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Should Felons be allowed to be Firefighters?
I am wondering what you all thought about a few things.
1) Should Felons be allowed to be Firefighters?
2) Does your fire department hire felons?
3) If you are a firefighter and you are convicted of a felony, should you be fired?
The reason why I bring this up is because I got an email recently about Richmond (VA) Fire Department hiring.
Apparently, they have dropped the requirements for employment:
* Have no felony convictions for any offense within 60 months preceding the date of application;
I got the information here
I cannot speak for the department if this was an actual drop in requirement or if it has always been this way.
I thought that if you were a felon, you were always a felon. The only way to get a felony off your record is to have the Courts expunge it from your record.
What do you all think?
1) Should Felons be allowed to be Firefighters?
2) Does your fire department hire felons?
3) If you are a firefighter and you are convicted of a felony, should you be fired?
The reason why I bring this up is because I got an email recently about Richmond (VA) Fire Department hiring.
Apparently, they have dropped the requirements for employment:
* Have no felony convictions for any offense within 60 months preceding the date of application;
I got the information here
I cannot speak for the department if this was an actual drop in requirement or if it has always been this way.
I thought that if you were a felon, you were always a felon. The only way to get a felony off your record is to have the Courts expunge it from your record.
What do you all think?
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tony Erickson on
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Yes paul I did tell them... I would not lie....an yes in my eyes my luet did torch that house I just sick of the people saying that fellons are no good an never change...an as far as my luet one the dept I quit all firemen aren't the best peoplei seen that in him an yes I did. The right thing an I did turn him in... I do have more morals then half the people on that dept...an yes I did break the law 20 years agpo did learn an look at me now..if all u can cut on me is my spelling ur a sorry case..
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Tony,
I don't think anyone here said felons are no good and can never change. I simply prefer that fire departments reserve membership for those who never were felons, just as I would expect fire departments to bar continued membership of those who become felons. -
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Permalink Reply by eric nelson on
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Steve, yes most firefighters serve with honor and integrity, but I have read and heard of quite a few who have done horrible things while working as firefighters. My whole point here is one should not be judged on somthing that happend over 22 years ago at the age of 17. I consider myself to be extremely honest and trustworthy and if you were to meet me you would agree.
As Paul stated earlier, I think we all have wasted to much time on this topic and I'm moving on to the next one! You guys all take care. -
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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That's an interesting point; If a department allows felons to be in the department then a present member that becomes a felon shouldn't necessarily be kicked out of the department. Or at least can return after doing the required stint in prison. I suppose if you have enough felons on a department it really becomes moot.
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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sorry to interrupt, just something I wanted to say.
Listen bro, it's not just your spelling. I am having a hard time understanding what you just said. A few spelling mistakes don't make a statement illegible. It's the basic structure and punctuation errors, as well as spelling, that make this hard to understand.
As for this topic: As the way I see it. every circumstance is different. And if you do have a record, you are labled and categorized from then on, whether you like it or not. And as for trusting someone convicted of a felony, I would have to be put in that situation to give an honest answer. My life may depend on my partner at some point, and therefore trusting that person with my life. If your felony conviction jeopardizes that trust, then I would vote "no" to having that convicted felon in the service.
just my 2cents.
kshf -
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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I will only add this, before I ride off into the sunset that is FDIC; if you know for a fact that a fire department member committed arson and didn't report it, you are complicit and an accessory after the fact. Under the law, you would have been charged right along with your "luet". I prefer to call them "lieutenants". And the cycle of crime continues.
It's funny; but I didn't commit any felonies growing up as a right to passage, so I don't find myself trying to win over a nation of firefighters with weak arguments or justifications.
That doesn't make me better than anyone.
It makes me a law abiding citizen and one worthy of wearing a fire department badge.
I don't have to puncuate any of what I do with "a felon who has saved lives, fought fires or won the hearts of my community with acts of derry-do".
And I am just as passionate when I say that a firefighter who has committed or will commit crimes has no business on a fire department.
Sorry, but that's the way I roll! -
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Art,
For the record, I think Tony did say he turned in the lieutenant. I think. -
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Sorry my texting isn't the greatest the bottons are to small but I try ..... and see what I'm trying to say here is that everyone can change an to be braned one thing for ur whole life is wrong I don't beleave in it... and I alway give others another chance with a watchfull eye on them an yes I did turn him in....see if there wasn't second chances life would so suck..here's one a divorce???. Just cuz ur marrige didn't work do u not marry again???? Hummm there's a lot of trust in that ur life rids on another there right???others lives ride on it to...ur kids if ya had em right...so to be so judgementel is not right..an it isn't that I try to win others over being a fireman it's knowing what to do if people need help. To take care of others that need it an do it in the best way poss..and my leut that I talk about.... what I seen him do. Hummmm it wasn't right I turned him in an well I'll leave it at that
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Last time I looked, marriage wasn't a felony. Although it can lead to a life sentence.
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Laffs so true I been with mine 21 years we'er not married but still together. Like I said back at the beging ok" buddy an I were rideing together he stopped said wait here I did....I thought it was a bud of his's house he came back we left he ripped off cash out of the house.. I got charged with accessory to the fact..not saying poor me just saying the all felons crap I have been reading in here really sucks.. how can sum be so anel to just say that's it without knowing facts ....go back an read my posts... haven't been lieing just sayin why be so close minded..and yes I have never lied to my home dept and the state for my first responder cert they asked for more info. My asst. Chief and I went got the transcrips from the court sent eem in an I got my cert...close mindedness means tunnel vision and that's bad very very bad.That's why I quit the other dept. I seen what I seen an didn't want to be tagged into that croud
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Permalink Reply by James Cundiff on
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What do you guys think about Juvenile Felons? Should they be expelled from joining a FD as well? I'd like to hear.
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James,
It always comes down to supply and demand. Big city departments can and should have very strict hiring standards because the supply of firefighter applicants always exceeds the demand. It only makes sense to disqualify felons because there are so many non-felons to choose from.
If you're talking about a volunteer department, they have to make the decision on whether it's in the best intersest of the department - not the juvenile felon - to have him, or any other felon, as a member of that department. -
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