PITTSBURGH \u2014 11 Investigates has learned that a long-time city of Pittsburgh paramedic has been suspended after he was found working a second job for another government agency.<\/p>\n
Under the City\u2019s Home Rule Charter, employees are not allowed to work for another municipal government entity when they are employed by the City of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke with the employee by phone Friday afternoon. <\/p>\n
He told Earle he has been with the city for 31 years and he says in the past he\u2019s worked other part-time jobs and the city never questioned those jobs.<\/p>\n
He said he didn\u2019t think he was doing anything wrong. <\/p>\n
He said for 17 of the 31 years he was employed by the city, he also worked part-time as a police officer in another county. <\/p>\n
Three weeks ago, he says, he took a full-time job at the Allegheny County Fire Academy, and since then he\u2019s been doing both jobs. <\/p>\n
He says he told his supervisors at the city and he says the county didn\u2019t have an issue with it.<\/p>\n
He admitted one day he was running late and drove his marked county take-home car to the city medic station for his shift. <\/p>\n
Sources tell 11 Investigates that prompted an internal investigation by the city\u2019s Office of Municipal Investigations.<\/p>\n
And on Wednesday of this week, he received a five-day suspension, pending termination from the city for allegedly violating the Home Rule Charter that prohibits employees from working for another municipal government while working for the city of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
There are exceptions for military service.<\/p>\n
Earle spoke by phone with the medic, who said he planned to retire from the city and start the county job later this year, but he says the county asked him to start earlier.<\/p>\n
He says the county was aware he was still working for the city as well.<\/p>\n
And he says he also told his supervisors at the city. <\/p>\n
He says he was shocked when he was told he was under investigation and suspended, pending termination.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t doing anything malicious. I thought it was all above board,\u201d the medic told Earle.<\/p>\n
He also told Earle that he taught part-time at the county fire academy for the last four years and no one with the city said anything about that. <\/p>\n
The medic indicated he was planning to submit his resignation letter this week when he received the suspension. <\/p>\n
He says he\u2019s hoping the city will let him resign so he can move on to his job with Allegheny County Emergency Services.<\/p>\n
Earle reached out to Allegheny County on Friday afternoon, but had not heard back as of this writing.<\/p>\n
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