BS: Firefighter cell phone photo

Subject: BS: Firefighter cell phone photo
From: ragdall
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 05:52 PM

Much ado about nothing?

Winnipeg Free Press article about a firefighter using a cell phone to take a picture while waiting for equipment to be set up.

Subject: RE: BS: Firefighter cell phone photo
From: gnu
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 06:34 PM

Way too much.

Subject: RE: BS: Firefighter cell phone photo
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 07:33 PM

Was this a training burn? The condition of the house leads me to ask the question....

Subject: RE: BS: Firefighter cell phone photo
From: ragdall
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 08:41 PM

Rapaire,
My understanding is that the house was being used "for storage". The old gent who had lived there was a hoarder. He passed away some time ago and the house has just been sitting, unoccupied, but filled with stuff. Because of the amount of "stored" items the firefighters couldn't safely enter the building and a decision was made to let it burn while protecting the neighbouring houses.

I thought it was ironic that when firefighters risk their lives on a daily basis saving people, pets and possessions from fires, nobody says a word, but if they take a quick picture when they are waiting for equipment to be set up there has to be an inquiry about it. It's okay for the news media and neighbours to shoot away and publish numerous photos of the fire on TV, newspapers and the Internet, but if a firefighter takes a personal photo at a blaze, (without neglecting his/her duty in doing so), there is a public outcry.

Subject: RE: BS: Firefighter cell phone photo
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 09:19 PM

They were in violation of a department policy against taking personal photographs at fires. In this case, it's pretty obvious that doing so was not interfering with the performance of their duties, but that's irrelevant. They still violated a rule which was established for good reason.

Having said that, it's still a very minor rule infraction and the publicity it seems to have received is way out of proportion. It's not something that merits a suspension or even a reprimand. It merits having a superior explain to them exactly why they aren't supposed to take personal photos at fires. No more, no less.