Lt. may lose job over comments

[Dave1983]

Lots of unpleasent things going on in my area:(


Firefighter may lose job for making crude comments

The city manager would have the final say about a Pinellas Park employee who earns about $59,000 a year.

Full story here:

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/18/Neighborhoodtimes/Firefighter_may_lose_.shtml

[tyler101]

Sounds like that department has some serious issues.

[firenresq77]

Wow......... Don't really know what else to say....... :(

[CaptainGonzo]

Did he take a stupid pill that morning?

[shaun191]

"DOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!"

[Ltmdepas3280]

This guy must ride the blue bus to work in the morning....unbelievable:rolley es:

[Weruj1]

http://tinyurl.com/9bgy3

thanks Tyler !

[DaSharkie]

Freaking dumbass.

Cap, he OD'd on stupid pills. He'll be lucky to keep his job after opening up the department and the city for a huge lawsuit.

[LFD2203]

So this guy may lose his job. Doesn't seem like the FD would suffer much of a loss, in my opinion.

[stm4710]

Ohhh please , fired for comments--thats weak(unprofessional) but still weak. I heard alot worse during my ride alongs. I heard things that would make a sailor blush. I guess you really have to know your audience though before you open your mouth around strangers.

[snowball]

Here we go...:rolleyes:

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by stm4710
Ohhh please , fired for comments--thats weak(unprofessional) but still weak. I heard alot worse during my ride alongs. I heard things that would make a sailor blush. I guess you really have to know your audience though before you open your mouth around strangers.

One more time, you don't get it.

It's not "comments". It's about creating a hostile environment. This guy did not drop the "F" bomb unthinkingly. She did not overhear an otherwise private conversation between the Capt. and his crew. This was a one-on-one encounter. This woman had every right to be afraid.

That woman did not come to the station to have sex. She came to the station to either do an assignment or work a job. The Captain had a moral, legal, professional and ethical responsibility to treat her respectfully and not subject her to sexual advances. If she was his subordinate, you would bet your butt he would be fired. This is worse. He was, apparently, living out some Penthouse Forum fantasy that this woman was going to be a sexual aggresor. She's going to be an aggressor allright, however it will probably be in a courtroom.

The FD does not have issues. This Capt. has serious psycho-sexual issues.

One other note, my bet would be that this is not the first time they had problems with this guy. Perhaps the administrator who allowed this should have his head examined.

[chingon]

usually, i like to keep the language nazi's out of the fire house, but this guy SHOULD be fired. for being lame. i mean, seriously, "my wife let's me have sex w/ other women if i use a condom"? what a sad old man.

[stm4710]

Originally posted by GeorgeWendtCFI


One more time, you don't get it.

It's not "comments". It's about creating a hostile environment. This guy did not drop the "F" bomb unthinkingly. She did not overhear an otherwise private conversation between the Capt. and his crew. This was a one-on-one encounter. This woman had every right to be afraid.

That woman did not come to the station to have sex. She came to the station to either do an assignment or work a job. The Captain had a moral, legal, professional and ethical responsibility to treat her respectfully and not subject her to sexual advances. If she was his subordinate, you would bet your butt he would be fired. This is worse. He was, apparently, living out some Penthouse Forum fantasy that this woman was going to be a sexual aggresor. She's going to be an aggressor allright, however it will probably be in a courtroom.

The FD does not have issues. This Capt. has serious psycho-sexual issues.

One other note, my bet would be that this is not the first time they had problems with this guy. Perhaps the administrator who allowed this should have his head examined. Your right, I didnt get it.

[ShuswapFireF]

Your right, I didnt get it.

One he was in a position of authority. Two he brought disrepute to his fire dept, a department that already had an image problem. Plus she was a journalism student. This guy needs a slap upside the head just before they kick his but out the door

[BFDLT32]

Originally posted by CaptainGonzo
Did he take a stupid pill that morning?

No, he took the whole FRIGGIN BOTTLE!!!!!

[Lasko189]

They should fire him. You dont talk that way to students or probies. You have no idea what there personality is and if it will offend them. I dont know any firemen who casually talk about rape. And the firefighters i know that talk about swinging and that crap openly, we make fun of them. What you do in your personal life is just that, personal. I feel sorry for the firefighters in that department who actual do take there career seriously and dont do stupid things so as not to make there whole department and all firefighters look bad.

[EFD840]

The really scary thing is he admitted to all these charges and apparently really didn't see a problem with the behavior.

Makes you wonder what he's got away with in the past...

[TCFire]

Absolutely, unbelievably, incredibly.....oh never mind. Dumbass is being polite.

[Weruj1]

Firefighter demoted over crude remarks to woman

ANNE LINDBERG

PINELLAS PARK

A firefighter accused of making crude comments to a college student will be demoted and lose thousands of dollars in income.

Robin Brightbill admitted during an internal investigation that he made comments that included details of homosexual rape, sex in fire stations and his own sex life while conducting a ride-along with a female University of South Florida student in March.

At the time, Brightbill, 40, had been serving as the emergency medical services staff lieutenant for about two years. A 10-year veteran of the Pinellas Park Fire Department, Brightbill was earning about $58,791 a year.

As punishment for his comments, which internal investigators determined amounted to sexual harassment, Brightbill will be demoted Monday to a job as firefighter/paramedic.

"He's losing his rank, which will cost him about $11,000 a year," Pinellas Park spokesman Tim Caddell said. "It's a permanent reassignment (but) I don't think that means he can never work his way back up."

Brightbill will also lose the use of a Pinellas Park car and have to attend remedial training on "proper workplace conduct and sexual harassment."

Fire Chief Doug Lewis said he would choose the training course.

Brightbill was off Friday and could not be reached for comment. But he wrote an apology on the disciplinary action form:

"I would like to apologize to the city, the Fire Department, the city manager and the fire chief for my actions and comments. I have brought embarrassment to the city and for that I sincerely apologize."

This is the third disciplinary action for Brightbill. He received a verbal reprimand for failure to complete time sheets in a timely manner in December 1997, according to Pinellas Park records.

Records show he also received a suspension for two 24-hour shifts and had to give back 23 hours worth of pay for falsifying leave records while on disability leave. He was apparently working a part-time job while on disability.

The latest allegations against Brightbill arose from a March 17 ride-along he gave to 24-year-old Kristen Callihan, a graduate journalism student at USF, while she was serving as a volunteer photographer for a Pinellas Park program designed to teach residents about their city.

Callihan had complained to her professor after the ride. The professor, Beth Reynolds, urged her to report the incident to city officials.

Callihan testified that the crude language began within minutes after the ride began. Callihan agreed that Brightbill had asked her if she minded if he cursed. She said no, but the comments went beyond cursing.

Brightbill admitted that he talked about homosexual rapes, including graphic details of one of them. He also conceded, among other things, that he "must have" told her that his ex-wife allowed him to have sex with other women if he used a condom.

He also admitted discussing California firefighters who had sex in the station and used crude language to discuss parts of the male body. He also used the f-word.

Brightbill told Callihan she was demure, "like a librarian," but that he bet she was wild when she let her hair down.

Brightbill told lead investigator Dorene Thomas, Pinellas Park's police chief, that he did not think he was being offensive because Callihan did not object. But Callihan said she kept changing the subject and was unable to eat lunch because of her reaction to the talk.

Callihan later said she felt "slimy" after the ride-along.

May 22, 2005

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

"I would like to apologize to the city, the Fire Department, the city manager and the fire chief for my actions and comments. I have brought embarrassment to the city and for that I sincerely apologize."

Perfect example that this moron does not get it.

WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG LADY?

[BFDLT32]

Originally posted by GeorgeWendtCFI


Perfect example that this moron does not get it.

WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG LADY?

Obviously he got the stupid pills refilled and again overdosed on the whole bottle.:rolleyes:

[captstanm1]

fired for comments--thats weak(unprofessional) but still weak. I heard alot worse during my ride alongs. Stm4170....you do not understand. You could make that comment 1000 times and no one say a word. However, under the Civil Rights Act that covers harassment and hostile work envirornment, all it takes is for one person to actually hear it....or even hear about it. Your comments do not have to be directed at or even be about the person you are speaking with. If one person finds it inappropriate or feels threatened, it is in violation of the law. Look at the Largo Lt who made a passing comment as she walked into the room and got disciplined, after she turned herself in because, she realized she was wrong. Then she was fired....it was a witch hunt and to make matters worse, no one in the room even found it offensive.

[DrParasite]

not for nothing, but my opinion (not the law, just my opinion) is that their must be a malicious intent for harrassment to occur. Further, the person being harrassed must notify the harrasser immediately they whatever is being discussed is making them feel uncomfortable, and request that they stop. otherwise harrassment can sometiems arise from a simple miscommunication or a misreading of signals (like that never happens:rolleyes: )

what one person considers harrassment and a hostile workplace someone else might consider a joke.

In this case, I wouldn't consider him telling her what happens in other firehouses to be wrong. The thing in sacramento, the open mic incidents, those are public record.

The comments about his own sex life, and him making a pass at her are out of line, but again, I think (my opinion only) that she should tell him that it is making her uncomfortable. some guys are thicker than others, and you need to tell them to stop as if whatever is happening in making a person upset.

I think the punishment fits the crime.

[Dave1983]

The thing is, this guy should have known better, what with all that happened in Largo a couple years ago. Our departments (his and mine) border Largo and it was all over the newspapers for weeks. I know it was the talk of my department, opened our eyes for sure.

[captstanm1]

St. Petersburg Times

Firefighter demoted over crude remarks to woman
The Pinellas Park emergency medical services staff lieutenant will lose his rank - and about $11,000 a year.
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
Published May 22, 2005

------------------------
PINELLAS PARK - A firefighter accused of making crude comments to a college student will be demoted and lose thousands of dollars in income.

Robin Brightbill admitted during an internal investigation that he made comments that included details of homosexual rape, sex in fire stations and his own sex life while conducting a ride-along with a female University of South Florida student in March.

At the time, Brightbill, 40, had been serving as the emergency medical services staff lieutenant for about two years. A 10-year veteran of the Pinellas Park Fire Department, Brightbill was earning about $58,791 a year.

As punishment for his comments, which internal investigators determined amounted to sexual harassment, Brightbill will be demoted Monday to a job as firefighter/paramedic.

"He's losing his rank, which will cost him about $11,000 a year," Pinellas Park spokesman Tim Caddell said. "It's a permanent reassignment (but) I don't think that means he can never work his way back up."

Brightbill will also lose the use of a Pinellas Park car and have to attend remedial training on "proper workplace conduct and sexual harassment."

Fire Chief Doug Lewis said he would choose the training course.

Brightbill was off Friday and could not be reached for comment. But he wrote an apology on the disciplinary action form:

"I would like to apologize to the city, the Fire Department, the city manager and the fire chief for my actions and comments. I have brought embarrassment to the city and for that I sincerely apologize."

This is the third disciplinary action for Brightbill. He received a verbal reprimand for failure to complete time sheets in a timely manner in December 1997, according to Pinellas Park records.

Records show he also received a suspension for two 24-hour shifts and had to give back 23 hours worth of pay for falsifying leave records while on disability leave. He was apparently working a part-time job while on disability.

The latest allegations against Brightbill arose from a March 17 ride-along he gave to 24-year-old Kristen Callihan, a graduate journalism student at USF, while she was serving as a volunteer photographer for a Pinellas Park program designed to teach residents about their city.

Callihan had complained to her professor after the ride. The professor, Beth Reynolds, urged her to report the incident to city officials.

Callihan testified that the crude language began within minutes after the ride began. Callihan agreed that Brightbill had asked her if she minded if he cursed. She said no, but the comments went beyond cursing.

Brightbill admitted that he talked about homosexual rapes, including graphic details of one of them. He also conceded, among other things, that he "must have" told her that his ex-wife allowed him to have sex with other women if he used a condom.

He also admitted discussing California firefighters who had sex in the station and used crude language to discuss parts of the male body. He also used the f-word.

Brightbill told Callihan she was demure, "like a librarian," but that he bet she was wild when she let her hair down.

Brightbill told lead investigator Dorene Thomas, Pinellas Park's police chief, that he did not think he was being offensive because Callihan did not object. But Callihan said she kept changing the subject and was unable to eat lunch because of her reaction to the talk.

Callihan later said she felt "slimy" after the ride-along.

[Last modified May 22, 2005, 01:07:21]

[ironmint]

Originally posted by DrParasite
not for nothing, but my opinion (not the law, just my opinion) is that their must be a malicious intent for harrassment to occur. Further, the person being harrassed must notify the harrasser immediately they whatever is being discussed is making them feel uncomfortable, and request that they stop. otherwise harrassment can sometiems arise from a simple miscommunication or a misreading of signals (like that never happens:rolleyes: )

what one person considers harrassment and a hostile workplace someone else might consider a joke.

In this case, I wouldn't consider him telling her what happens in other firehouses to be wrong. The thing in sacramento, the open mic incidents, those are public record.

The comments about his own sex life, and him making a pass at her are out of line, but again, I think (my opinion only) that she should tell him that it is making her uncomfortable. some guys are thicker than others, and you need to tell them to stop as if whatever is happening in making a person upset.

I think the punishment fits the crime.

I have to agree with Dr. Parasite here. Discussing matters of public record is not sexual harassment. If she found the conversation offensive, then she should have SAID SOMETHING then and there. If she said she was uncomfortable right away, then that would have probably been the end of it. Of course, whether it's sexual harassment or not, this guy defenitely picked the wrong topics to be talking about with a ride along student. Who the heck wants to hear about gay rape in the fire department?

[Dave1983]

Lets just get one thing straight. The "gay rape" charge (which involved my department) was dropped and the FF in question cleared of any and all wrong doing. The claim was made by an individual who had made false claims before.

So since it was a "non-issue", this officer shouldnt have even brought it up, unless it was too discuss the nation wide trend of people filling false claims (ie Wendys and the chilli finger).