TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

2 Fire Inspectors Face Disciplinary Hearing Monday

Paul Lamison / News Channel 8

Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Dennis W. Jones talks to reporters about disciplinary actions against inspectors in the fire marshal's office.

ADVERTISEMENT

By ELLEN GEDALIUS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 14, 2007

Updated: 12/14/2007 07:49 pm

TAMPA - TAMPA - TAMPA The city will hold disciplinary hearings Monday on two fire inspectors who are accused of accepting hockey tickets, golf entry fees and the use of a boat from a sprinkler company whose work is inspected by the fire department.

Manuel Perrone, a fire inspector, and Toy Pelaez, will begin the hearing process Monday afternoon. Fire department officials said Pelaez accepted free tickets to hockey games three or four times in the past year from Advanced Engineering Systems, a sprinkler installation company, and had called the company to solicit tickets. He also is accused of falsifying time cards.

Perrone is accused of accepting tickets to a concert and to a hockey game and the use of a boat from the sprinkler company. City officials said the company also paid his entry fee into three or four charitable golf tournaments in the past year.

Fire Chief Dennis Jones said he expects the investigation to implicate more people than Perrone and Pelaez.

Jones said the buildings that contain sprinkler systems installed by Advanced Engineering and inspected by the fire department are safe but would not elaborate on what measures the department might have taken to ensure the sprinklers were adequately inspected.

Stay with www.tbo.com for more information.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT