The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Should you respond to FFN posts that are designed to elicit emotion?
Should the professional network of firefighters that participate on this website tolerate blatant posts (noted below) that are designed to elicit emotional responses from the membership?
My personal opinion is no. I understand the social side of this site and like many other firefighters, I put up with the myriad of posts from those folks inspiring to become firefighters. Even though some of the posts get annoying we all know that it's ok to ask what may appear to be ridiculous questions. We all started someplace.
What is not right is the use of race issues, religion or sexual preference to stir the pot, make people angry and point fingers at folks who quite frankly (if they are anything like me) were surprised to read such an obvious attempt to get folks to respond.
Is it just me or do you come here to get away from that kind of nonsense?
I'm pleading with the membership to stick to the job and helping our younger brothers and sisters learn and do this incredibly important service for our communities. This type of post offers nothing positive and accomplished nothing for the fire service.
Am I alone here? Is anyone else as incensed as I was when the below post was read?
Another Noose?
This morning I read about yet another noose being discovered in either the locker or the personal belongings of a black firefighter somewhere in this country. It seems this noose-making is an odd trend in the fire service, as this is probably the third time I've read a story like this in the past year.
Why is racism, particularly racism against African Americans, so common in the fire service? (Remember: First responders are held to a higher standard, so if you do something once, like leave a noose in someone's locker, and it's reported, people will remember it and judge you for it for a long time.)
I read another unrelated story yesterday in which a firefighter rescued a woman from her burning home. He was truly elated to have been her rescuer. The world needs this type of guy. Everyone needs a hero, and many people enter the fire service hoping to become a hero. But you can't call yourself a hero if you rescue people by day and sneak nooses into their lockers by night.
Are people trying to maintain the "old school" fire service (strictly white guys)? And if so, doesn't that make the fire service just an extension of the KKK?
My personal opinion is no. I understand the social side of this site and like many other firefighters, I put up with the myriad of posts from those folks inspiring to become firefighters. Even though some of the posts get annoying we all know that it's ok to ask what may appear to be ridiculous questions. We all started someplace.
What is not right is the use of race issues, religion or sexual preference to stir the pot, make people angry and point fingers at folks who quite frankly (if they are anything like me) were surprised to read such an obvious attempt to get folks to respond.
Is it just me or do you come here to get away from that kind of nonsense?
I'm pleading with the membership to stick to the job and helping our younger brothers and sisters learn and do this incredibly important service for our communities. This type of post offers nothing positive and accomplished nothing for the fire service.
Am I alone here? Is anyone else as incensed as I was when the below post was read?
Another Noose?
This morning I read about yet another noose being discovered in either the locker or the personal belongings of a black firefighter somewhere in this country. It seems this noose-making is an odd trend in the fire service, as this is probably the third time I've read a story like this in the past year.
Why is racism, particularly racism against African Americans, so common in the fire service? (Remember: First responders are held to a higher standard, so if you do something once, like leave a noose in someone's locker, and it's reported, people will remember it and judge you for it for a long time.)
I read another unrelated story yesterday in which a firefighter rescued a woman from her burning home. He was truly elated to have been her rescuer. The world needs this type of guy. Everyone needs a hero, and many people enter the fire service hoping to become a hero. But you can't call yourself a hero if you rescue people by day and sneak nooses into their lockers by night.
Are people trying to maintain the "old school" fire service (strictly white guys)? And if so, doesn't that make the fire service just an extension of the KKK?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on -
I wasn't going to respond to this post, but I got so emotional, that I just had to say something...
Just kidding Mike.
I think that type of post deserves the overwhelming slams it's getting, and I think the perpetrator's magazine deserves the consumer boycott that may occur with that blog as the trigger.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on -
I read my wife this post and she suggested the exact same thing and asked why any firefighter would continue or consider subscribing to a kind of publication that's editor in chief would post such inflammatory information. I thought it was a fair and accurate question. I wonder if the membership feels the same way? Merry Christmas Ben.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on -
Michael:
To answer your question, Why.
Because the men and women who write the educational articles for the magazine are BIGGER than ONE "blog". And it wasn't even a blog, in my book.
Where we normally agree; on this we disagree.
I am not going to turn my back on the knowledge of those like Homer Robertson, Scott Cook, Vaccaro, Crawford, Tippett, and so many more.
They support our mission. I am going to support their's. Cindy Devone-Pacheco does not speak for them.
They speak for themselves.
I ain't going anywhere.
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on -
If it wasn't for members like Ben, yourself and others, after reading that, what I couldn't believe what I was reading, I'd be gone from this site. Instead, her publication will not enter my firehouse ever again period!
I will continue to try and educate, but I'm not happy about this kind of nonsense that's allowed to be published. Am I mad, your Damn right I'm mad!
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on -
The issue I see more at play here is that you will probably get many responses of people agreeing with the fact the blog was BS and should have been thought out, but a difference here is the publication for which the person is employed.
Now I've read most fire related pubs out there and some seem to be fluff, while other have substance. The issue here is that people can make a complaint to the source publication of which this person is employed. Basically, cancelling a subscription because of this blog here is basically the same thing Cindy did by lumping all FF's together in her blog. Are we to lump everything about that publication because of what she wrote here? Why complain about it here, bring the issue up to the publication. She states on her profile here she wants to help and do something for those who may help her or her family one day, so why should an employer....catering to the very people she want to help....condone such a blog?
Perhaps respond to the publication she represents.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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doesn't the editor have some say as to what's been printed... oh wait, aren't we talking about an editor which kind of makes your suggestion to respond to the publication moot? but a good idea never the less...
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Ms. Devone-Pacheco is a Senior Editor. The Managing Editor is Shannon Peiper, whose email is: s.pieper@elsevier.com
I have already made said contact.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Like Ben, I also sent an email out to both Cindy AND the managing editor Shannon.
The difference though Cap is that she submitted the blog here and it may not show up in print form at all. If she is to represent her publication, perhaps some notification to said publication about the issue at hand can be addressed better than many of us complaining on here. Basically, it is possible the publication has no idea she submitted this here, nor the impact it has made on some of us here.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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The publication will know as soon as Ms. Peiper reads her morning email.
I chose not to email Ms. Devone-Pacheco. My feelings have been made crystal clear in my responses to her blog.
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