Documents released by the second employer of an ousted Rockingham firefighter show he was scheduled to work at another job more than an hour away from Rockingham the two days he missed turn-in alarms in May.

Failing to respond to turn-in alarms concerning a structure fire on May 21 and a fatal fire at Pineridge Apartments on May 22 led to the city’s dismissal of International Association of Fire Fighters Local Chapter 4702 President Robbie Barber.

He and the union that represent him continue to maintain he was visiting his mother in the hospital at the time of the alarms.

Documents showing Barber was scheduled to work on those days, and was paid for those shifts, were submitted anonymously to the Daily Journal last week.

These documents further reveal Barber was scheduled to work in Fayetteville at Major Appliances 19 days in the month of May.

The store is about one hour and 20 minutes away from the fire station, according to the Web site Mapquest.com.

Barber’s employment in Fayetteville makes it impossible for him to respond to a turn-in alarm within the time period required by the city’s fire department.

In June, the union issued a press release saying Barber was in the hospital visiting his mother when the alarm went out — a claim Barber maintained after these documents came to light.

“I came to work early and left late both of those days (so I could visit my mother in the hospital),” Barber said in a Monday interview. “And my boss was kind enough to pay me for those days anyway.”

The June release from the IAFF entitled “Abusive Rockingham Fire Chief Continues Vendetta Against Union Fire Fighters,” reported Barber was visiting his mother in the hospital at the time of the alarms, but made no mention of his employment with Major Appliances.

Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump declined to comment on the documents.

A letter from Major Appliance President Bill Jenkins included in the documents show Barber is a salaried employee of the Fayetteville appliance company, meaning he doesn’t have to clock in or out at any particular time. The letter is addressed to Attorney Norwood Blanchard, who is representing the city in a lawsuit filed against Rockingham for unpaid overtime by the 10 members of the union chapter.

Barber pointed out that he is paid a commission for his work at Major Appliances, in addition to his salary. In the two-week pay period concluding on the day of the fatal fire, Barber was paid about $1,300.

He only received two checks larger than that one from January through May.

Jenkins verified Monday employees of Major Appliance are paid while taking time off for family emergencies.

Barber said he was granted time off to visit his mother in the hospital from Major Appliance, but because he wasn’t on-duty at the time, didn’t request time off from the fire department.

In a Monday interview, the president of the IAFF’s state affiliate, the Association of Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics, David Anders called any attempt to imply Barber was at work at the time of the alarms instead of visiting his mother as he claims “an unsubstantiated rumor.”

“This is a really dirty and under-handed move, and speaks to the character of whoever released these documents,” Anders said.

Anders said the union was in touch with Barber throughout the month of May, and took him for his word, despite “not watching every little thing he did that month.”

He also said it is common for fire fighters to have a second job, “especially where they cannot live on the salary the fire department pays them.”

In the June release, the IAFF stated fire fighters aren’t usually fired for failing to respond to turn-in alarms, “especially fire fighters who are off duty.”

Barber was the second union fire fighter terminated from his position at the department within three months of the filing of the lawsuit against the city.

Former Rockingham Fire Fighter Rodney Gandy was also terminated from the department after failing to respond to turn-in alarms when off duty.

Gandy contradicted information that later came to light after his termination by telling the Daily Journal the department only began to discipline fire fighters for these offenses after the lawsuit was filed.

Documentation of previous reprimands and a suspension, which predate the union chapter and lawsuit, were introduced as evidence in a hearing to determine whether Gandy qualified for unemployment benefits after losing his job with the fire department.

When Gandy made this contradictory statement in June, Barber agreed with him, and also cited the fact both of them were fired within two months of the lawsuit’s filing.

The suit has since been amended to include claims of retaliatory actions being taken against union fire fighters since its filing.

Barber was also issued a formal warning from the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources for illegal burning in August, after burning yard debris on his property in the Pine Lakes subdivision off of Highway 1.