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Firefighters Setting Fires...AGAIN!
Firefighter arson has been growing and growing.
Have you personally experienced a member of your department setting fires and if so, what did you do about it?
What was the reaction in your community?
Does your department conduct background checks, interviews or use other means to screen the best candidates?
I have posted a blog on the problem in West Virginia, where THIRTY firefighters have been charged with arson in the past year.
Check it out:
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blog/show?id=889755%3ABlo...
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200910130853
TCSS.
Art
Have you personally experienced a member of your department setting fires and if so, what did you do about it?
What was the reaction in your community?
Does your department conduct background checks, interviews or use other means to screen the best candidates?
I have posted a blog on the problem in West Virginia, where THIRTY firefighters have been charged with arson in the past year.
Check it out:
http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blog/show?id=889755%3ABlo...
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200910130853
TCSS.
Art
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Andrew:
How do you know for sure that THAT guy isn't on your line?
Part of the growing problem is that we don't know for sure until someone is arrested and charged.
Yes, Jack; I did!
Thanks.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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It's happened here. 3 fires before we knew what was going on. Sad thing is, we couldn't prove it. We let the authorities know and kicked him out of the dept. After police questioned him about it all, there hasn't been another incident like that.
Our brigade is always looking for members lately. The numbers seem to be dwindling and so there isn't much of a background check if any. Even if there was one done, that will not tell you if they are an arsonist unless they were criminally charged. Basically, in our area, there's always someone who knows someone who can say good or bad. They spend 6 months as "probie" then get vcoted in or out after that.
That number is way too high. I sure hope it goes down.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Shaw on
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Since I have been a member, we have not had this happen. I think we may have had a member that was suspected of this about 30 years ago, I have only heard fuzzy stories. I know of more recent events in a neighboring district. Just like has been said, these were first offenses so a background check would not have been helpful. There was surprisingly little public outcry, the two members involved were thrown out of their department and both went to jail. I know at least one of them is out now, as I have run into him on the street, but I haven't heard any news about the other one.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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I know a fire department not all that far from my home that had a young probie who was determined to stop getting his chops busted about not catching a good fire so he went and made one. Amazingly enough, they had been "DRINKING AT THE FIREHOUSE" when the probie left and the entire crowd made it to the scene. Don't worry, only 2 of the drinking folks drove but that never made the storyline in the papers nor any diciplinary action from law enforcement nor the department. Yeah, thats justice
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Nobody from my actual Brigade, but it has happened in the fire service itself. With just under 60,000 of us I don't suppose it's really surprising. After all, bad cops, bad priests, bad firefighters - it can happen in any part of the community. The reaction of some of the community is to call all of us arsonists, most are more reasonable.
Police checks? Yes, for every new member or if someone changes Brigades. The problem with a Police check is as Derek said - it only works if the person has been convicted.
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