Thread: Celebrity firefighter suspended

THIS STORY WAS FOUND ON www.theday.com



Groton — “Big Brother 3” star Eric Ouellette has been suspended from his job as a Poquonnock Bridge firefighter for two weeks.

Ouellette said he received a letter from Poquonnock Bridge Chief Todd Paige informing him of the suspension Saturday.

“I was surprised but at the same time I had heard rumors of possible disciplinary action against me, so it was a bit of a nonsurprise,” he said Sunday night.

Ouellette said he does not believe the suspension is fair.

“I believe I was entitled to the opportunity based on the contract. I'm not the type of person that wants to go against authority, but I believe I'm entitled to the opportunities that are governed by our contract,” he said.

Ouellette, 27, said he would appeal the suspension. He is this department's newest firefighter.

Union president Tom Eldredge said the Board of Fire Commissioners would set a date for the hearing and then decide whether to uphold, modify or repeal Paige's suspension. Eldredge said that until Saturday there had only been rumors of disciplinary action against Ouellette. Over the past few weeks, television shows such as CBS's “The Early Show” have done stories about possible disciplinary action against Ouellette for his appearance on Big Brother.

“I was outraged that they followed through with the suspension,” Eldredge said. “The kid didn't do anything wrong to deserve this suspension. It's the interpretation of the contract that the chief had, which he then imposed arbitrarily.”

Paige could not be reached for comment Sunday night but has said that Ouellette didn't follow department procedures when he swapped shifts with other firefighters so he would have time off to appear on the show. Paige has said he is concerned that his firefighters would be tired because they are filling in for Ouellette.

Big Brother puts a group of people into a Los Angeles house for six weeks. Their activities are filmed and each week cast members vote one person out of the house. The person who remains at the end wins $500,000. Ouellette was voted off the show last month.

Union members have maintained that Ouellette has not violated their contract because he got fellow firefighters to cover his shifts while he was gone. They say the union contract does not limit the number of days that a firefighter can swap shifts.

Paige has charged Ouellette with insubordination for disregarding his directive to limit his absence to no more than 30 days. He has also charged Ouellette with willful use of his position as a firefighter for personal gain, disrupting the daily activities of the fire department, and failure to inform him of his whereabouts and availability.

A hearing was held but then continued last month because Ouellette was still on the show in Los Angeles.