Clark County firefighters who raise money for charity must now do it on their own time
Next Labor Day Weekend, if you see Clark County firefighters collecting money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, they’ll be doing it on their own time for the first time.
Fire Chief Bertral Washington has put the kibosh on firefighters raising money for charity when they’re on duty.
They’ll be able to wear their uniforms if they wish, but they’ll have to do it on their own time.
When I first raised this issue almost 10 years ago, I was pilloried for questioning why the firefighters were allowed to raise money for one specific charity, when there were other equally worthy charities which could use their efforts. Jerry Lewis left a screaming voicemail for me. I was slammed as a hater of sick children.
At the time, Clark County Manager Thom Reilly looked into it but defended the practice. Now, after County Commissioner Steve Sisolak raised the issue, also as a question of fairness, Chief Washington has decided on-duty firefighters will no longer be allowed to work for the MDA when they’re being paid by taxpayers.
Of course, things have changed now. Certain firefighters have come under fire for abusing sick leave to drive up their pensions and earn extra overtime. Firefighters are no longer heroes to all.
The Boot Drive was started by local firefighter Butch Snider in 1954 in a program that went national.
It will be a good news story if the firefighters work the Boot Drive on their own time.
Anybody giving odds that they will do that to the same extent as when they were paid to do it?
