A Rhode Island assistant fire chief was suspended for not altering an injury report as ordered involving an incident in May that led to a 25-year veteran firefighter losing his foot, according to a TV news investigation.
Pawtucket Assistant Chief Jay McLaughlin was suspended without pay for two days earlier this week for disobeying orders, WPRI-TV reports. McLaughlin was responsible for compiling the report on the May 15 incident.
The firefighter was injured while trying to rescue a woman from the top floor of a burning three-story apartment building. The injury happened when the aerial was moved closer to the window where the woman was, and the firefighter's left foot became caught in the ladder's rungs, which led to the foot being amputated 15 days later.
In his injury report, McLaughlin cited four factors that led to the accident. He pointed to the absence of a second aerial because the apparatus had been out of service, and the department was unable to pay for repairs.
"Lack of training, due to the department's unwillingness to provide monies or time off for training, making training the lowest of priorities," the injury report stated, according to WPRI.
Following the WPRI's report of McLaughlin's findings, a letter was sent to Fire Chief William Sisson from Tina Goncalves, the acting director of Public Safety department, requesting changes to the injury report. In letters given to WPRI, Goncalves asked for "any personal opinions and /or biases” to be omitted, and she proposed adding a chronology of the incident and other details.
Both Goncalves and Sisson have rejected some of McLaughlin's conclusions, including those pointing to training deficiencies and a lack of money. Gonclaves also told WPRI that the factors in the injury report were connected to current talks between firefighters and the city, negotiations that are now in arbitration.
McLaughlin would not comment on the suspension, only to tell WPRI that it's the only mark on his 35-year record.
