Chicago fire officials whisked away a supervisor found asleep at the wheel, then lied about it, report finds
Chicago Fire Department officials whisked away a high-ranking supervisor who was found slumped over his steering whee and then lied about what happened, the city’s top watchdog announced in a report released Wednesday.Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s office pushed CFD to fire three people involved in the cover-up and place them on the city’s do-not-hire list, but the department imposed far lighter discipline. The assistant deputy chief paramedic who was found asleep at the wheel retired amid the probe and also wasn’t added to the do-not-hire list.On May 29, 2022, a firetruck responded to a 911 call and found the assistant deputy chief unconscious at a traffic light, the new report says. A captain and a firefighter-paramedic were among the five officials who responded, and they quickly recognized and woke up the assistant deputy chief.The captain then told two other subordinates to cancel a call for an ambulance that had been dispatched to the scene, according to the report. The captain and firefighter-paramedic then moved the assistant deputy chief to the rear seat of the personal vehicle, and the captain drove them back to a nearby fire station.At the captain’s direction, the firefighter-paramedic wrote a bogus report saying there was “no patient found at [the] scene,” the report shows. Seconds after the deputy chief paramedic was driven away, the firefighter-paramedic told responding police officers that they hadn’t found anyone at the scene.At the fire station, the assistant deputy chief slept in a chair for roughly 90 minutes, the report says. Their spouse, who shared the same rank, was working there at the time, and they left together.Several CFD members claimed the assistant deputy chief was exhausted after a long shift and was driven back to the station as a “professional courtesy,” according to the report. A district chief used the same language to explain the false report that was generated.The inspector general’s office was also told the assistant deputy chief was drunk at the time of the incident, but investigators were unable to prove that claim. The assistant deputy chief retired as the investigation played out, and the fire department refused to refer them for placement on the do-not-hire list.CFD disagreed “that a benefit had been afforded to the assistant deputy chief paramedic,” the report says. “CFD further stated that the assistant deputy chief paramedic was not a patient and there was no evidence that they were intoxicated.”Witzburg’s office called for the firing of the captain, the firefighter-paramedic and a firefighter EMT. Instead, the department suspended the captain for six days and gave reprimands to the others. A second firefighter-EMT was also issued a reprimand.The inspector general’s office also pushed CFD to discipline the assistant deputy chief’s spouse, but the department disagreed with the watchdogs findings and only provided counseling.None of the officials referenced in the report were named.In an interview, Witzburg insisted “the rules apply to everybody, regardless of rank or title.”“A refusal to hold people accountable for breaking the rules is not a professional courtesy,” she added, “it’s a betrayal of the public trust.”The case evokes memories of the cover-up that torpedoed the long career of former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson, who was found slumped over in his police SUV in October 2019 after a night of drinking. Officers failed to give Johnson a field sobriety test and escorted him home, the inspector general’s office found.Five police officials were suspended in that case. The harshest penalty — a 28-day suspension — went to Don Jerome, now the Area 1 deputy chief.Wednesday's report also includes new details abut investigations into city employees who allegedly committed pandemic relief fraud.In 2023, Witzburg said in a report that her office found city workers got more than 1,000 loans from federal COVID-19 pandemic relief initiatives including the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. A lot of those loans had “indicators” of fraud. In the new report, Witzburg's office says 23 PPP cases have been under investigation for more than a year. The report also provides some details about two closed PPP investigations that found a Chicago police officer and an Office of Emergency Management and Communications dispatcher both ripped off federal pandemic relief programs. The police officer was allegedly involved in multiple scams, including maintaining a home in Forest Park while lying that they earned zero income in 2020 and 2021 in order to get a housing voucher for a separate city address; and defrauding the federal government in order to get an unspecified amount of PPP and EIDL loans. The alleged fraud occurred before the officer entered the Chicago police academy, the report says. The officer has resigned, according to Witzburg's office, which referred her findings to the state’s police certification board in case the per
Chicago Fire Department officials whisked away a high-ranking supervisor who was found slumped over his steering whee and then lied about what happened, the city’s top watchdog announced in a report released Wednesday.
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s office pushed CFD to fire three people involved in the cover-up and place them on the city’s do-not-hire list, but the department imposed far lighter discipline. The assistant deputy chief paramedic who was found asleep at the wheel retired amid the probe and also wasn’t added to the do-not-hire list.
On May 29, 2022, a firetruck responded to a 911 call and found the assistant deputy chief unconscious at a traffic light, the new report says. A captain and a firefighter-paramedic were among the five officials who responded, and they quickly recognized and woke up the assistant deputy chief.
The captain then told two other subordinates to cancel a call for an ambulance that had been dispatched to the scene, according to the report. The captain and firefighter-paramedic then moved the assistant deputy chief to the rear seat of the personal vehicle, and the captain drove them back to a nearby fire station.
At the captain’s direction, the firefighter-paramedic wrote a bogus report saying there was “no patient found at [the] scene,” the report shows. Seconds after the deputy chief paramedic was driven away, the firefighter-paramedic told responding police officers that they hadn’t found anyone at the scene.
At the fire station, the assistant deputy chief slept in a chair for roughly 90 minutes, the report says. Their spouse, who shared the same rank, was working there at the time, and they left together.
Several CFD members claimed the assistant deputy chief was exhausted after a long shift and was driven back to the station as a “professional courtesy,” according to the report. A district chief used the same language to explain the false report that was generated.
The inspector general’s office was also told the assistant deputy chief was drunk at the time of the incident, but investigators were unable to prove that claim. The assistant deputy chief retired as the investigation played out, and the fire department refused to refer them for placement on the do-not-hire list.
CFD disagreed “that a benefit had been afforded to the assistant deputy chief paramedic,” the report says. “CFD further stated that the assistant deputy chief paramedic was not a patient and there was no evidence that they were intoxicated.”
Witzburg’s office called for the firing of the captain, the firefighter-paramedic and a firefighter EMT. Instead, the department suspended the captain for six days and gave reprimands to the others. A second firefighter-EMT was also issued a reprimand.
The inspector general’s office also pushed CFD to discipline the assistant deputy chief’s spouse, but the department disagreed with the watchdogs findings and only provided counseling.
None of the officials referenced in the report were named.
In an interview, Witzburg insisted “the rules apply to everybody, regardless of rank or title.”
“A refusal to hold people accountable for breaking the rules is not a professional courtesy,” she added, “it’s a betrayal of the public trust.”
The case evokes memories of the cover-up that torpedoed the long career of former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson, who was found slumped over in his police SUV in October 2019 after a night of drinking. Officers failed to give Johnson a field sobriety test and escorted him home, the inspector general’s office found.
Five police officials were suspended in that case. The harshest penalty — a 28-day suspension — went to Don Jerome, now the Area 1 deputy chief.
Wednesday's report also includes new details abut investigations into city employees who allegedly committed pandemic relief fraud.
In 2023, Witzburg said in a report that her office found city workers got more than 1,000 loans from federal COVID-19 pandemic relief initiatives including the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. A lot of those loans had “indicators” of fraud. In the new report, Witzburg's office says 23 PPP cases have been under investigation for more than a year.
The report also provides some details about two closed PPP investigations that found a Chicago police officer and an Office of Emergency Management and Communications dispatcher both ripped off federal pandemic relief programs.
The police officer was allegedly involved in multiple scams, including maintaining a home in Forest Park while lying that they earned zero income in 2020 and 2021 in order to get a housing voucher for a separate city address; and defrauding the federal government in order to get an unspecified amount of PPP and EIDL loans.
The alleged fraud occurred before the officer entered the Chicago police academy, the report says. The officer has resigned, according to Witzburg's office, which referred her findings to the state’s police certification board in case the person tries to get another police job in Illinois.
The OEMC worker — who allegedly violated city residency rules by living in Indiana and who also stole $40,000 from the PPP program — is in the process of being fired, the report says.
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