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La. (KALB)- A grievance within the Pineville Fire Department was heard by the Pineville Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board on August 6
At the crux of the grievance was whether city-employed firefighters could take part in boxing and sparring while being paid on the clock. Under standard operating procedure, Pineville firefighters are paid for exercising, so long as the activity is approved, on the basis of meeting the department’s physical capability demands and expectations
As of August 6 2026, Pineville law enforcement are not paid for exercise required to maintain the physical standards of the Pineville Police Department; such practices are exclusive to the Pineville Fire Department
The civil service board took up an agenda item stemming from the grievance, demanding an investigation into an “arbitrary restriction on on-duty physical fitness activities.” According to meeting testimony from Assistant Chief Kessler, employees were found ‘sparring’ in the engine room of certain stations, prompting leadership to ban any boxing-related activity on the department’s premises and related payroll
Though civil service board member and current Pineville Fire Captain Dustin Schneider, who engages in boxing-related activities, claims the work is done in a controlled environment, has caused no discrepancies or injuries, and has been common practice within the department for years, saying “it has been going since before I’ve been here.”
“The board can look and see if it’s been allowed for a good many years [and] nobody’s been injured, no lost time, accidents, or injuries from doing it. Just ask yourself, why is it changing?”
Fellow civil service board member and Vice Chairman Michael Daenen did question the potential ripple effects with passing a verdict on the decision, questioning the precedent it would send, saying if the activity was forbidden then, “why can’t the authority [civil board or administrator] say you can’t work out at all?”
Overall, the board agreed to table the agenda item, questioning if an action by the board is within their jurisdiction and if the power to decide on the grievance would fall squarely within the fire department’s leadership. Pineville’s Chief Operations Officer Darrell Basco reinforced the decision, agreeing with the board’s assessment. According to Board Chairman Danny Wilburn, the matter has been referred to the board attorney for review before any further action is taken
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