SWEETWATER COUNTY — A Sweetwater County Detention Officer was injured during a mandatory training and now his position will expire on August 23 due to lack of modified duty hours, medical leave time, and vacant positions in the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

Officer Keith Bramwell received an injury to his left arm on February 9, 2021 during a mandatory custody and control training, according to Officer Bramwell’s wife, Kim Bramwell. Officer Bramwell is a longtime resident of Sweetwater County and has worked with the SCSO for 12 years.

Kim addressed the Sweetwater County Commission Tuesday, August 3, to express her concerns and seek action.

“My intention, obviously, is to present to the County Commission, the leaders of our county, what is going on at the SCSO under this administration,” Kim said.

Position to Expire August 23

The injury Officer Bramwell sustained resulted in surgery, which took place on March 5, Kim said. Officer Bramwell began working modified duty hours on April 21 after receiving approval to do so from Sheriff John Grossnickle.

“Naturally, there’s a healing process after surgery and my husband requested from the Sheriff, Mr. Grossnickle, if he could work light duty. The policy calls it modified duty. He was granted that and he began on April 21,” Kim said.

However, Officer Bramwell required a second surgery on his left arm on July 16, as a result of the same injury. On July 28, Kim said her husband was summoned to a meeting with Sheriff Grossnickle and the Sheriff’s Office HR department to inform Officer Bramwell that he has run out of modified duty hours and will run out of leave time granted by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) on August 23. Once this time would run out, his position would expire due to there being no additional vacant positions for him to step into.

“On the 28th of July, 12 days later, [Keith] was summoned to a meeting with HR and the Sheriff, Mr. Grossnickle. I attended the meeting because I’m me, and I learned that an employee is allowed 240 modified duty hours and after that, the Sheriff has full discretion of whether or not an employee gets an opportunity to continue on with light duty,” Kim said. “At that time, when I was told that, I immediately asked the Sheriff, Mr. Grossnickle, why my husband couldn’t have that modified additional hours to allow that healing process, and he informed me that he [Sheriff Grossnickle] decides.”

“Then I asked why would an employee that’s working with the Sheriff’s Office not be allowed to continue his position. I was informed his FMLA time will expire on August 23, thus his position will expire… He advised me the County Commissioners are the ones that cut his positions and so that’s one of the reasons I came to talk to you five,” Kim said.

However, Deputy Jason Mower, SCSO Public Affairs Officer, told SweetwaterNOW that Sheriff Grossnickle did not tell the Bramwells that the County Commission cut their positions.

“He told Mrs. Bramwell that we don’t have an alternative assignment available for Deputy Bramwell as we are currently fully staffed, and he encouraged her to reach out to the Commissioners as they are the governing body who authorizes creating additional positions for our agency,” Mower said.

Sheriff’s Office Policies and Procedures

Deputy Mower explained the modified duty policy to SweetwaterNOW, stating that modified duty assignments are temporary, and that employees are only guaranteed 240 hours.

“Modified duty assignments are strictly temporary and are reviewed by the sheriff no longer than 240 work hours after the first modified duty work day,” Mower said.

He added the following:

“At the sheriff’s discretion, personnel on modified duty incapable of returning to their regular assignment may: (1) be reassigned or transferred to a vacant position; (2) remain on leave in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act; (3) may be eligible to receive long-term disability through the county’s insurance provider; or, (4) be terminated, if a vacant position does not exist, or if the employee’s restrictions, skills, knowledge, abilities and/or education does not correspond with an existing vacancy and if the employee has exhausted all other options and cannot remain on leave in accordance with the FMLA, ADA and other applicable leave policies.”

However, Kim is still calling the policy into question, asking why her husband should have to lose his position due to an injury that happened at a mandatory training.

“My husband was injured during a mandatory training, not a home repair, a mandatory training. And he is going to lose his position as a detention officer on August 23 of this year? We weren’t advised of any options, we were summoned to the HR department and told this is what’s going to happen,” she said.

She added that the longterm disability plan offered by Sweetwater County “is not a gift,” as she said she was told by HR personnel.

“The longterm disability plan, if my husband was approved, would be 2/3 of his wage until he turns 65. There are no benefits, there’s no retirement, there’s no insurance. My concern is that there’s full discretion by one person that can decide if an injured employee can do light duty. Naturally, there’s a surgery process, it was July 16, and he hasn’t been allowed to heal, he hasn’t been allowed to see if he will be able to resume full duty,” Kim said.

Calling For Scrutinization of Training Practices

Another concern Kim expressed was the state of the training taking place at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.

“The training that is done at the SCSO needs to be scrutinized. I can assure you my husband’s not the only officer that’s been injured during a mandatory training that’s required by the SCSO,” she said.

Mower told SweetwaterNOW that the trainings are done in accordance with state statute.

“By state statute, our deputies are required to participate in a certain number of training hours on perishable skills (such as custody and control) each year in order to maintain their peace officer or detention officer certification. Our in-house training sessions also typically begin with a safety briefing,” Mower said.

He added that injuries do happen during trainings, though it is rare and usually minor.

“While not unheard of, it has been our experience that injuries from training at our agency are rare and typically minor; unfortunately, the threat of injury or death is somewhat inherent to our line of work as peace officers and emergency first responders,” Mower said.

Kim said she hopes the Commission will make a difference with their leadership to ensure employees are treated differently in the future.

“I would ask that the leadership of this commission look into what is happening with the employees that are injured on the job, during a mandatory training,” Kim said. “Your leadership is needed to ensure that future employees are not treated in such a despicable fashion.”

Chairman Randy “Doc” Wendling told SweetwaterNOW that due to this being a personnel issue, he will not comment.

To watch Kim Bramwell’s comments to the Commission, view the video below. (Comments begin at 14:18).