Mount Vernon Officials Used 'Misleading' Stats In Push For Firefighters

MOUNT VERNON -- Mount Vernon city officials relied upon flawed figures recently when justifying a "emergency need to hire new fighters," according to lohud.com.

The Mount Vernon Fire Department is better off than the city has said, but still has problems with disability.
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by Still, the city is hampered by long-term disability — including seven firefighters and three lieutenants who have been out of work a total of 193 months at a cost of $1.4 million. That includes one firefighter, Kenyatha Wallace, out since September 2012,

03/09/2016 4:00 p.m.

Officials had claimed that 29 percent of the city's 119 firefighters were unable to work or on injury leave, but according to an investigation by lohud.com, that figure is not accurate.

Calling the 29 percent figure "misleading at best," lohud.com found that less than 10 percent of the department is out on disability -- 7 lieutenants and 3 firefighters who, combined, have been out for 193 months at a cost of $1.4 million to city tax payers.

Click here to read the lohud.com report.

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