Pocono News Section

I-Team: Volunteer Firefighter Fired For Injury

I-Team: Volunteer Firefighter Fired For Injury - Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 6:11PM EST

JERSEY SHORE, LYCOMING COUNTY --A man serves his community but that service has now cost the volunteer firefighter his livelihood. I-Team reporter Jeff Chirico investigates the story you'll only see on Eyewitness News. There's a law in place to protect injured volunteer firefighters from losing their jobs. But that didn't seem to stop a natural gas drilling company in Central Pennsylvania from firing one of their truck drivers.
When the I-Team visits Energy Contractors in Williamsport, we’re not welcomes. “I'm going to ask you to leave. Mike, can you escort these guys out? We'll leave. We need some answers." Answers to why this man was fired from Energy Contractors near Williamsport. In march Terry McCauley tore his rotator cuff while training as a volunteer firefighter for Independent Hose Company in Jersey Shore. Since he was having surgery, his doctor told him he'd be off for four months. Terry McCauley says “that’s when they pretty much said bring your stuff in. We're going to have a paper here for you to sign."

He says his supervisor forced him to sign a paper stating his employment is ending because of his firefighting training injury. "I don't know what I could do but I didn't think it was right." "But it may also be illegal. This is a copy of a state law passed in the 70s that forbids employers from firing or disciplining a worker who was injured as a volunteer firefighter."

"We have some questions about the termination of Terry McCauley. Ok. We don't have any comment right now." Several calls to Energy Contractors also went unanswered.

WBRE legal analyst Matt Cartwright isn't involved in the case but researched the law. "On the face of it looks like fellow has a good case and employer violated the law. I say that because we haven't heard the employer's story."

McCauley just wants his job and health benefits back and the assurance this won't happen to anyone else. “..because if it does you ain't gonna have nobody being a volunteer.”

Terry says he'll now considering getting a lawyer. Cartwright believes he could sue for his job, lost wages, and attorneys fees.