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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Firewriter on April 20, 2010 at 7:47pm

Thanks Ben ... I was wondering about this since his age was in juvie bracket (unless tried as an adult, but not a violent crime so no reason for that).

Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on April 20, 2010 at 7:57pm

This one should be a lot easier to expunge than a felony charge against an adult.
Do two things - start the process quickly, and stop discussing it on the internet where data-mining programs can pick up the information and perpetuate it after the expungement/records sealing takes place.

Those records should already have been sealed - you may even have a civil case against whoever released those records. Either way, get a good lawyer and work on both problems, with the expungement being the first priority.

Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Steve Kidd on April 20, 2010 at 8:46pm

I can’t believe that this is even a debate, especially a debate that has gone on for so long in this forum.

High character is a trait that any firefighter should display. It is what allows today’s firefighters to enjoy the huge popularity of firefighters today. Firefighters are held in high esteem, and as far as I’m concerned as a retiree, making it through a full career makes us worthy of a bit of pride.

Today’s rookie may very well be tomorrow’s chief officer. Honesty, integrity and honor are all qualities that we want to see in anyone we intend to follow. In a nutshell, it’s character that allows leadership to occur. Convicted felons will always be in a position to have their character questioned; it is as simple as that. If this strikes you as harsh words, then look in the mirror.

Now for the big question… how many of us aspire to be a child molester or a voyeuristic pervert? What about a thief or rapist? Not only do the standards of society cast a cloud over such behavior, such behavior goes against the very fiber of our character as firefighters. I am surprised that felons act as if they were worthy of being considered part of the group of men and women who served with honor and high character.

How can they expect to stand in the same circles as those who dedicated their adult lives to doing good, and who served with respect for the laws of society and respect for the job? Sure, the offense may have occurred a long time ago, and the person paid for his or her actions in jail; but as far as I’m concerned, if your name and photograph is still registered with the sexual offenders and predators list, then you have not earned the right to wear the uniform. If you have, as an adult, committed robbery, battered your spouse, embezzled money from your employer or any of the myriad of offenses that rise to the definition of a felony, then you are just a simple mutt.

Mutts are mutts. They have no business in the Fire Service.

Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on April 20, 2010 at 8:53pm

Steve, I guess this is where us old guys vent about "They don't make 'em like they used to."

Off topic, how's retirement treating you?

Permalink Reply by Steve Kidd on April 20, 2010 at 8:57pm

Hey Ben:

I am back in the Training Division part time. Have to pay for healthcare these days. But I'm down to two jobs instead of three, so I guess that is sort of like retirement.

Stay safe.

Permalink Reply by Firewriter on April 20, 2010 at 8:57pm

Sir, you truly do show what it is all about ... honor, integrity, decency. Thank you for putting it so succinctly.

Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on April 20, 2010 at 9:09pm

Nice. I only work two jobs, but they keep me as busy as three or four regular jobs used to.

It's good to hear from you.

Permalink Reply by Tony Erickson on April 21, 2010 at 2:19am

heres alittle food for thought.....for all those guys getting down on us felons.. I'm felon ok like i posted...after a dept trusted in me to send me to all my training ok...... I sat back an watched a Luet on my dept torch a house and the reason i say that is it happened 75 yards away from my house....old house being tore down to a point and then all of a sudden it catches fire an thats after a year before he asked it to get torched..... my wife comes home says theres a house on fire did ur pager go off, i said no she said toms there "my leut" with a garden hose on a house thats rocking big time..... still no page....i show up in full roll out an get to him an he says i called mark to bring the grass rig " a 250 gallon truck is going to take care of a rockin house..can ya say pissin on a fire??well he tells me to go watch a hill so it doesnt catch fire an go down into a swamp i turn an see my son tell him to watch it across the road by the way i call county when i seen the flames.....county pages out r dept... the trucks show an tom blows em off when they pull out the drop tank and says let it burn.....tell me something.......thats a 20 year fireman right my leut in action ..... thats why i quit Balsam lake my life is wearth more then just to say i'm on the fire dept....oh an he's not a fellon...ya know guys???? sum of us have to get a grip.. i did wrong i got over it why cant sum do the same...i save lives every day...when i did wrong i went to Pose' to do right an did ,how can some of you hang me for my past saying he is bad he is no good...come on tell me cuz i seen more in my life of close to forty years then most....now we can string this thread all day long but i can tell u some of us change and well u all have to get over it.. untochables?????.....I laff at that.....HARD.....i sit back an look at all those fat guys on the dept i quit u know the ones that soak up a check and do nothing....when the guys in shape bust thier butts to save lives.....oh an 3 are fellons one is me .... so bring it!!!!!... i'll deffend my self an my actions to the very end,,,, and i have alot to work withthe two years i worked on that dept.....an the state did a background check on me when i got my first responder cert... I passed!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on April 21, 2010 at 3:27pm

!st thing...That is NOT the rest of us here....2nd..What has that to do with being a Convicted Felon....? 3rd..If you want to be taken even mildly serious here why not learn to spell correctly or at the very least use the spell check function of your computer.....and for your information many States are onlt allowed to check for a history of Arson....that's probably why you"passed"..Did you tell them you had a felony conviction on your record...? I would guess probably not.....You really don't want me to "bring it" as you put it....believe me.....Paul

Permalink Reply by eric nelson on April 21, 2010 at 3:34pm

Paul,

Now you and I both can see the type of people society associates me with and I assure you I'm no different than you or any other law abiding citizen! Anyway, I appreciate your honesty and as far as my case goes you and I will have to agree to disagree. You take care!

Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on April 21, 2010 at 3:46pm