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City Investigates Seattle Fire Department

Posted: 4:58 pm PDT March 18, 2009Updated: 6:29 pm PDT March 18, 2009

The Seattle mayor's office is revealing an investigation into Seattle's Fire Department.

In a document released Wednesday from the Ethics and Elections Committee, a lieutenant inspector cost the city almost $200,000 because of failure to submit proper paperwork.

The investigation said Lt. Milton Footer is accused of not billing First & Goal, the Paul Allen company that runs Qwest Field, for firefighter services during public events there.

The committee also said Footer, a member of the department's fire marshal office, used his city job as fire inspector to get two all-access backstage passes to a Hannah Montana concert at Key Arena in October of 2007.

Footer is not accused of personally benefitting from his failure to bill First & Goal.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said an outside investigator will be appointed to figure out the appropriate discipline.

In a statement from the Seattle Fire Department it said:

"The Seattle Fire Department takes these allegations very seriously. Maintaining public trust in the services we provide every day is critical. We value any review that will improve our business practices and how we manage our personnel. We will be reviewing every aspect of our business practices in the Fire Marshal's Office.

We recognize the need to address the personnel issues raised in the report. Lieutenant Footer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.

We have implemented new procedures to more accurately track our billing. The new policy includes a service agreement with each venue or event promoter for providing fire guard services and additional accounting oversight to ensure that bills are submitted and paid in a timely manner."

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