MADERA – While the brave men and women of Cal-Fire fight the Ferguson Fire in Madera, Merced and Mariposa Counties, a criminal investigation conducted by the Madera County Sheriff’s Department was turned over this week to the Madera County Distrcit Attorney’s Office regarding the Madera County Fire Department. The existence of the criminal investigation isn’t being discussed in the open Board of Supervisors meetings but it was confirmed last week to BVN by Madera County Council Regina Garza.
The county, which contracts its county-wide fire services though the State of California, provides office support staff to the state which houses its offices on the first floor of the Madera County Government Center in Madera. Earlier this year the county was informed by a whistle-blower within the department of an employee, who may have access to approve her own hours on the county’s payroll system, had allegedly padded her paycheck with over 100 unearned hours.
The whistle blower accused her fellow employee of padding her hours by not clocking out when she would leave the county fire office unmanned with a sign on the door saying she would return in 15 to 30 minutes. The whistleblower, for her efforts to drain the swamp at the Madera County Government Center, was transferred from the fire department to Madera County Social Services. She told BVN that she is afraid that because she spoke out she was sent to social services where she thinks it is easier for the county to fire her.
The payroll padding was not the only issue she brought to the attention of the county. The whistle blower also informed the county that she was asked to create a Madera County Fire Department employment badge for the husband of Cal-Fire Unit Chief Nancy Koerperich-Hafner.
Koerperich-Hafner’s husband, Marc Hafner, is the unit chief for Cal-Fire in Tulare County and is not an employee of Madera County according to Lee Burdick, Madera County Deputy County Council. “After a diligent search, the County has determined there are no records responsive to your request [proof of employment of Marc Hafner].
However in the same response confirming Hafner’s employment status with Madera County, Madera County Council Regina Garza states that had they found employment records for Hafner those records would be exempt from disclosure because of an on-going criminal investigation. Burbick concluded in her response, “This exemption from disclosure is being asserted by County Council Regina A Garza.”
Chief Koerperich-Hafner called BVN on July 9, 2018 to explain how her husband, Marc Hafner had ordered a pair of Oakley Sunglasses with a special 40-50% discount for firefighters that was only available to him if he could provide proof of employment as a County Fire Dept employee. Koerperich-Hafner told BVN, “Oakley no longer accepts fire credentials from Cal-Fire for their discount so my husband needed a county fire badge to receive his property.”
The credential issued to Marc Hafner identifies him as a Madera County Disaster Worker with the Madera County Fire Department who would have access to areas of the county where residence have been evacuated, which Hafner would already have with his Cal-Fire identification card.
The Madera County credential also warns that it is “UNLAWFUL TO RETAIN” the credential after termination of employment. But is it still unlawful to retain and use the card if the person in question was never an employee of the county?
During her June 9th speaker phone call Koerperich-Hafner told BVN that it was within her authority to issue an employee ID card to any one she wished and that her husband has done work in Madera County. However in a series of text messages from the lady firefighter she denies that she ever ordered anyone to create the ID card and that she and her husband have done nothing wrong. She would not comment on why a credential wasn’t issued by Tulare County, where he actually works?
She said if BVN had any further questions regarding this issue with her or her husband BVN should contact Adrienne Calip in the Madera County Human Resource Office. When we asked why we would contact the county when both her and her husband were employees of the State of California, she texted, “Please feel free to do what you feel is best. This is not a state matter but if you feel the need to threaten me I understand.”
A call to Adrienne Calip in the Madera County Human Resource Office which netted the anticipated answer, she cannot comment on the action of state employees and we would need to contact the state for any information on the matter. Calip would also not comment on the padding of hours within the Madera County Fire Department citing personnel issues.
Administrators from Cal-Fire in Fresno and Sacramento have not returned any of our phone calls but then again a few days after we called, the Ferguson Fire broke out and has been blazing through Madera, Merced and Mariposa Counties for the last 19 days.
According to the whistle blower, the woman she accused of padding her own hours is still working in the Madera County Fire Department Offices at the Government Center. We are not releasing the names of the whistle-blower or accused until the district attorney decides on charges.
The savings for the Hafner‘s on the sunglasses were less than $100. According to the website Transparent California both Marc Hafner and his wife make over $150k each as unit chiefs for Cal-Fire.
