Two officials question the severity of firing a public works employee who stayed home with his mother as Hurricane Charley approached.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published August 24, 2004
LARGO - At least two city officials think Largo needs to review its policy on firing employees who fail to report to work in times of emergency.
Last week Largo worker James Gesicki was terminated from his job with the city after he decided to stay with his 81-year-old mother, Catherine, at his Spring Hill home on Aug. 13 - the day Hurricane Charley was expected to hit Tampa Bay.
Gesicki, a spray technician, was classified as a first responder. About five years ago, the city implemented a policy that said first responders would be terminated if they failed to report to work in times of emergency.
Both Mayor Bob Jackson and Commissioner Charlie Harper on Monday questioned the severity of his discipline.
"I never think it's a good idea to fire someone on the spot or in the heat of the moment," said Harper, citing his 25 years of experience in management.
Jackson, Harper and other Largo officials attended a Florida League of Cities conference Thursday through Saturday in Hollywood, Fla. Because he was away, Jackson said he needed to get up to speed on details surrounding Gesicki's firing. He plans to meet with City Manager Steve Stanton today to discuss the incident.
In hindsight, Jackson said, he and his commission peers should have questioned Stanton more thoroughly last week when Stanton mentioned at the end of last week's commission meeting that two city employees had been fired for not showing up at work Aug. 13.
While public works employees like Gesicki are crucial in times of crisis, the policy may be too harsh for an otherwise dedicated worker, Jackson said.
"It does seem awfully strong for a 30-year employee," Jackson said.
The city has received numerous complaints from people outraged that Gesicki was fired, and his situation has received national attention. He was interviewed for CNN's American Morning and for WGN radio in Chicago and has been contacted by Inside Edition. Stanton is concerned that the city is being demonized for trying to protect its citizens. He said individuals in public service have a greater responsibility to the community than those in the private sector. He stands by the policy and said changing it could put the community at risk.
"Next time, if there's an emergency, employees will know that the community comes first," Stanton.
Stanton said he had to leave his own son at a shelter. And 300 other employees were asked to make a similar choice and decided to report to work.
"We were looking at a direct hit," Stanton said. "Everybody in that situation was absolutely critical."
Stanton said the city's policy was unclear before, and some people who were first responders didn't even know they were first responders and therefore expected to show up for work.
While city management felt Gesicki had other options, Largo was sensitive to another employee that didn't seem to, Stanton said.
Police Chief Lester Aradi said he gave an officer permission to take off the same day because the officer's wife gave birth to a baby prematurely the week of the hurricane. He also gave a payroll clerk, who had a situation similar to Gesicki's, permission to stay home.
While Jackson and Harper question Gesicki's treatment, commissioners Harriet Crozier and Gay Gentry said it seemed fair.
"I don't think we acted inappropriately," Crozier said.
The policy will probably be reviewed, Gentry said, but primary responders like Gesicki need to plan ahead.
"He knew what his job was," Gentry said. "He knew what he needed to do."
Gesicki said threatening employees with termination is the wrong way to handle emergency staffing.
"That's really a slap in the face to the employees. Before we had these policies we were there. They do a good job. They don't need a gun to their heads," Gesicki said.
He stepped up to the plate in other crises, he said. "I've been there for every emergency and we've had plenty of them. We've had tornadoes and we've had floods."
But his mother's poor health and his fear for her safety prevailed. His mother, Catherine, lives in Heritage Apartments in Largo, which was under a mandatory evacuation order. She has a bad hip and arthritic spine and other injuries. Gesicki said he wanted to be by her side and didn't feel comfortable leaving her in a shelter with strangers.
The day before the hurricane was expected, Gesicki told his foreman and supervisor that he needed to take his mother to his Spring Hill home because of the evacuation order. He told them he probably wouldn't be back to work the next day. On Aug. 13, he called the city to inform his supervisors he wouldn't come in.
His mother said she understands the city's predicament. If everybody took off, there would be no one there to care of the city, she said. But Catherine Gesicki still feels her situation is special because of her health.
