A Cumberland Hill firefighter who's returning after being on "injured on duty" - or IOD - status for four years is collecting $10,116 from the Cumberland Fire District to reimburse him for the sick time and vacation time he was unable to use during the time he wasn't working.
Additionally, he was allowed by contract to bank 1,440 hours of sick time, or 60 24-hour shifts, and 192 hours of vacation time, or six 24-hour shifts.
The balance owed was 72 hours of sick time at $29.17 an hour or $840.10, and 318 hours of vacation time or $9,276.06.
Jason Lavallee, who joined the Cumberland Hill Fire District in 2000, injured his back while on the scene of a call in 2011, fire committee Chairman Bruce Lemois told The Breeze, and remained out of work until recently.
Lemois told committee members the district was required by Rhode Island General Laws 45-19-1 state law to pay Lavallee.
Lemois said later Lavallee had not been replaced while on IOD status. He had been serving as a fire marshal and his duties were transferred to a deputy.
Lemois said that because insurance stepped in to cover about 80 percent of his salary, "The only (other) hard cost to the district was our deductible for the workman's comp and this vacation/sick time payment."
Committee members had held off action on this issue at an earlier meeting, and last week an attempt by member Phil Koutsogiane to table the issue for further review failed in a 3-3 vote.