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There is a saying that goes something like this: “Ten ‘atta-boys’ can be quickly erased by one bad act”.
Such is the case with the Houston Fire Department. The men and women of this fire department get up every day and perform their duty for the citizens of Houston. A storied fire department, Houston FD has seen some of the largest fires in this country’s fire service history.
And yet; what has been capturing their public’s attention since July 7, 2009, are the allegations of racism and sexual harassment lodged against the department by female firefighters Paula Keyes and Jane Draycott.
I have spent several hours reading over the articles that I could find on the internet related to these allegations and the city’s and the fire department’s reactions to them. Also included are reactions from attorneys and the various firefighter associations that represent Houston firefighters.
The allegations are serious. The accusations that various inappropriate acts were ignored are a cause for concern, but what I found most disturbing were the comments left by readers on the many websites where articles of these accusations appeared. I found some of them to be racist, sexist and borderline psychotic. Some were posted by people who claimed to be current or past Houston firefighters, but as we all know, you can be anything that you want to be on the internet.
Following is a chronology of the events that I put together with the assistance of the information that I was able to find. My source credits will appear at the end of my article.
My comments will appear in bold type.
Tuesday, 7/7/09 – According to the article; racist, sexist graffiti was found on a locker at Station 54 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The fire department declined to provide details and the women were offered the services of the department psychologist to deal with it.
At the very least, this is willful damage to public property and worst case could be a hate crime.
Wednesday, 7/8/09 – Graffiti was found on the door to the female quarters at Station 54. Meanwhile, the City Council votes to spend $60,000 for sensitivity training after a “noose-like knot” was found in a veteran captain’s locker. The veteran captain said that it was a fisherman’s knot and he kept it to honor the firefighter who taught him how to tie it.
The Black Firefighters’ Association weighs in.
$60,000 could pay the one year salary of a firefighter. That’s a lot of money for “knot training”.
Thursday, 7/9/09 – Early Wednesday morning, the “N-word” was transmitted over a secure tactical radio frequency in a message that lasted eight seconds.
Allegations of previous harassments that went ignored appears.
11 News reported allegations of women being “groped” by male co-workers and in other incident, a male firefighter masturbated over a female co-worker while she tried to sleep.
Paula Keyes and Jane Draycott are introduced Wednesday evening on 7/8/09 at a press conference as the two firefighters from Station 54. Draycott stated that she had filed two complaints since April 1, 2009.
It should be mentioned that most of the focus was finding out how the radio system was hacked into and who did it. It was reported that it came from someone “outside of the department”.
Friday, 7/10/09 – Mayor Bill White rankles the Houston Professional Firefighters Association with his comments. Mayor White recommended hiring an outside consulting firm to review Houston Fire Department’s operation. He also recommended modifying two civil service rules; rules meant to assure due process for firefighters suspected of wrong-doing (slows the process according to the Mayor) and rules requiring promotions based largely on test scores (makes it difficult to put best leaders in place, according to the Mayor).
Mayor White promotes the Houston Fire Department as a “diverse” fire department, even though a survey shows that 97% of the 4,000-plus firefighters are men and 61% of them are white.
The union responded that changes in the rules would undermine the agreed upon contract.
Why would you recommend spending money with a consulting firm to tell you what you already know? And unless that firm is well-versed in the cultural issues of the fire service, they will find that many corporate strategies will be ineffective.
Houston KTRK reported that Keyes and Draycott have more than eight years with the department. Their attorney claims that previous, unresolved incidents led to his clients going public with incidents that included having the cold water shut off to the shower so they were scalded with hot water, having firecrackers go off when they opened the restroom stall doors and having their mattresses removed from their beds.
It would almost sound like “hazing” incidents wouldn’t it, if not for the fact that both firefighters were well past their probationary time with the department.
Allegations were made that Houston FD’s Chief Boriske’s inaction with other claims led to recent problems. The Houston Black Firefighters’ Association called for strong leadership that they claimed the department was not getting.
The Houston Professional Firefighters’ Association believed that Chief Boriske was being unfairly targeted.
Houston city councilwoman Jolanda Jones was calling for a Justice Department investigation.
Sunday, 7/19/09 – The Houston Chronicle reported that Station 54’s captain’s log revealed “chaos in the making”.
More incidents were reported including: urine splattered in the women’s restroom and personal lockers ransacked, because the women did not have the keys to lock them.
Daily captain’s log showed at least six entries since April 1, 2009 that showed Keyes and Draycott were being harassed by co-workers.
The May 12, 2009 entry involved urine left on the bowls of the women’s toilet.
Station 54 had a policy prohibiting men from going into the women’s dorm.
Boriske stated that he “didn’t believe there is a systemic gender or racial problem at Houston Fire Department”.
The June 13, 2009 roll call at Station 54 included a review of the harassment rules.
On June 19, 2009, cold water was shut off to the women’s showers and urine was splattered on the women’s toilet.
On June 29, 2009, captain log indicated that both women notified their captains that they were going to the city’s inspector general’s office to complain.
At this point, I would find it safe to say that, if the alleged incidents were allegedly occurring, then allegedly, these two women were allegedly displaying alleged and uncommon tolerance. And Boriske’s assessment was barely audible.
On July 7, 2009, the words “Die (racial slur)” and “(racial slur) Lover” were scrawled on the walls of the women’s dorm. Women’s lockers were grazed with the same marker. A picture of Draycott and her daughter, who had been killed in an auto accident and kept in Draycott’s locker, had the words “Die (racial slur)” and “Dead” written over their faces.
Draycott also claimed that men came into her room while she was off-duty, even though the area was off-limits to men and cut their toenails on her bed, used her desk drawers as Skoal spittoons, took her mattress and rifled through her locker.
Take the pictures out of the equation and look at the rest of it. Spitting tobacco juice into a desk drawer is just uncouth and you would never get the smell out. If you didn’t get the toenails out of your bed, it would be like lying on broken glass. How do you make up stuff like that?
According to Draycott, she thought that the attraction to her room may be the TV that was in there, even though there were at least three other TVs in the station. Acting upon her suspicion, she took the TV out of her room and put it in her locker, only to come back to duty to find the TV out again. When she confronted her captain, it was decided that the TV would not be in her room.
Hours after telling reporters about their problems, the two women were finally issued keys for their personal lockers.
Would anyone care to make a guess as to how expensive the keys to the lockers are going to be, regardless of the outcome of the complaints?
Tuesday, 7/21/09 – Keyes and Draycott have agreed to take lie detector tests, following accusations that one of them may be behind the graffiti, so Jane Draycott agreed to take a polygraph test that, according to her attorney, she passed.
The results may not be admissible in any court proceedings, but it has powerful sway with the public, where credibility has been questioned.
Wednesday, 7/22/09 – The probe is delayed because the lawyers who were hired by the city were found to have ties to the city’s attorney.
Thursday, 7/23/09 – A letter describing a meeting between Houston city council member Jolanda Jones and the Houston Professional Firefighters’ Association is made public. Jeff Caynon, president of the HPFFA and who is black was called a “house Negro” by Jones. Jones claimed that she was only repeating what she had heard from others.
Wednesday, 8/5/09 – Draycott was ordered to provide a handwriting sample to the inspector general.
The city hired two law firms for $190,000 to look for “institutional” problems in the fire department.
So far, a quarter million dollars has been spent on a “bridge to nowhere” and in a city where not too long ago, they were struggling with keeping fire trucks in service.
Tuesday, 12/8/09 – The review of the fire department conducted by the lawyers was completed with recommendations made for improving the fire department. The report shows no systemic problems, but rather, isolated problems and the report comes out just 4 days before the elections.
Keyes went back to work but to a different fire station. Draycott stayed on paid administrative leave.
Thursday, 12/17/09 –The legality of the court order for the handwriting sample submitted by Draycott is questioned by a civil rights attorney. City counters that it was done within the legal framework.
Thursday, 1/14/10 – A letter asking female firefighter Jane Draycott to stay away from her job was read on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 by fellow firefighters at Station 54. She left after four hours and will not return to work until the probe is complete, according to her attorney.
Friday, 1/15/10 – Draycott told Houston KTRK that when she returned to Station 54 on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, she was met by Chief Boriske, his command staff and Captain Brian Williamson who read a letter. Chief Boriske described it as a “team-building” meeting that didn’t go well. Draycott left after four hours of what she called “four hours of harassment”.
Newly elected Mayor Annise Parker condemned the meeting and Chief Boriske for allowing it. Mayor Parker stated that poor treatment of women in the department will stop.
In the midst of sexual harassment allegations, the HFD Pipes and Drums organization unveiled their fund-raising calendar. The cover displays a “scantily clad” female firefighter. It was quickly pointed out that the fund-raising calendar is not sanctioned by the Houston Fire Department.
Draycott insisted that she will return to A shift at Station 54 and “will not be run off”.
Still, questions of disciplinary action over the “team-building meeting” remain.
Former head of the Black Firefighters’ Association Otis Jordan called for Chief Boriske to resign, claiming “the department is out of control”.
Mayor Parker called for Chief Boriske to investigate the behavior of Captain Brian Williamson and two other firefighters who read letters aloud to Draycott upon her return.
The Mayor vowed to take appropriate action once the inspector general’s investigation is complete. She also wants guidance on whether departmental rules were violated by anyone involved with the HFD Pipes and Drums fund-raising calendar.
Heather Arnold, the Houston firefighter who posed for the cover of the calendar said “that she was honored to do it for such a good cause”.
So, in case you lost track, you now have attorneys for both sides, the Mayor, City Council, Inspector General’s office, Chief Boriske, the Houston Professional Firefighters’ Association, former head of the Black Firefighters’ Association and City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones ALL involved in this matter AND with little agreement on what if anything should be done.
Tuesday, 1/19/10 – Chief Phil Boriske stepped down as chief and to return to his previous position as District Chief. Executive Assistant Chief Rick Flanagan was appointed interim Chief by Mayor Parker. It came one week after a public rebuke by Mayor Parker for his handling of Draycott’s return to Station 54, where he was present while letters opposing her return were read.
Jeff Caynon, president of the Houston Professional Firefighters’ Association said that “Boriske was a victim of his own good nature and management style…opportunist politicians, extremist activists and disgruntled city employees…”
Houston Fire Department announced a new program for young women who want to be firefighters. CampHoustonFire will take qualified, high school females into the program to give them a “hands on learning experience about the rigors and rewards” of firefighting.
Saturday, 1/23/10 – Boriske will return as the District Chief to Station 78.
Captain Brian Williamson was transferred from Station 54 to Station 53.
Captain Isidro Tamez of Station 54 was transferred to Station 102.
Four other firefighters from Station 54 have requested transfers.
In closing, it is very apparent that, should the allegations prove to have merit, then it is imperative that corrective actions be taken to address the immediate internal problems. Then, a plan to address any future issues of the kinds described must be put into place and enforced with zero tolerance for violations.
Everyone has the right to a workplace free of harassment of any kind.
It is very clear that there is much to do to repair the damage that has already been done to the public’s perception of their fire department.
In the meantime, the good men and women of Houston Fire Department will fulfill their oath to the citizens of Houston.
Source links:
http://www.khou.com/news/Female-Firefighter-in-HFD-graffiti-claim-b…
http://www.thegrio.com/2009/07/racist-radio-message-under-investiga…
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6816557.html
http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/concern-raised-about-…
http://www.click2houston.com/news/19992272/detail.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/6522319.html
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6948558
http://www.fdnntv.com/Meeting-Female-Firefighter-Leaving
Related links:
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/131…
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6937694
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles…
The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.
Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com
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The simple answer s that he can give you hope.
I am not referring to what he can do as a United States Senator from Massachusetts. I am referring to how he did it and using THAT as a model for those of us in the fire service that are fighting for the very life blood of our fire departments in our respective communities.
A quick political science lesson on this extraordinary accomplishment of Scott Brown, in my opinion:
1) A large segment of America is not happy with the direction that the country is going and all of the chicanery by the politicians who have gotten us there.
2) A Democrat has held that seat since 1966; Martha Coakley was anointed as the successor to the legendary “Lion of the Left”, Senator Ted Kennedy and ran with a sense of entitlement, not to mention a 20-point lead in the polls going into December. She grossly underestimated her opponent and the independent voters in Massachusetts.
3) Scott Brown traveled to the small cities, rural communities and suburbs in his pick up truck, gaining support, regaining trust and pulled off a modern day miracle.
Why should we give pause to think about this candidate and the race he ran and won?
Because we, the fire service, have to prepare for smaller government and Life after much of the federal grant money goes away…and it will!
I have always believed that funding a fire department is a state/local issue. The reason that I include “state” is because in Illinois, we have state-wide MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF). These agencies should be funded by the state for obvious reasons.
However; our local fire departments should be funded by our citizens and the communities that we serve, because THEY determine what services, if any, that we provide. It doesn’t matter if it is a full-time, career department, a paid on call or a volunteer department; the community, through their elected/appointed officials decides how that is to be accomplished or not.
We cannot be “Martha Coakleys”, believing that we are entitled to whatever level of service that WE think the community should have. We serve the people; they don’t serve us. Therefore; we cannot jam anything down their throats, using the scare tactics that are so common today in government.
We need to be “Scott Browns”, educating our citizens about what we do. They already know why, but we have to give them the information to make informed decisions on their fire protection.
First and foremost, they have to provide for our personal safety and if we have to explain why, then we do that. When the discussion turns to the bigger ticket items such as fire trucks and new stations, the road might get bumpy, but by stating the facts and keeping emotions in check, proper justifications may prove successful. At least you can argue that fire trucks are still part of the personal safety equation.
New stations, unless it significantly improves insurance ratings, may only be seen as higher taxes with no immediate, tangible benefits and the community might very well decide that they don’t want that.
Unless you can prove the value to the community for more elaborate equipment like extrication, trench and structural collapse equipment, you may be limited to providing basic fire protection.
We have to ask ourselves if WE want it more than they do and if the answer is “yes”, then prepare for disappointment, unless you have the time to raise the funds without raising taxes.
As Scott Brown proved, you’re going to have to take the small victories and disappointments and work those into bigger victories.
Until then, protect yourselves, be the best that you can be and keep moving towards gaining and then keeping the trust of your communities, because, in the end, it will be that trust that will allow you to expand your services.
And it will be with the buy in of your community.
TCSS.
This article is protected under federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed written permission of Art Goodrich aka ChiefReason. This article appears under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella.
Visit www.chiefreasonart.com on www.fireemsblogs.com.
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In my last blog, I wrote about how nepotism gone unchecked could adversely affect a fire department and leave it on “life support”.
Here is an example of how to kill a fire department.
The source for my comments comes from TheDay.com.
(William) “Celtruda’s grandfather Rocco, a long time fire volunteer, said he got ‘Billy’ involved in the fire service thinking it would help his grandson mature. ‘He’s 23 years old physically, but his emotional security is much more that of a teenager…When he drinks, he loses his moral compass’.”
Oh; it gets better.
Grandpa Rocco went on to say, “…that his grandson is basically ‘a good kid’ who immediately took responsibility for his actions”.
Hmmm; could it be because ‘Billy’ got caught?
I mean; all’s he did was to set THREE fires: two in occupied homes! Fortunately, no one died, but lives were changed forever.
If William Celtruda was taking responsibility for his actions, then why did he offer excuses at his sentencing?
William Celtruda blamed his drug use (crystal meth) and peer pressure from his fellow firefighters as excuses for setting the fires.
To the judge’s credit, she gave Celtruda the maximum 14 years in prison and five years probation in a case that had already been plea bargained by the prosecutor.
So; 23 year-old ‘Billy’ Celtruda vandalized his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, had mental health issues and a drug abuse problem that Firefighter Grandpa Rocco thought that the Mystic Fire Department could help him straighten out?
Yeah; that worked out well, didn’t it?
A total of six occupants in three homes are lucky to be alive and thankfully, no firefighters died while fighting the arson fires set by Celtruda.
Young Billy will be all grown up when he gets out of prison. Then, he must go to work to pay $60,000 in restitution to the victims. Civil suits may also be filed.
Maybe in his spare time, Celtruda could volunteer for a fire department.
I mean; since the fire service is so hard up for members, who’s going to bother with a background check?
And even if a department does a check, Billy will simply tell them that it was long ago, that he’s “changed” and deserves a second chance. The sad part of that statement is that there is a department that might be foolish enough to do it!
We all make mistakes and here’s your gear. Do us proud, Billy!
When will the insanity stop?
When all departments are required to have a meaningful application process, including interviews and background checks, physicals including drug testing and a real desire to hire good citizens.
Otherwise, they are just adding to a growing problem and one that fire departments and communities cannot afford.
TCSS.
The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.
Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com
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In between my writing of blogs and participating in discussion threads, I read some of the other blogs.
I have my favorites and for the most part, I will keep you guessing, because I don’t want to influence the voting for the 2009 Best Blog of the Year (http://firecritic.com/2010/01/fireems-blog-of-the-year-2009-finalists-and-voting/).
However; I think that I have read almost every article written by Jason Zigmont of VolunteerFD.org. No; it isn’t a plug. In fact, I may have just cursed him. Sorry, Jason.
Jason’s recent article, “The Traditions That Hold Us Back” (http://www.volunteerfd.org/article/737135/) couldn’t be timelier.
I had just finished a blog on “tradition”, read Jason’s blog; then wadded mine up and threw it away, because he caused me to look at the subject of tradition once again.
To me, which is to say that it is my opinion that Jason writes with a style that is not layered to the point that you miss the point! His article, as usual, makes excellent key points.
Now; for my thoughts on the subject of “tradition”.
I don’t believe that a revolution to kill traditions is taking place in the fire service. Instead, I believe that there is an evolution of our fire services’ traditionalism that will define it for generations to come.
The oldest of traditions-that of generations of families sending their members into the proud service of their fellow Man as firefighters-will continue unencumbered.
However; another old tradition involving generations of families that will end up on the endangered species list is the practice of nepotism. Many of us can work with our relatives without enlisting them for some sinister scheme to control our workplace.
But, nepotism almost guarantees that anything bad that can happen WILL happen. I have no problems with a father/son combo, where no special treatment is imagined or real. My problem is with families who seize control of a fire department, plunders it for their personal gain and then leaves it on life support.
Yes; that is a tradition that we can do without and communities that allows it, are ignorant of it or don’t care about it, perpetuates the tradition. Firefighters AND communities must change it.
Another tradition that I hope to see less of are the LODD funerals. I am speaking to the NUMBER of funerals. Traditionally, no less than 100 LODD funerals a year are conducted in this country and countless more firefighter funerals of brothers and sisters taken by illness, disease and old age.
With that said, we must preserve the sanctity and solemn ceremony to pay our proper respects to our fallen brothers and sisters. It is a tradition that must never erode, fade or disappear.
We should not allow tradition that will constrain our thirst for new technologies, tactics or services to our communities.
We should do what we can to change the tradition that says that we can do more with less (See LODD funerals). We are at a point of diminishing returns and a new tradition of closing stations, reducing manpower and having rotating brown outs are taking hold (See LODD funerals). The veterans who have served on properly staffed and properly funded departments must remain engaged in the fight to get their resources restored and put the next generation on solid footing or we risk donning the Class A’s for more funerals.
We must preserve the tradition of firehouse cooking, but we need to eliminate high salt, high sugar and high fat meals. Healthy diets and healthy lifestyles will help battle the growing cardiac episodes and cancer rates in our fire service.
The firehouse, kitchen table discussions is a tradition that has not only continued, but has flourished by expanding to Internet website discussion boards (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/tradition-honor-this-is-for?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A4445098&xg_source=msg_com_forum).
Heated topics with heated debates cools quickly when the tones drop at the firehouse, but they don’t cool as quickly on a website. Some will promote respectful debate while others will promote what could be akin to UFC matches. Hopefully, in the end, participants will invoke the tradition of handshakes from one brother to another.
The last tradition that I will touch upon is the tradition of driving fast to the incident-too fast to be more accurate. We must drive with due regard, with a sense of urgency and always with the safety of our firefighters and our citizens in mind. And wearing our seatbelts is a no brainer.
So; what is our finest tradition?
I believe that it is teaching, learning, making a difference and then going home to our loved ones.
We must always remember that the future of our fire service won’t be determined by the ones leaving, but the ones who are taking their places and we must give them every opportunity to succeed.
That will insure that their department and our fire service will also succeed.
In the meantime, we have to figure out which traditions to keep and which ones to write into the history books.
For more on the subject, see Tiger: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/
http://runtothecurb.wordpress.com/.
TCSS.
The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.
Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com
The FireCritic-the blog site with the “unadulterated” view of the fire service is hosting a Blog Contest for 2009. You can view it here: http://firecritic.com/2010/01/contest-netcast-and-best-of-2009/.
I am not participating in the contest. For one thing, it is NOT a best blog of 2009. It is either a best blogger or best blog site for 2009. No matter; he also sells T-shirts, though I prefer Black Helmet apparel. In fact; I got a sweet long underwear Tee and a ballcap with the BH logo just before Christmas. Too cool.
Why am I not participating?
Because I don’t write for a grade.
I write for you; my faithful readers who every now and then lets me know that I have touched a chord in them with something that I wrote.
Well; that’s not entirely true.
I also write because it helps me to process some very thought-provoking, nasty, bad stuff sometimes and it helps to “talk out loud”, so to speak.
I also have many goofy moments when I find something humorous and write about it. Funny thing is…by the time I finish writing about it, it doesn’t seem as funny. I’ll have to work on picking better subjects!
So, it is rather uncomfortable for me when someone thanks ME for something that I wrote and they read. It is I who should be thanking YOU for taking the time to read some of my “stuff”. I know there are times when 20 minutes in the can isn’t enough time, so I have been trying to compress my thoughts. But please know that I truly appreciate it when you let me know in some way that what I wrote touched you in some way.
No; I will not participate in a gratuitous contest if we aren’t going to categorize them (Best Supporting Socks, etc.) and review an entire year’s body of work in selecting the best blog/blogger/blog site/whatever-in-the-hell it is that they are contesting.
Now; here is where you-the readers come in. I have listed most of my works for year 2009. You won’t have to go back and search. I would like you to tell me what you thought was the best one and WHY? Yes; that means you would have to comment, but here’s the hook. I will select the best reply and that reply could win a hard-to-find Firefighter Monopoly game. Already have one? Hey; they make great gifts.
I have always considered myself a blogger for FireFighterNation. It is true that they set me up with my own digs at www.chiefreasonart.com, but the link between the two cannot be broken. I got my start blogging during the war years at Firehouse.com, moved to the safe harbor of IACOJ.com and then was invited to join FirefighterNation. My journeys start from here.
For the statisticians in the crowd; in 2009, I wrote and posted 60 articles on a wide range of subjects, including a great interview with Paul Grimwood. In addition, I posted 11 episodes of “The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie©”. It also goes without saying that I participated in numerous discussions.
So, if you would do me the honors…click, read, comment and WIN!
Deadline for the contest will be Midnight, January 17, 2010. All decisions are final.
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/when-the-dream-turns-to
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/2010-will-we-do-it-again
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http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/cultivating-a-civilized
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/who-represents-you
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/was-it-smoke-or-a
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/follow-the-yellow-safety-brick
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/so-you-dont-have-the-time
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/brothersisterhood-illusion-or
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/your-back-up-may-be-your
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/the-body-wont-do-what-the-mind
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/chief-youre-fired
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/a-defective-maintenance
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/is-it-complacency-or-lack-of
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/ordering-from-the-risk-menu
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/building-a-risk-assessment
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/can-we-put-risk-out-of
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/union-banning-members-from
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/how-did-we-get-to-this-point
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/the-safety-of-air-ambulances
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/when-a-discussion-reaches
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/what-has-happened-to-our
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/blogging-and-its-dangers
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/lead-and-get-the-lead-out
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/signal-5555-lt-kevin-kelley
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/baptism-by-fire-or-death-by
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/interview-with-chief-mark
The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.
Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com
This blog was prompted by the most recent death of an FDNY firefighter and though, there is clear linkage to his presence at the WTC on 9/11, he was not accorded LODD status.
http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/fdny-denies-line-of-duty
It is in a firefighter’s nature to learn with an almost child-like enthusiasm and then to execute with the ferocity of a wild animal. Obstacles don’t exist in our world. Problems are quickly solved. Emergencies are mitigated with precision and professionalism. The only fear is the fear of failure.
For many, the dream started generations ago. Their father, grandfather and great-grandfather served with honor and in the fire services’ highest tradition. The dream came out of the stories that were told and re-told and yes; sometimes embellished. There were stories about gearing up in the cab of the truck, feeling the adrenaline overtake you, the biggest fire, the hottest fire, most unusual fire, harrowing rescues, crawling down smoke-filled hallways, running up several flights of stairs to get above the fire floor, dropping to your bellies as the fire rolls over you like a freight train, holding the knob and directing the water onto the fire, forcing a door, pulling a ceiling looking for fire extension, cutting a vent, taking windows, making a grab and on and on.
Those stories and hanging out at a fire station would pave that road to the dream.
Shift by shift, day in and day out, year after year, firefighters have lived the dream. Many could talk about their close calls, what each incident had taught them, what was successful and not so successful, the many friendships that they had made, the unbreakable bonds to their brother and sister firefighters, the strength of their call to duty and the clarity of their mission. It was all fuel for the dream.
While working at the best job in the world, thoughts were turning to yet, another dream; the dream of retiring to a good pension and the reunions with fellow retirees. Sleep would only be interrupted by a need to urinate or by the occasional barking dog. Every day would be a Kelly day. Family would become the focus after years of playing second fiddle to the job. Your hobby would become a reality as you worked from boxes upon boxes of memories that would become several scrapbooks, dedicated to the many years of your dedication.
And as you come to an end of one dream to start another, you notice that a sore throat hasn’t resolved after several weeks of ignoring it. You see that cut on your shin isn’t healing. Maybe you are experiencing low back pain or a pain in your kidneys for no apparent reason.
Or, you are feeling fine, but you go for a routine check up, only to discover that the doctor wants to order more tests as a precaution. It could be that the colonoscopy showed something; perhaps a polyp. There is a spot on a lung or at least an unusual mass that requires further review. It could be that your urine is darker than normal. Perhaps your white blood cell count is low and you have no history of leukemia in your family.
You go home, thinking about your next shift. It may be time to pay back C shift for changing the padlock on your food locker. There’s new construction going on and it would be a good time to see the building without its skin. It would go nicely with the upcoming building construction class being taught. There’s a new recruit class due to graduate, so lots of activities will be planned to transition the probies into their crews.
The next week goes by pretty unremarkably and then the phone rings. The doctor wants to see you today. The test results are back. No; he doesn’t like to discuss test results over the phone.
You arrive at the office and check in with the desk. You thumb through a two month old People magazine, but it’s just something to do. You aren’t reading or even looking at the photos. You want to get the news; good or bad.
After a 30 minute wait, you are taken to an exam room and told that “Doctor will be with you shortly”. You remember that cell phones are to be turned off while in the doctor’s office, so you grab it and turn it off. You stare at the poster of the human anatomy, realizing that you weren’t too well schooled on the names of certain muscles, joints or bones. You study it as if you will be tested on it. Then the doctor comes in.
He shakes your hand and without so much as an obligatory salutation, he tells you that you have a cancer.
Your dream has just turned into a nightmare.
The doctor is mapping a strategy that you’re not sure is going to kill the disease before it kills you. You discuss it in general, yet optimistic terms. Maybe it’s a cancer that, if caught early, will provide you with a 95% survival chance.
Or, you have one of the more insidious of cancers; pancreatic. Pancreatic cancer, in its early stages, will not illicit noticeable symptoms. By the time you become symptomatic, you have a 10% chance of beating it. That is a nightmare from Hell!
And though you are surrounded by family, friends and fellow firefighters who have sworn to be at your side every step of the way, you are alone with your deep despair and feelings of betrayal towards your God and a profession that you literally have given your life to.
You could almost tolerate the nightmare were it to end with an LODD funeral and benefits paid to your widow.
But, due to faulty logic, bureaucracy, inexact science and a lack of indisputable documentation, you get a firefighter’s funeral and a promise that the fight for benefits will be never-ending.
Consider that; here you are, not knowing if you will live or die and dealing with all of the mortality issues, “planning for the worst, yet hoping for the best”, as they say and you have no guarantees that those you leave behind will continue to pay because of a very flawed system.
Many continue to feel the nightmare of 9/11. They have been affected in ways that we, who were not there, will never fully understand. A nation felt the loss of almost 3,000 Americans on that day; losses that are felt to this day.
But, the sinister effects of that day continues their nightmarish ways, because losses from a variety of illnesses continue to kill FDNY firefighters, NYPD police officers, Port Authority officers and civilians. It is estimated that to date, 800 have died; post 9/11.
If test samples from The Pile were found to contain high levels of known carcinogens, then how can we possibly claim that those who were there and continue to die are not deserving of LODD status and all benefits accordingly?
Why must we perpetuate this act of terror with the fear that, if you die, your honorable place alongside those killed on 9/11 will be but a footnote?
We must end this nightmare so that our 9/11 heroes can truly rest in peace.
And we must do the same for our brothers and sisters across the country that are having their dreams shattered by illnesses that arise out of the performance of their firefighting duties.
TCSS.
The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.
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