Committee moving toward decision on firefighter reprimand

Three members of Havre City Council’s Labor Relations Committee will decide by Monday whether a written reprimand should be removed from firefighter D.J. Olsen personnel file.

Olsen was reprimanded by Chief Tim Hedges after an intense verbal altercation with Assistant Chief Mel Paulson.

The ensuing controversy has created tension in the ranks, Olsen told the committee at its meeting Monday night.

“Things have been “cold and unwelcoming,” because of the dispute, he said.

The key part of the friction is a question as to whether Olsen installed a new device, a Life Pack 15, on an ambulance without orders. Management said it was direct insubordination of Paulson’s orders. Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters said it was a misunderstanding and the whole matter was resolved at one point but was later resurrected by Paulson because he was upset at Olsen on other matters.

After the hearing, committee members discussed their possible actions.

Council member Allen “Woody” Woodwick said he was inclined to remove the reprimand from Olsen’s file, but he was concerned about damaging the management structure in the department..

There was disagreement about what would happen if the committee rejected the union’s request.

Union members said they would then file for arbitration as called for in the union’s contract with the city.

But committee member Andrew Brekke said the union contract allows for arbitration only if disciplinary action involves suspension or dismissal. Reprimand would fall under the general city employee policy, where there is no provision for arbitration.

In the hearing prior to the discussion, firefighter Chance Ophus said that he, too, was responsible for placing the Life Pack 15 on the ambulance and that he had told Paulson and Fire Chief Tim Hedges that if Olsen was to be disciplined, he should be too. No action was taken against Ophus.

Differences came to a head, said Cody McLean, a union representative, when while firefighters were on a drill at Havre Middle School, Olsen and Paulson exchanged words and another firefighter had to come between them, Ophus said.

Olsen wrote a letter to City Clerk Doug Kaercher, filing a complaint about what he alleged to be abuse by his supervisor.

McLean and other firefighters claimed that the reprimand was retaliation for the complaint.