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D.C., Arlington Chiefs Discuss Theft Accusation
City Firefighters Allegedly Tried To Take Gear While at Pentagon
By Petula Dvorak
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 5, 2001; Page B04
An inquiry into the behavior of some D.C. firefighters who responded to the attack on the Pentagon was discussed by the fire chiefs from the city and Arlington yesterday, officials said.
Neither fire department provided details of the conversation between D.C. Fire Chief Ronnie Few and Arlington Fire Chief Edward P. Plaugher. The discussion was prompted by an allegation that some city firefighters were caught trying to steal high-tech equipment belonging to the Arlington Fire Department.
Alan Etter, a spokesman for the D.C. fire and EMS department, said both chiefs agreed that no formal complaint had been filed on the incident. Etter said Few is investigating the allegation.
Confusion over the provenance of firefighting equipment is common in joint operations on major disasters, as was the case at the Pentagon. But in this instance, the alleged attempted theft involved more than $30,000 worth of equipment reserved for special units as well as other high-tech gear belonging to the Arlington department, according to a source familiar with the incident.
The District's department had about 120 firefighters at the Pentagon, part of a major deployment that drew hundreds of rescue workers from many jurisdictions beginning Sept. 11. It is unclear when the alleged incident occurred or how many firefighters may have been involved.
The allegation produced an initial confrontation between commanders from the District and Arlington. On the scene, an agreement was reached that no complaint would be filed if all the equipment was returned, a D.C. fire department source said.
Among the items were special breathingunits, costing about $3,500 apiece, and thermal imagers that help firefighters see through smoke and cost about $15,000 each.
Margret Nedelkoff Kellems, the D.C. deputy mayor for public safety, said yesterday that the incident may take some time to resolve, noting that equipment mix-ups are an issue when several jurisdictions respond to an emergency.
Also yesterday, the president of the District firefighters union criticized the department's director of public information, who on Wednesday said the allegation was especially sensitive because the D.C. fire department has many minorities.
Lt. Ray Sneed, the labor leader, said union officials worry that the department may be injecting race into the issue. "These are life or death situations; these are issues of conduct. They have nothing to do with race," Sneed said.
Lisa Bass, director of public information for the department, did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.
Sneed said he spent the day calling chiefs and equipment managers in the District to see whether anything was was out of place.
"I'm not making excuses for anybody. If someone stole equipment, they should be disciplined," Sneed said. "But if any people still have equipment that doesn't belong to them, it would not be easy to hide."
Staff writer Patricia Davis contributed to this report.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
City Firefighters Allegedly Tried To Take Gear While at Pentagon
By Petula Dvorak
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 5, 2001; Page B04
An inquiry into the behavior of some D.C. firefighters who responded to the attack on the Pentagon was discussed by the fire chiefs from the city and Arlington yesterday, officials said.
Neither fire department provided details of the conversation between D.C. Fire Chief Ronnie Few and Arlington Fire Chief Edward P. Plaugher. The discussion was prompted by an allegation that some city firefighters were caught trying to steal high-tech equipment belonging to the Arlington Fire Department.
Alan Etter, a spokesman for the D.C. fire and EMS department, said both chiefs agreed that no formal complaint had been filed on the incident. Etter said Few is investigating the allegation.
Confusion over the provenance of firefighting equipment is common in joint operations on major disasters, as was the case at the Pentagon. But in this instance, the alleged attempted theft involved more than $30,000 worth of equipment reserved for special units as well as other high-tech gear belonging to the Arlington department, according to a source familiar with the incident.
The District's department had about 120 firefighters at the Pentagon, part of a major deployment that drew hundreds of rescue workers from many jurisdictions beginning Sept. 11. It is unclear when the alleged incident occurred or how many firefighters may have been involved.
The allegation produced an initial confrontation between commanders from the District and Arlington. On the scene, an agreement was reached that no complaint would be filed if all the equipment was returned, a D.C. fire department source said.
Among the items were special breathingunits, costing about $3,500 apiece, and thermal imagers that help firefighters see through smoke and cost about $15,000 each.
Margret Nedelkoff Kellems, the D.C. deputy mayor for public safety, said yesterday that the incident may take some time to resolve, noting that equipment mix-ups are an issue when several jurisdictions respond to an emergency.
Also yesterday, the president of the District firefighters union criticized the department's director of public information, who on Wednesday said the allegation was especially sensitive because the D.C. fire department has many minorities.
Lt. Ray Sneed, the labor leader, said union officials worry that the department may be injecting race into the issue. "These are life or death situations; these are issues of conduct. They have nothing to do with race," Sneed said.
Lisa Bass, director of public information for the department, did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.
Sneed said he spent the day calling chiefs and equipment managers in the District to see whether anything was was out of place.
"I'm not making excuses for anybody. If someone stole equipment, they should be disciplined," Sneed said. "But if any people still have equipment that doesn't belong to them, it would not be easy to hide."
Staff writer Patricia Davis contributed to this report.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
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