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New Hampshire Cops Dress as Firefighters to Make Arrest
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A decision this week by Newport, New Hampshire police to use a fire truck and pose as firefighters to make an arrest of a suspected violent suspect is getting quite a lot of buzz around the country.
"Police officers dressed as firefighters and using a fire truck entered the building and activated the fire alarm to evacuate residents in a safe manner so as not to bring attention to the pending arrest of Miller," Newport Police Chief David Hoyt said in a news release included in the Union Leader story.
On Thursday, the union representing local firefighters responded with grave concern about the incident, saying firefighters and paramedics depend on the public trusting that when they show up, it's to save lives.
"The use of the firefighter and paramedic image in this way is inappropriate, should not be condoned and is not negotiable," David Lang, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire said during a press conference, according to the Union Leader.
A press release from the union posted on Statter911.com stated "Allowing police officers to impersonate fire fighters potentially makes the difficult job of fire fighters even more dangerous because it casts doubt in the publlic's mind of who's responding to a fire or medical emergency."
Long is asking the Commission of Safety and the state's Attorney General to demand that such actions never take place again.
The Union Leader reported that police officers saw the suspect in his apartment window with a small child in his arms as other building residents evacuated in the fake fire alarm. The suspect opened the door for the 'firefighters' (police) who then took him into custody without further incident. Numerous weapons and related materials were found in a subsequent search of the apartment.
Related
Post your thoughts on this incident.
A decision this week by Newport, New Hampshire police to use a fire truck and pose as firefighters to make an arrest of a suspected violent suspect is getting quite a lot of buzz around the country.
"Police officers dressed as firefighters and using a fire truck entered the building and activated the fire alarm to evacuate residents in a safe manner so as not to bring attention to the pending arrest of Miller," Newport Police Chief David Hoyt said in a news release included in the Union Leader story.
On Thursday, the union representing local firefighters responded with grave concern about the incident, saying firefighters and paramedics depend on the public trusting that when they show up, it's to save lives.
"The use of the firefighter and paramedic image in this way is inappropriate, should not be condoned and is not negotiable," David Lang, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire said during a press conference, according to the Union Leader.
A press release from the union posted on Statter911.com stated "Allowing police officers to impersonate fire fighters potentially makes the difficult job of fire fighters even more dangerous because it casts doubt in the publlic's mind of who's responding to a fire or medical emergency."
Long is asking the Commission of Safety and the state's Attorney General to demand that such actions never take place again.
The Union Leader reported that police officers saw the suspect in his apartment window with a small child in his arms as other building residents evacuated in the fake fire alarm. The suspect opened the door for the 'firefighters' (police) who then took him into custody without further incident. Numerous weapons and related materials were found in a subsequent search of the apartment.
Related
- Union Leader: Firefighters hot over police ploy
- Union Leader: Police use firefighter fake out to arrest man
- STATter911.com: Union Press Release (PDF)
- WMUR: Fire Officials Criticize Police For Impersonating Firefighters (w/Video)
- WCAX: Firefighters "Hot" About Disguised Officers
Post your thoughts on this incident.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Capt. Slim on
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This is B.S. If someone were to impersonate a police officer they would be in jail. Better yet they would be under it. For them to think that it is ok to do that is a slap in the face when it comes to my life and my profession thats on the line. For any firefighther to think this is ok may want to become a cop.
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Permalink Reply by Kirk D. Baughman on
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this is poor for the cops to dress like firefighters. now people are really going to wonder if we are firefighter or cops. i think if cop need to arrest someone just do it in their duty informs. now we have to worrier about getting shot at if this kind of stuff keeps going on. i know were i live kids will talk to firefighters before they talk to police officers. i'm not dogging cop it's just kids see cops different then firefighters.
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Permalink Reply by jessica on
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we need to work to gether as long as it dosent hapen offten and proper aothrezashon was aquierd before hand and thar is real thret to inocnt pepole i baleve it's apropeat remember that are job is save pepole and property buy most any means posabil( exept the loss of our own). we may lose some respct but we can live with it
dont tear the FD and PD further apart. we need them as much as thay need us. I only live three towns over form newport NH in marlow.
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Permalink Reply by Beans on
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As if it isnt dangerous enough...now we dont have to only be worried about getting splattered by a passing truck as we hop off an engine or a dog biting our asses off because people dont have time for "responder safety" in the event their house is burning down but now ...NOW, we have to consider why no one trusts a fire man anymore...nice...this truely sickens me..
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Permalink Reply by Becky on
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"The Union Leader reported that police officers saw the suspect in his apartment window with a small child in his arms as other building residents evacuated in the fake fire alarm. The suspect opened the door for the 'firefighters' (police) who then took him into custody without further incident. Numerous weapons and related materials were found in a subsequent search of the apartment."
They saved the child and avoided injury and loss of life. It was ingenious and it worked. Quit beating it to death and move on.
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Permalink Reply by Bianca Julien on
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not too sure about how things work there or even the way people think where u guys are but it seems to me that you need to be very careful with this sort of thing. 1. firefighters are trusted by the public and community and you don't want people second guessing and wondering if you are there to help or police masked as firefighters conducting a sting operation ( all respects to police...they work hard at their jobs) 2. there is also the possibility that some paranoid criminal who may be at the scene of one of your calls may start firing upon firefighters just incase it may be more police officers dressed as firefighters. remember....these criminals have no concern for innocent human lives.
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Permalink Reply by lisa on
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ok guys ya can get mad but they do do this ...but i think it might have been dci that did it and not your normal everyday cops
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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on
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The diferance between a working relasionship between law enforcement and Us is public perception, while I undersatnd fully what your saying, I totally disagree .. "no harm done" being said today does NOT account for This POS's Kid (or whatever) in a similar situation 20 years from now going HMM I am just gonna shoot the firefighter in the face because I think he's a cop , I remember what happened to My Dad.. and they Screwed him over....
I've had our Local department approach us to use our building to survail "traffic" at a local location,, Oh we wanna get on the roof of the firehouse so we can watch the sales ... while The idea is sound, WE the guys who are unarmed dont need to be targeted anymore then we already are by the feces of Humanity ... Maybe some of you think its not a big deal, well, In The innercity, I can tell you its come up Many times.. Both departments have a working relasionship and its Good .. BUT They do they're crap and we do ours when they do what they do , They do it in groups,and they do it armed when youwalk into the projects at 3 am for a med call YOU keep in your mind The dealers are armed, Residents maybe armed , Your Not armed and IF you were found to be armed its grounds for termination... I want even the scumbags to mistrust us as they do now, NOT think we "Maybe" cops scamming to bust them..
Its bad enough that when the cops show up they pull the alarms to assist in confusion and escape.... same deal there COps got guns they got guns , and you Dont.. so who's at the disadvantage ?? Think about it .... It maybe all nicey nicey in east podunk, But Not everywhere...
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Permalink Reply by John on
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This is stupid most of us already look like cops when we walk around without bunker gear on.... Now no one is going to trust us.
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all the more reason besides preparedness to wear Your bunker gear anytime your on the rig.. since Your blues are not protection from biohazards...you pretty much should always wear them, even inspecting .... of course thanks to this issue , Now your again a target ..................
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Permalink Reply by Wolfy Lang on
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From the Cow Hampster Revised Statutes Annotated
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-XII-154.htm
TITLE XII
PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 154
FIREWARDS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND FIRE HAZARDS
Firewards, Fire Chiefs and Fire Departments; Organization, Powers and Duties
Section 154:9
154:9 Penalty. – If any person present at a fire, emergency or service call, at or to which the fire department is responding shall refuse or neglect to obey the commands of any member who is recognized as, or should have been recognized as, a member of the fire department, or shall unlawfully assume the office or badge of office of a fire chief, fire officer or firefighter, such person shall be guilty of a violation.
Source. RS 111:5. CS 114:6. GS 96:5. 1878, 31:1. GL 106:5. PS 115:8. PL 146:8. RL 175:8. RSA 154:9. 1973, 531:35. 1975, 443:8. 1992, 154:11. 1998, 318:21, eff. Aug. 25, 1998.
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Under the circumstances, I highly doubt even down under Police Service members would be prosecuted for the "offence", epecially since the Ploy was successful In capturing a armed dangerous offender with a History.. Yes we have Laws about inpersonating public safety personel .... BUT the prosecution as such isnt going to be ofa guy, even civilian buying a "uniform" in some Online store advertised On FFN but its when he wears said uniform, and begins trying to pull women over in his personal Crown Vic ex cruiser (look alike) for "other gains" or similar deceptions , The district attnyoffice would never prosecute the police department for dressing up as firefighters and"borrowing the keys to the pumper" Come on..
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