FIrefighter arsonists - a disgrace

[hctrouble25]

Seven Louisiana volunteer firefighters were arrested this week for setting 10 fires over the past six months.

The arrests were made on Monday and Tuesday, and other arrests may be pending, said Greg Greco, supervisor of the arson division of the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office. The firefighters were charged with simple arson and conspiracy to commit arson.

The fire marshal's office has been investigating the case since May, along with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Several of the accused have admitted involvement while others have said they had knowledge of the arsons, but did not participate in setting the fires.

The firefighters are suspected of setting eight structure fires and two forest fires.

"They had nothing to gain but the opportunity to put the fires out," Greco said.
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In the midst of all that has happened in this country, (and even before), and knowing that we as firefighters are role models, life savers, protectors, and heroes to thousands of people..I cannot fathom what possessed these morons to set fires in their own area. Not only did they set fires but 8 of those were structure fires..we are supposed to save lives, not take them by having a lack of respect for how dangerous fire can be. We of all people should know how quickly a fire can spread and how much damage it can cause in a short amount of time. I don't consider these people firefighters, and I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. What they did is inexcusable, and not acceptable to me or any other "true" firefighter. Just my 2 cents worth. Take care and God Bless.

[UAF]

Unfortunately, it's a "given", esp. among vollies, to deliberately set fires so they can be heroes for putting them out, performing rescues, etc. Public Television some years back, did a fascinating program about a serial arsonist who turned out to be an arson investigator.
And yes, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[Firebear230]

anyone why is stupid enough to start fires on purpose, just so they can put them out does not deserve to be called a firefighter. They dishonor us all, especially those who gave their lives in the line of duty. I refuse to call them firefighters, I'll just call them criminals from now on.

[apatrol]

As a vollie I can not tell you how mad these stories make me. Here I am running several hundred calls a year for free with the same dangers as the paid guys and some idiots go make all the vollies look bad.

I can understand one bad anpple in any Department but seven....Their chief needs to resign.

[N2DFire]

O.K. - Before this goes any farther I would like to ask that everyone PLEASE DO NOT turn this into a Career vs Volunteer Issue.

For any of you who did not read the related link from the FH story ( http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/sttamma...t_arson18.html ) then I think it only fair to point out that among those arrested was one Paid FF.


... Arrested from District 11 were Lloyd Cantrell Jr., 23, 117 Stallion Run; Shaun Gebbia, 19, 64507 Louisiana 3081, Apt. C; Dona St. Germain, 25, same address as Gebbia; and Stephen Sticker, 20, 334 Yearling Loop. . . .

. . . Arrested from District 7 were Stephen Specht, 20, 35113 Mockingbird Loop, and William Roy, 26, 67139 Denise Drive. . . .

. . . Gebbia, the only paid firefighter for District 11, said he knew the fires were set intentionally but that he wasn't involved. . . .


This incident is simply (and sadly) a black eye to the firefighting profession everywhere - one which will (and should) be shared by career and volunteer alike.

I too hope all involved are discharged from the Department(s) and prosecuted to the full measure of the law.

Take Care - Stay Safe - God Bless
Stephen
FF/Paramedic

[Chaplain 41]

It truly is a disgrace to firefighters nation wide. The last thing we want is for people to be burned out of their homes, but we want to be the first on the scene to kill the flithy beast if it starts. For one person to knowingly set a fire is beyond comprehension, but 7, and so-called firefighters?
We had a so-called set fire to the station several years ago at a neighboring department. He was even standing among the crowd watching efforts to put it out. We saw a news video and there he stood, watching. The station was totally destroyed and so were several pieces of apparatus. He went to court, got extended jail time where now we feed him 3 squares a day, he has access to better legal service than we can afford, free medical care, and a warm bed to sleep in every night. I said then and I'll say now, part of his punishment should be for him to help with clean up efforts and with a toothbrush, clean those pieces of equipment salvaged. He got off as far as I'm concerned. He had moved there from another town. The fire chief from the other town found out where he went and warned the FD of this guy. It seems he had set fires before as a juvenille, but the FD took him on anyway. Go fiqure! Take care everyone!

[nonameFF]

Some of the problems arise from STUPID state laws. In NJ, there is a little known and largely ignored regulation under the law against discrimination that basically says that a volunteer company has to take everyone who applies absent some compelling reason (e.g. arson conviction).

This law prohibits companies from voting on members and makes it a crime to do so.

Then they wonder why you end up with some whackos.....

[NYSmokey]

I can't call these people "firefighters." They are CRIMINALS posing as firefighters. Apparently, they did not take the same oath that the rest of us did. How dare they put the public and responders in jeopardy just for a pat on the back. I say lock them up and throw away the key

[hctrouble25]

NY Smokey..I agree with you 100%. These people are not real firefighters. Any real firefighter would know better than to play with fire literally. Also, did you see the latest headline about some PA FF fabricating an anthrax scare...what is wrong with these people?

[pak-man]

We had a couple of these people in my department a few years back and the main reason is because we never get any fires. We get maybe 3 good ones a year. and its just people want calls so do they do, go start fires. It is really sad

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

no-name-FF wrote:

Some of the problems arise from STUPID state laws. In NJ, there is a little known and largely ignored regulation under the law against discrimination that basically says that a volunteer company has to take everyone who applies absent some compelling reason (e.g. arson conviction).
This law prohibits companies from voting on members and makes it a crime to do so.

Please quote the chapter and section of this law. I do not believe there is such a law in NJ. If there is, you may be misunderstanding it. People are denied memberships and jobs every day for things such as psychological problems. This can be reasonably articulated. Please post the citation ASAP.

[firefighter12001]

I don't have a clue why you would want to do that. Then it is pointless to be in the Fire Department. You're doing more harm than good.

[firemonkey70]

IT IS ONE OF YOUR TEXT-BOOK ARSON CASES.....VANITY, AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE ALL YOUNG. THEY ARE MORONS NONE THE LESS.

[nonameFF]

Originally posted by George Wendt, CFI:
no-name-FF wrote:


Please quote the chapter and section of this law. I do not believe there is such a law in NJ. If there is, you may be misunderstanding it. People are denied memberships and jobs every day for things such as psychological problems. This can be reasonably articulated. Please post the citation ASAP.

Give me a day or two to cite it, its tucked away in a box at home.

It applies to volunteers only, not "jobs."

[nonameFF]

New Jersey Administrative Code:

13:12-1.1 Membership procedures of volunteer fire companies and first aid squads

(a) Membership in volunteer fire companies and first aid squads shall be open to all persons who are able to perform the duties of volunteer fireman or first aid squad member, respectively, without discrimination on the basis of an applicant's race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status or physical handicap. In order to effectuate this requirement of nondiscrimination, volunteer fire companies and first aid squads (hereinafter called "companies") shall adhere to the following admissions procedures:
1. Each company shall establish objective qualifications for membership, which shall relate directly and solely to the physical and technical ability and character fitness of an applicant to perform the vocational duties of a volunteer fireman or first aid squad member, respectively.
2. Each company shall submit a notice to the clerk of each municipality in which it operates which shall include the company's name, address, the names of its officers and members and the dates of its regular organization meetings. Said notice shall be posted by the clerk forthwith.
3. Each company shall supply the clerk of each municipality it serves with application forms, and the clerk shall distribute them on written request or on personal request made during normal business hours. Said forms shall state that applications may be filed either by personal delivery or by sending them by mail to the secretary or other designated officer of the company, whose mailing address shall either appear on the application form or be available from the municipal clerk.
4. The secretary or other officer designated to receive applications shall date each application with the time of receipt and shall number the application according to its order of receipt relative to other applications. He shall promptly send a letter or post card to each applicant stating the number of his application and the date and time it was received.
5. Each company shall establish a membership committee consisting of not more than 15 members which shall be solely responsible for evaluating and ruling upon application for membership. It shall, within 60 days of receipt of an application by the company, make a report to the company as to whether or not the applicant qualifies for membership. Its decision shall be binding on the company, and no vote of the membership shall be conducted on the issue of whether an applicant shall be admitted to membership.
6. Applicants reported by the investigating committee to be qualified for membership shall be admitted in the order in which their applications were received as set forth in paragraph 4 of this subsection as soon as vacancies exist. If at any time the number of applicants found to be qualified exceeds the number of current vacancies, a waiting list shall be established according to the order in which the applications were received, and appointments shall be made therefrom in that same order.
7. If the membership committee determines that an applicant does not meet the minimum requirements for membership, the company's secretary shall promptly advise the applicant in writing of the rejection and the qualifications, described with particularity, which he has not substantially met.
8. Any company may require newly accepted applicants to serve a probationary period of reasonable duration, not to exceed one year. During such period, and at the conclusion thereof, each probationary member shall be evaluated solely by the officers of the company who supervise him in the performance of his duties. They may cause the dismissal of any member during his probationary period only for failure to perform the established duties of a probationary member in a reasonably satisfactory manner or other good cause, and may do so by notifying the probationary member in writing of his rejection and the particular reasons therefor. At the end of the probationary period, the said supervising officers shall determine whether or not the applicant has satisfactorily performed the duties of probationary member. If he has, they shall promptly recommend to the membership that he be admitted to full membership, and their recommendations shall be binding on the company and he shall be so admitted forthwith. If he has not, they shall promptly notify the probationary member in writing of his rejection and the particular reasons therefor. No vote of the membership shall be conducted on the issue of whether any probationary member shall continue as a probationary member or shall be admitted to full membership.
9. Nothing contained in this Subchapter shall be construed to prevent any company, in its discretion, from providing intra-company means for appealing rejections from applications for membership or dismissals from membership.
10. Any person who is rejected or dismissed from membership by any company shall have the right to challenge such action in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.
11. All nouns and pronouns in the masculine gender utilized in this Subchapter shall be construed to include the female gender.