ex-commish

Lately there seems to be a strong emphasis on harassment and harassment policies in emergency services. While I don't condone or encourage any form of deliberate harassment against anyone due to their race, religion, gender, etc...I do wonder if this has become a shield for the thin skinned or those with agendas. Like many on here I remember the days of good old fashioned b*** breaking and pranks and many times being the target of it and laughed with it and got even and laughed even more. It was a sense of belonging. A sense of trust. I also remember many strong disagreements and arguments, some very intense but at the end of the day it was over. Today you have to worry if someone will take what you say or do to the point where they will file internal or even get a lawyer or run to the police ( yes I have seen this happen) and look to file outside charges. I feel it has come to a point where you truly have to be careful what you say and do because you never know how someone is going to take it and it is unfortunate because I feel most incidents are not intended to be malicious rather innocent yet there is a chance someone may take it the wrong way and harassment policies that I have read are pretty much clear cut with zero tolerance by the AHJ and the AHJ has to act if a complaint is brought to them.
Here's to the good old days!!!

Lately there seems to be a strong emphasis on harassment and harassment policies in emergency services. While I don't condone or encourage any form of deliberate harassment against anyone due to their race, religion, gender, etc...I do wonder if this has become a shield for the thin skinned or those with agendas. Like many on here I remember the days of good old fashioned b*** breaking and pranks and many times being the target of it and laughed with it and got even and laughed even more. It was a sense of belonging. A sense of trust. I also remember many strong disagreements and arguments, some very intense but at the end of the day it was over. Today you have to worry if someone will take what you say or do to the point where they will file internal or even get a lawyer or run to the police ( yes I have seen this happen) and look to file outside charges. I feel it has come to a point where you truly have to be careful what you say and do because you never know how someone is going to take it and it is unfortunate because I feel most incidents are not intended to be malicious rather innocent yet there is a chance someone may take it the wrong way and harassment policies that I have read are pretty much clear cut with zero tolerance by the AHJ and the AHJ has to act if a complaint is brought to them.
Here's to the good old days!!!

Lately there seems to be a strong emphasis on harassment and harassment policies in emergency services. While I don't condone or encourage any form of deliberate harassment against anyone due to their race, religion, gender, etc...I do wonder if this has become a shield for the thin skinned or those with agendas. Like many on here I remember the days of good old fashioned b*** breaking and pranks and many times being the target of it and laughed with it and got even and laughed even more. It was a sense of belonging. A sense of trust. I also remember many strong disagreements and arguments, some very intense but at the end of the day it was over. Today you have to worry if someone will take what you say or do to the point where they will file internal or even get a lawyer or run to the police ( yes I have seen this happen) and look to file outside charges. I feel it has come to a point where you truly have to be careful what you say and do because you never know how someone is going to take it and it is unfortunate because I feel most incidents are not intended to be malicious rather innocent yet there is a chance someone may take it the wrong way and harassment policies that I have read are pretty much clear cut with zero tolerance by the AHJ and the AHJ has to act if a complaint is brought to them.
Here's to the good old days!!!

I agree.
Go to HR, the chief's office, the mayor's office, the union and whoever else you need to
This kind of behavior CAN NOT be tolerated in the emergency services. This "firefighter" needs a one way ticket to the unemployment line

Since when did affirmative action dictate patient care. I thought it had to do with hiring practices. He took an oath to protect and serve and if he can't get beyond his racist attitude he is in the wrong profession.

McDonalds.

Locations around the world.

As others have said, this is not protected by affirmative action. Unfortunatly numbers of minorities hired does and often depts are unwilling to deal with issues like this because they do not want to upset the numbers.
If the party is mandated to be an emt (or other level of state certified provider) to maintain employment. Sometimes the state can be called in as the heavy and let them push him out by suspending his cert.

Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group "in areas of employment, education, and business".
By no means does this scenario have anything to do with affirmative action, this is a violation of the oath this individual took when he raised his right hand and swore to faithfully discharge his duties. This type of behavior within in the department is just like a cancer in the body, not treated aggressively, they both will have the same results.

Since when did affirmative action dictate patient care. I thought it had to do with hiring practices. He took an oath to protect and serve and if he can't get beyond his racist attitude he is in the wrong profession.

Good old Mack!!

Simple slap on the hand is appropriate. No need to go any further.

Simple slap on the hand is appropriate. No need to go any further.

I have been out of the loop with training for a while but here goes....your department or AHD can adopt training standards for it's members providing it meets all applicable laws and standards. For example you can run a FF1 class that could meet the expectations of NFPA 1001 yet you could not issue a state certificate from OFPC for FF1 because it is not sponsored by OFPC but your AHD can issue a certificate. I would suggest that the person(s) who conducts the training be a certified instructor as it would hold up better if something was to happen. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Why wouldn't it carry any weight outside the district if the training was documented that it followed the proper curriculum?

I have been reading the responses here am glad to see the feedback on this important issue. I for one would like to see volunteer departments have the ability to appoint municipal training officers providing they have met the criteria under section 426. I think that this would help some departments with training as well as maintain some level of competency. I have written to FASNY in the past for their input and also their support but it fell on deaf ears with the past leadership. Would like to see some thoughts here from all of you on this idea....thanks.

I have been reading the responses here am glad to see the feedback on this important issue. I for one would like to see volunteer departments have the ability to appoint municipal training officers providing they have met the criteria under section 426. I think that this would help some departments with training as well as maintain some level of competency. I have written to FASNY in the past for their input and also their support but it fell on deaf ears with the past leadership. Would like to see some thoughts here from all of you on this idea....thanks.

Long time coming

To start make FAST part of FF1 and go from there

To start make FAST part of FF1 and go from there

The logical solution is to train all firefighters the same, including RIT/FAST. The logical solution is to have only one training standard for all firefighters. "But we're volunteers and that's too much time" or "I have a job and a family, I don't have time for all that training" or "you have to appreciate us. we do this for free".
Only we can stop this stupid BS and create a mandate for training. A single standard everywhere including RIT/FAST.
We are only endangering ourselves with these stupid petty arguments. We are either firefighters or we are not! All the t-shirts or license plates, or flashing lights in the world aren't going to save someone's life if it goes bad. And it goes bad in a heartbeat! We can't afford to treat RIT/FAST as a unique specialty and call for teams from other counties when we have a fire. Every firefighter should be interior. There shouldn't be "exterior" or "support" guys called FF anymore. Do the whole job, not the parts you like or the parts that are convenient!
Stand up and be a firefighter already!

I was speechless watching the video...like Little Wayne stepping on the flag just another example of clueless, disrespectful people that just don't care.

Every Interior Firefighter should complete FAST training. Even if you are not on the team at least
learn and practice the skills.
When you go to the FTC for a burn how many departments practice the rescue of a Firefighter down?
As mentioned what happens when you hear that MAY-DAY! and the FAST from the other town is
not even out the door yet?
All departments should cross train. It can only make our skills better and give us a chance to work together.
GREAT TOPIC REMEMBER 585!

We were sitting in station 3's kitchen watching the news of the fire in Hackensack before the collapse and we could not believe that they did not know it was a truss building. We saw that is what it was and how advanced the fire was. I remember the descussion that they needed to backout and then it collapsed.
I will never forget.
If you and your dept. did not learn the painful lessons of that day, then shame on you!
If you do not train every member in building construction and how fire effects it (and how it effects fire) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you do not do building inspections or at least walk throught and document hazards you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you do not have seperate fireground and dispatch channels (and use them everytime) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you do not do accountability (so you know where your firefighters are operating) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

if you do not operate a command post with enough people to track resources and be able to hear all radio traffic (because the chief is trying to multi task to many jobs) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you do not evaluate & reevaluate conflicting condition reports you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you exceed proper span of control you did not learn the leasons of that day.

If you do not stage tactical reserves you did not learn the leasons of that day.
In Westchester, many of these lessons were never learned or they have been forgotten.
I will never forget.

39 years ago I pulled up with Patrol 4 [ now Rescue 40] to find Gullevers fully invovled with engines 58 and 62 ingaged in a full atack on a bad fire. 24 died that night but little was told how over 100 were saved. Many firefighters went down that night going above and beyond the call. Most of us old guys think about this every day of our lives and wished we could have done better with our 3/4 boots two airpacks to a rig and red fireball gloves. There were no paper firefighters and keyboard firefighters that night! .

I'm not riled up. My point is that you just can't put people in pigeonholes (old-young...short/tall). And thanks, Willy D. for saving me a lot of time. I was going to write almost the same post as you did but now I don't have to.
Why do we "smarter" old guys hate booster lines? Simple: they are heavy and useless. Some day a fuse will blow and when you push that hose reel button nothing will happen. Let me know how you fared with your 150' of booster line.
Bangor ladders are a different story. The reason they are gone is because it takes six men and an officer to raise one. How many guys are rolling out the door on your truck company.
And us with the rubber coats and roll down boots! Guess why you are now fully encapsulated in your PPV? The smarter old guys said there must be a better way to protect ourselves and keep the brothers from dying. So now you are fully encapsulated and protected. Have Firefighter deaths dropped off over the years?
Looks to me like today's Firefighters might want to take a look at the improvements we old guys gave you and think about some improvements that might help your and future generations. How about starting with "Now that I am fully encapsulated and cant feel my environment, how do I know when I went too far?"
And for spin-the-wheel, I am sorry, Mike. This is not intended to be personal in any way. You just happened to be in the way when my rant started.
It's an unwritten rule that every Fire Officer is required to throw a conniption fit twice a year, no more, no less. Think about that one. Picture the Officers you know who either throw too many fits or not enough, and rate them as an officer. Let me know what you came up with.