Despite a staffing shortage, the Seattle (WA) Fire Department is refusing to rehire firefighters who had been terminated refused to comply with the city’s vaccine mandate, according to news reports.
The Post Millennial reported that it has documents that purport to show that firefighters who were axed during the standoff over the COVID vaccine are not being rehired. The report comes amid brownouts of Seattle Fire Department companies due to persistent staffing problems, the report said.
FOX News reported that a former Seattle firefighter, Andy Pittman, who was among those fired for refusing to take the vaccine, said the city’s staffing woes amounted to gambling with the lives of civilians, as even the loss of one or two units can have a significant impact on fireground operations. According to Pittman, the department is allegedly hiring members who are unable to meet minimum qualifications and standards.
In two separate lawsuits filed in 2022, more than 20 Seattle firefighters sued Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and the city over their imminent terminations or past terminations related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, KIRO News 7 reported.
