DRUNK D.F.D. FIREFIGHTERS

[sgtdave2002]

I HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING I NEED TO GET OFF MY CHEST, AND I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE'S OPINION. THIS SUMMER I WAS AT THE FIREMANS MEMORIAL IN ROSCOMMON, MICHIGAN. I STARTED MY DAY AT THE PRESENTATIONS OF WREATHS AND PRAYERS FOR THE FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS OF MICHIGAN. I NOTICED A BUNCH OF DETROIT FIREFIGHTERS THERE. THEY WERE THERE BECAUSE OF A FALLEN FIREFIGHTER. WHAT A GREAT WAY OF SHOWING BROTHERHOOD. THEY WERE THERE PAYING THEIR RESPECTS TO ONE OF THEIR OWN. IT ACTUALLY BROUGHT TEARS TO MY FACE TO SEE ALL THOSE GREAT FIREFIGHTERS. AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS WE WENT TO THE FAIRGROUNDS AND ENJOYED THE FESTIVITIES. WHILE WE WERE WALKING AROUND WE NOTICED A GROUP OF DETROIT FIREFIGHTERS IN THEIR DRESS UNIFORMS. THEY WERE DRINKING AND BEING A LITTLE LOUD. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT SEEING AS THE REASON THEY WERE UP THERE. THAN AS THE DAY WENT ON WE RAN INTO THE SAME BUNCH OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM DETROIT. THEY WERE SO DRUNK THEY COULD HARDLY STAND. THIS IS THE GOOD PART. THERE WAS A RATHER HEAVY WOMAN WALKING IN THE CROWD AND ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS YELLED OUT TO HER "YOU FAT ***, LOSE SOME WEIGHT" AND THEY ALL STARTED TO LAUGH AND MAKE CRACKS ABOUT THIS WOMAN AND HER WEIGHT. I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST HEARD. THESE ARE FIREFIGHTERS THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND ARE SUPPOSE TO BE THERE TO HELP PEOPLE NOT HUMILIATE THEM. I WANTED TO KICK THEIR A**.
THESE FIREFIGHTER SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.

LETS HEAR WHAT YOU THINK!!!

BE SAFE BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
LETS BRING THOSE LODD'S DOWN THIS YEAR.

[troll911]

Personally, I think it is a disgrace. And in uniform, yet? How do these guys expect to gain any respect from John & Jane Q? I have no qualms about a good cold one, but moderation does serve its purpose. I do have a lot more respect for my uniform than to be inebriated in public while it is on. Being a brother FF, though, I also feel you had an obligation to confront them and explain what a bunch of yahoos they were and you were embarresed by there behavior (not quite as colorful as I would have explained it, but,hey).

[firehat87]

I would've reported them, but judging from what I hear about Detroit, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. What they were doing was bad enough, but doing it in uniform brings disgrace to their department as well.

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Be safe.

[FireLt1951]

Hey SgtDave are what department do you work for. i noticed you didn't put it in your profile are you a volly or paid proffessional. Detroit Firefighters may get carried away at times but we are excellent at what we do. The memorial effects us tremendously. We have more names on the wall than you'll ever see or have to live with. Try working in a ghetto city that doesn't give a damn about you and see how you react. Don't judge completely until you walk in our boots. I'm glad to see that all your people are perfect, must be great. Those firefighters have more citations for bravery than you'll see in your lifetime! I was also wondering why you didn't kick thier A**.

[This message has been edited by FireLt1951 (edited 01-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by FireLt1951 (edited 01-27-2001).]

[Quint1Medic]

LT1951, that's about the lamest pile of excuses I've ever heard.

What *possible* difference could it make whether someone who notices boorish behavior gets paid as a firefighter or not? Do you suppose the woman they were yelling at is a paid firefighter? Think she noticed??

I AM a paid firefighter, and if anybody in uniform started yelling at me, they'd hear about it, regardless of how many LODD's their department has had. All of us deal with apathetic administrators (although it sounds like your department has a bigger problem than most). Nowhere in sgtdave's post does he say that his department's members are perfect. You, on the other hand, make a very good case for being described as a meathead.

If you're the type of leadership those firefighters have, it's no wonder they behave so badly.

[Quint1Medic]

I'll also point out that sgtdave was very complimentary of the Detroit firefighters until their own behavior destroyed his image.

And you think he should have started a fight with uniformed drunken firefighters at a memorial? Yup, you're a paragon of leadership...

[Mike DeVuono]

Lt...you sure ain't doing much for the bad rap the DFD has been detting lately. Excuses are like...well you know the saying. What if that woman was the widow of one of our fallen brothers?

There's no excuse for that type of behavior.


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Mike DeVuono

"There are few atheists inside a burning building."

These are my opinions and not those of my department.

[FireLt1951]

Sorry to upset all of you, but there were many more firefighters acting as bad if not worse during this period. I took acception to the fact that this individual choose the people from one department. I don't fully agree with what they did but to pick out one department and not to talk about members of other departments I saw acting in a more upsetting manner is wrong. SgtDave should have approched them and vented his feelings,and not hide them and then attack without those people being able to defend themselves regardless of what they did. Like I said I don't neccesarily disagree with him totally but don't attack just one faction. Sometimes emotions get out of control and we have all made mistakes. Anyone who says they haven't is not being truthful. I did not see the incident he talked about, but I saw alot of poor behavior from firefighters that were from other cities and I did not decide to go into a forum and attack a few, because it would effect the rest of their department. You may not agree but then not all people will. I must say I've grown tired of all the attacks in this forum aimed at this department. I invite all of the critics to come and ride with us, talk with us and see what we are really like, then judge. A few do not make an entire department.

[This message has been edited by FireLt1951 (edited 01-27-2001).]

[DOG 4035]

REMEMBER WE ARE ALL BROTHERS... Don't bash an entire Department for a few guys that made a mistake...We are all not saints. SgtDave your 100% right, they where wrong. But you should of handled it then and not NOW.

JUST MY 2 CENTS STAY SAFE, STAY LOW

[FireLt1951]

Thank you Dog, I should have said it better. Take care brother, you guys are excellent and proud.

[comwhite]

As a woman, and a great admirer of firefighters I found one thing truly interesting in this thread. Some of you think Sgt. Dave should have talked to the firefighters in question. Why? They were drunk, it would have done nothing but provoke an altercation. However niether of you thought that better avenue would have been to approach the lady, and tell her on behalf of all the brothers you apologize. I don't know why she was there, but if that was her last impression, I would imagine she lost a great deal of respect for the fire fighting profession. No, people shouldn't judge the whole cart by one bad apple, but last impressions are usually lasting impressions. Someone should have taken the intiative to apologize to the lady, and showed her that these men were the exception in fire fighters.

[BucksEng91]

Wonderful...every time someone has something remotely negative to say about DFD (or any paid department, for that matter), someone has a little slip of the tongue and starts making veiled insults about "vollie" versus "career". I'm so sick of that bullsh*t. And in the context of a memorial service, it's especially insulting.

Take your prejudice somewhere else. And while you're at it, teach your brother firefighters some manners. I don't care *how* the memorial "effects" Detroit firefighters (I honestly don't know why a LODD would "effect" Detroit firefighters in a way different from anyone else - I tend to think that we all mourn lost brothers, but you said it not me). My department has gone through a LODD, and I can honestly say that the last thing I felt like doing after the incident, at the funeral, at the graveside service, or whatever...was to put on my uniform, get sh*tfaced drunk and make a public nuisance of myself. Have a little respect for your uniform, your position, and your vocation. And don't start the "vollie vs. career" argument as a replacement for real dialogue. It's old, it's tired, and it's pretty damn pointless and immature when you're talking about dead firefighters, don't you think?

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J. Black

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of any organization with which I am associated.

[Co11FireGal]

I am not a FF yet *only 16 y/o*, but w/ my dad, grandpa, and several other family members being volunteers, I have grown up at the FD. I have a great respect for every one of you on this board simply because you are firemen. I can't say I agree w/ what these Detroit men did, but I don't feel it's my right to judge. I have seen the FFs at my dept. drunk before, and they were loud and acting like big jerks, however, they were not in the public eye. I am all for having fun but, bottom line, dunk firemen aren't any good to anybody cause they can't respond to calls. Now, over my sixteen years of hanging around at the FD and knowing the firemen as well as I do, I've seen plenty of conflict...I've also seen conflict break the brotherhood. I'm new to this site, but I'd still hate to see the board go down hill because of this conflict and the insults that are being traded. Honestly, I came to this board to learn something, and I was surprised to see a topic like this one with every one at each others throats.

Peace.

-Courtney

[This message has been edited by Co11FireGal (edited 01-28-2001).]

[troll911]

Well said, Courtney. Guys, I think we could all learn something from this gal. Are ya listenin'?
Peace back at ya, TROLL

[Pastor Dawn]

I'm sorry that you had to see that and that the poor woman had to be humiliated. Let's hope that someone who cares about those men took them to task and now they are heartily sorry for their actions.

Let's watch our behavior out their folks. If we don't police ourselves, we may not like the consequences of the public doing it.