ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. --
Some Orange County firefighters are making a fortune off taxpayers by double-dipping, and they're not even fighting fires. The re-hired firefighters collect retirement and a salary for jobs such as counting fire hydrants; one of them even makes more money than the fire chief, and he has a take home county vehicle.
Their job titles are vague on a document WFTV requested from the county, but it says one Orange County firefighter re-hired after he retired now gets paid to keep track of fire hydrants. Another is a liaison to the elderly community, and a former lieutenant takes pictures for internal training; they're all collecting new government salaries and pensions.
Former assistant chief David Hepker is a division chief over administration. He makes $165,000 a year, including a $90,000 salary and what he gets in pension. That's $20,000 more than fire Chief Carl Plaugher.
"This is where you have an enormous amount of government waste," Orange County watchdog Michael Walzak told WFTV.
The former human resources administrator for the department filed a complaint with the county last year and called Chief Plaugher's hiring practices wasteful.
WFTV requested an interview with the chief, but he referred them to Lt. Mark Smothers in the public information office.
"There's no one else in the department who could do those jobs?" WFTV reporter Daralene Jones asked.
"We would have to train specific individuals," he replied.
The six employees re-hired on Plaugher's watch make up to $90,000. Their monthly pensions add $58,000 to $75,000 to their incomes. So, they take home $98,000 to $165,000 per year.
Robert Wells is the fire union president.
"They've taken away promotable positions," Wells said.
"These are jobs that could be done by people who already work for fire rescue?" Jones asked.
"Yes, ma'am. These employees don't get benefits," he replied.
Their annual contracts can be terminated at any time. Union officials said they're taking their concerns about the issue to Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.
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