need union approval to do it."
Cleveland Finance Director Sharon Dumas told the newspaper that the city is looking at a time clock system manufactured Kronos Inc.
The system is expected to cost around $500,000 and could be installed by early next year.
Paul Peluso | Staff Writer
Paul Peluso is a Firehouse.com staff writer and has worked for the Web site since 2006. Previously, he worked as a reporter for several community newspapers located in the suburbs of Baltimore, Md. Since joining the newsteam, Paul has covered various fire service issues including fire sprinklers, grants, line of duty deaths and technology. While he started out at the Beltsville, Md. office, he has since moved to Florida where he works out of his home office in Tampa.
