Oswego Firefighter Battling MS Not Accepting Proposal from Fire District

The fight against multiple sclerosis and for his job continues for Oswego firefighter Dave Sackett.

Greg Friedman, from the law firm representing Sackett, announced Friday that Sackett would not accept a proposal made by Oswego Fire Protection District, according to the Beacon.

The proposal, according to Friedman, would include returning Sackett to the fire inspector position, but with a 20 percent cut in pay, a 50 percent cut in vacation time, and would  eliminate his eligibility to participate in the firefighters pension fund. He would also be an at-will employee, meaning he could be terminated at any time.

Friedman told the Beacon said that the job duties would not change or that there would be less required. “They haven’t changed anything, just cut his pay,” he said.

Sackett was put on paid administrative leave with pay in December, and on April 19, the Fire Protection Board voted unanimously to suspend Sackett without pay, pending the outcome of a termination hearing that began May 30.

At issue is whether Sackett is required to follow the same set of physical guidelines put in place for the district’s firefighter/paramedics.

Sackett, who worked as a firefighter/paramedic with the district since 2005, was assigned to the department’s Fire Prevention Bureau as an inspector on Dec. 11, 2011 after informing Fire Chief Rick Neitzer that his MS would no longer allow him to continue to work as an “on-the-street” firefighter.

The Fire Protection District board unanimously approved that appointment only hours after Sackett revealed his inability to continue to Nietzer, according to legal documents in the case.

The hearing will resume Monday, June 24 at the Oswego Fire Protection District Station 1. 

Related:

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