Private investigator hired to investigate an Allentown PA firefighter.

A veteran Allentown firefighter was fired last month after a city-hired private investigator caught him playing golf on the same three days he called out sick, city records show.

Richard G. Gawlik Jr. played a round at three different courses — including Allentown Municipal Golf Course — on Aug. 17, 18 and 19, all days he called in sick, according to records obtained by the Morning Call, including a termination letter sent to Gawlick.

Gawlik also called out from work on Aug. 20, the final day of his four-day shift, but apparently did not play golf. The nine-handicapper did play 20 rounds that month, online records show.

"The city regards golf while on paid sick leave a misuse and/or abuse of paid sick leave, which is a fraudulent act and theft of time. This is a serious violation of the code of conduct," states the Aug. 25 termination letter, obtained under a Right to Know request.

Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who has long bemoaned the fire union's generous sick day policy, said, "Sick leave is clearly not vacation time. You can't call out sick and go out and play golf."

Gawlik, hired in 1995, could not be reached for comment.

The firefighters union has appealed the firing and union President John Stribula said the public should not jump to any conclusions.

City officials said the Morning Call story prompted them to hire the private investigator and they focused on the serial abusers.

After the story ran last year, firefighters' use of sick days declined dramatically, leading to the lowest amount of reported sick days since at least 2005, records show. Since January, the number began to rise, leaving the city on pace to have the most sick days in the department's history.


Link:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-firefighter-fired-golf-20100913,0,2952663,print.story