Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Marvin Riggins on Friday upheld the demotion and 20-shifts-without-pay suspension of a department captain for her role in a firehouse prank that involved a masked gunman.
The Sept. 18 caper was recorded on video and, soon afterward, posted on the Internet site YouTube, sparking a politically charged flare-up.
The antics -- which included a firecracker blast meant to haze a rookie at the Peake Road fire station and fool him into thinking someone had been shot -- cost one firefighter his job.
Seven others were either demoted or slapped with unpaid suspensions.
That includes the punishment for the captain, Stephanie Burke. Her suspension began Friday and covers a two-month span, said mayoral spokesman Clay Murphey.
Murphey said Riggins confirmed the decision in an e-mail Friday afternoon.
"Effective today, she is Lt. Burke," the spokesman said.
After text messages emerged indicating that Burke had prior knowledge of the prank, Riggins upped Burke's original punishment -- a two-day-suspension -- and stripped her of her captain's rank, increasing the suspension to 20 days, which amounts to two months' pay.
Burke met with Riggins earlier this week about the matter, and Riggins could have reduced the sanctions against her but opted not to.
Riggins' discipline included firing firefighter Chris Hughes, demoting a fire sergeant and suspending other firefighters for 10 days. Punishments for supervisors, other than Burke, were less severe because they had no prior knowledge of the incident, city officials have said.
Two of the firefighters -- Hughes and Sgt. Joshua Brewer -- have appealed Riggins' decision to an administrative law judge.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
