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?

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on December 1, 2010 at 11:12am

Not only that if HE wanted to put a felon in the FD no one can stop HIM
Sorry, but under the scenario you describe, I CAN stop HIM. I am a FD administrator and I have the final say on hiring.
But, I don't look at it as stopping HIM.
"His" letter of recommendation would be put with the others.

Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on December 1, 2010 at 11:20am

Andre'a,

As you're not a firefighter, your view on who should or should not be one is purely subjective. There are many reasons why a felon shouldn't be a firefighter, not the least of which is trust, and mostly because there are great number of applicants who apply who aren't felons.

Secondly, perhaps rather than rail here about why felons should be hired, you should be preaching to vulnerable youths how being a felon can have long term, long lasting affects. Maybe that's what god wants you do.

Permalink Reply by Andre'a Perkins on December 1, 2010 at 11:38am

Thanks for the Luck but prefer BLESSINGS...and I never said that you all were felons wanting to get caught. I said that we all(alot of us) have done things that if caught would have been considered a felony.Meaning,NOW AND/OR PAST. Like I said in another post. You may have seen a person driving druck,but have a clean driving record...same thing.Their records look better because they were never caught but did do the crime.And every felon wasn't convicted of a gun charge.You obviously should know the difference between a violent crime and non-violent crime,right.And as far as public trust,not just me,but people talk and/or deal with felons on a daily basis never knowing what they are-BECAUSE OF CHANGE....but I understand that your department doesn't allow at all but if they did would you hire....ME?MAking it personal because you knowing my info ,now, man of GOD,felony 12yrs old and going to do better if I get this job or not...WOuld you,sir, hire me?

Permalink Reply by Andre'a Perkins on December 1, 2010 at 11:55am

Yes that's true and I am talking to as many youth and older people as possible.But I just feel that some of us didn't have the clear view of opportunities as others may have...not trying to make excuses.SOME and I said SOME people were convicted of a felony but are not "THE PEOPLE's"definition of a felon(stone cold gangsta,killer-just don't give a rip).So I just feel"WE"(some of us)have worked hard enough to deserve another chance.And just because they are not felons doesn't mean they're going to to the work....TRUST me,I fuss and fuss almost cursing at some of the people I know that aren't felons that are letting soooooo many opportunities slide by them that I PRAY to GOD I could have...it's ashame.

Permalink Reply by Firefighter Nation WebChief on December 2, 2010 at 8:58am