JOELLE FARRELL
The Philadelphia Inquirer

When Chester firefighter Jim Krapf returns to work Thursday, the small American flag decal that earned him a suspension and brought a crowd of flag-waving supporters to his side will remain on his locker.

Krapf, 31, who defied an order to clear the face of his locker, was reinstated yesterday after the fire commissioner granted an exception for the American flag.

"It's been unbelievable," said Krapf, who added that he was surprised and overwhelmed by the phone calls and e-mails of support from across the country. "I'm just glad to be back to work. I'm glad to be able to display the flag."

Fire Commissioner James Johnson, who had ordered the 61 members of the department to clear all decorations from their lockers, said his directive would be revised to allow for "proper display" of the American flag according to U.S. Code. He declined to elaborate.

Forty people, some from as far as Maryland and Western Pennsylvania, gathered outside Chester Fire Station No. 2 yesterday to support Krapf, who was suspended without pay last week.

Krapf and union president Stacy Landrum declined to say whether Krapf would receive pay for the 11/2 days he was suspended, but they said an agreement had been reached that satisfied all parties. Krapf is expected to receive pay for at least most of the 20 hours he missed, although details were still being worked out yesterday, according to sources who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Johnson had issued the directive in August after a firefighter posted a cartoon on his locker that some found offensive. The directive was the simplest way to keep peace in the firehouse, Johnson said last week.

Although the order went into effect Aug. 29, the union did not discuss the matter with Johnson until after he began enforcing it last week, Johnson said. Union officers said yesterday that they had planned to talk to Johnson, but that there was "a breakdown in communication."

Krapf removed other items from his locker Thursday but refused to take down the flag.

Krapf, who described himself as "not a talker," said he was shocked when people from across the country began calling the firehouse with offers to pay for the days of work he had missed.

A cheering crowd waving flags and signs greeted Krapf yesterday morning as he walked with union leaders to a meeting with Johnson. Firefighters on duty washed and inspected trucks in front of the fire station, sometimes taking pictures of the action on what was otherwise a quiet day with few calls.

"I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that anyone would find the flag offensive," said Angela Lash, 44, a stay-at-home mother who said she drove more than six hours across the state from Washington County. "A firefighter who puts his life on the line to save other people, and this is the thanks he gets?"

Steve Tabeling, 57, drove from Bel Air, Md., to support Krapf. Tabeling said that he understood Johnson's intention with the directive but that he should make an exception for the American flag.

"You've got to use discretion," he said, holding a hand-painted sign on plywood that read, "Use common sense, reinstate Krapf."

"An American flag on a locker is a lot different than a cartoon that's offensive," he added.

Dozens of firefighters stood in support of Krapf, but some acknowledged that Johnson was in a tough spot.

"If you back down, you set a bad standard," said Rich Lynch, assistant chief of the Eddystone Fire Department. "With this type of situation, it's tough to be in, because do you really want to tell someone they can't have a flag on their locker? I'm glad it's not me."

Fifteen minutes after Krapf and union members entered the building to meet with Johnson, two police cruisers and an ambulance arrived at the station, at Providence Avenue and 14th Street. Union president Stacy Landrum said that he and a firefighter got into an argument and that the firefighter closed a door, which slammed into Landrum's right hand. Landrum suffered a cut but said he would not press charges.

After meeting for two hours, Johnson, Krapf, and Landrum emerged to speak to the media. The crowd cheered when Johnson said Krapf would be reinstated.

Krapf said it was heartening to see how much people cared about the issue.

"Guys are dying for what this flag represents," he said. "Say a prayer for the troops."

Meanwhile, the firefighter who angered some colleagues over the weekend when he came to work wearing a knit cap with a patch of an American flag sewn upside down did not wear the cap to work yesterday. Johnson's new policy thus might have been spared a quick challenge.

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October 20, 2009