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Fire Official's Disability Payments Questioned

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By GEOFF FOX, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - Attorneys with the Tampa Police and Fire Pension Board are investigating whether a recently hired assistant fire chief in Zephyrhills is improperly collecting more than $3,500 per month in disability payments.

Glen Clegg, 44, started at Zephyrhills Fire Rescue on Jan. 14, replacing longtime Assistant Fire Chief Rex Guynn, who retired in August 2006. He came to Zephyrhills from Plant City, where he was an EMS captain.

"I've never been notified that I'm under investigation and if I am, I want legal counsel to make sure we're on the same page," said Clegg, who worked at Tampa Fire Rescue more than 14 years as a firefighter.

He retired from the department in 1999 with a knee injury, said Patrick Lynch, chairman of the Tampa Police and Fire Pension Board.

Lynch said Clegg "may have a problem" if his new job requires that he be physically able to fight fires.

"Thirty years ago, if a guy blew out his knee, they could just put him on a desk job," he said. "Post 9/11, we can't have a bunch of working wounded regardless of whether or not they are called for" firefighter duties.

Retired workers who collect disability checks from the pension board also are supposed to notify the board if they accept a position with another fire department, Lynch said, adding that he did not think that Clegg had done so. He said Clegg's situation was brought to the attention of a pension board trustee.

No one from the pension board had discussed the matter with Clegg, Lynch said.
Clegg said Friday that he had done nothing wrong. He was backed by Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina, who said he was confident that Clegg was "on the up and up" and that Clegg's job does not require him to have the physical ability to fight fires.
Clegg said he called the pension board when he took the Plant City job.

"They said that as long as I wasn't doing the job of a firefighter, they didn't have a problem, and my current job description does not say I" must be able to fight fires, he said.

"I didn't notify them when I was running an EMT program for the Hillsborough County School District, where I was graduating 100 to 150 EMTs a year through my program. I'm doing the same thing here. I'm administrating and facilitating and teaching, keeping EMTs up on their certifications and qualifications to remain street EMTs and medics.

"I have the utmost respect for community and citizen relationships, and that's what this job entails. In Plant City, I served the citizens of Plant City. In Tampa, I served the citizens of Tampa. If it's through administration I will do nothing but teach the guys my passion for serving the citizens we serve."
Clegg said the allegations may have stemmed from professional jealousy.

"I place it in the hands of my Lord," he said.

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 948-4217 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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