Officials in Prescott, Ariz., have "found no evidence" that part-time firefighters working on the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew were promised full-time positions, city officials announced Tuesday.
The announcement was the result of an internal inquiry by city officials to determine whether any of the wildland firefighters who were considered seasonal employees were told that a permanent job was forthcoming before they were killed while battling a wildfire on June 30 near Yarnell.
Of the 19 who died, six were classified as permanent employees by the city, which employed the crew as part of the fire department. The other 13, the city has said, were seasonal employees.
Firefighters Andrew Ashcraft's widow, Juliann, and the father of firefighter Christopher MacKenzie have both asserted that they believe their relatives merited the benefits of a permanent job. Juliann Ashcraft has said her husband worked full-time hours and was recently given a promotion to a job she says merited full benefits; Mackenzie's father has said his son was promoted earlier this year and was in his probationary period for a full-time job.
City personnel files reviewed by The Arizona Republic list the men as seasonal workers.
According to a city statement issued Tuesday afternoon, "no improper promises were made to promote Granite Mountain Hotshots seasonal employees to permanent positions."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...fighters-not-promised-full-time-jobs/2650963/