A Dallas firefighter paid to not work for COVID19 is now being paid to not work while on adminstrative leave. William Carter, a Dallas Fire Rescue firefighter at Engine 7, was arrested by Dallas Police Department (DPD) officers for felony theft.
The arrest comes just a day after sister agency Dallas Police had one of their own officers caught on camera punching a subject on the ground.
The warrant for Carter’s arrest alleges he lied about a positive virus diagnoses for himself, his spouse, and his child. As a result, Carter received more than $12,000 in paid sick leave from the Dallas Fire Rescue.
Firefighters in Dallas exposed to or diagnosed with COVID19 are given paid time off without having to use their own sick leave bank per Dallas policy. This benefit is also extended to a firefighter with family members who test positive for coronavirus.
Court documents show Carter received $12,548.86 in three payroll cycless over the course of his leave. The funds were coded as “COVID leave,” and were paid from the City of Dallas General Funds. This number does not account for the overtime paid to others to cover his shift requirements.
There has been no comment from IAFF Local 58, the union association, that represents Dallas Fire Rescue firefighters.
Dallas Firefighter Paid To Not Work, But Is He Exception?
Dallas firefighters started having the option to receive the COVID19 vaccination in December 2020, but there are still many who have not taken up the opportunity to be protected against COVID19.
Nationally, firefighters have avoided taking the vaccine at a rate of almost fifty percent in some jurisdictions, despite being on the front lines of the epidemic.