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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 WestPhilly on
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Jessica,
He has a legitimate gripe with respect to the facts of his particular case and the way he's being portrayed here. -
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Permalink Reply by Jessica N Gardner on
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Thank you for your response. There is one difference in my husband's story and the other one. My husband did the crime and the time. He has had to adjust to the consequences of his actions repeatedly over the years. Has not gotten jobs because of checking the "yes" box on applications. The one thing he has never done was ask for anyone to condone...excuse...or make exceptions for him. He will live with that felony for the rest of his life and that is that. He has also changed his life and coaches our 6 children in baseball and all that good stuff. But the fact remains he did commit a crime.
Would it be easier on us if he could have the felony removed.....YES! But that leads to other problems in society....who makes that judgement call on whether you have changed enough....or paid enough.....and so on???? Good deeds don't remove past mistakes.... Growing up and changing helps you deal with the consequences of previous actions. -
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Ok....wasn't sure if I understood what you were saying.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Eric:
First, I don't know why you are so set on changing Paul's opinions. He has his reasons and your passionate argument will not change them, because, in my opinion, you chose the wrong solution to fix your problem. YOU don't think that you have received a fair shake since your felony conviction 22 years ago. YOU lied to get your EMT-P license and you lied to get hired.
I know of Germans who became model citizens in this country AFTER they served in the Nazi death camps of WW II. I know of convicted felons and admitted felons who have established themselves as model citizens AFTER admitting their transgressions. They never hid it.
You seem to want to hide your past because you believe that it is a detriment.
But, if you honestly believe that you have become this model citizen, then why didn't you admit to the felony, state that it was 22 years ago and let your dept. of public health and your employer decide if it would make a difference in your hiring.
TWO wrongs don't make a right.
Yeah; everything is good until the dog digs up the body. -
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I think some of you need to understand the difference between a "mistake" and "committing a crime".
The MISTAKE was made when you thought that you could commit the crime and get away with it.
The MISTAKE was made when you chose to break the law, whether that was being a willing participant or just a passenger in the getaway vehicle. The MISTAKE was not picking better friends.
When you make the decision to break the law, you do so knowing full well the consequences.
And you don't get a do over and you can't rewind to selective memory.
A felony conviction is not a mistake.
If anyone is wrongfully convicted of a crime or they believe that the punishment didn't fit the crime, our judicial system allows for relief.
Or you can simply lie about it.
And that is not a mistake either. That is plain ass wrong.
IMHO. -
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Art,
I say this somewhat reservedly but, I couldn't disagree with you more. The difference between eric, if he is to be believed, and the Nazi death camp Germans is that eric was wrongly convicted of a crime he took no part in. Of course he didn't admit to the felony conviction, he already knew what that would get him. (Or not get him). And I'm being perfectly on the level here, I WOULD LIE LIKE A MOTHER-PHUCKER TO PUT FOOD ON MY TABLE. (Not yelling, just emphasizing). -
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WP:
First: I wasn't comparing Eric to a Nazi. I was comparing the idea that we can bury our past; that is, until it catches up with us.
Many of us starting out in life might as well have been convicted felons. I was 23, my wife was 18 and pregnant and I was making $4.44 an hour welding. We have the opportunity to choose our paths. We are not going to wake up in Oz. We aren't going to wish it away. You aren't going to change everyone's mind.
My point is that we all struggle and we have tough choices and the laws of the land help some of us to stay on the right side.
Life ain't like in the movies.
There are real consequences in the real world.
And though I never went hungry, I ate stuff that I didn't like.
But I'm alive and free of a criminal record.
Somewhat of an outlaw, but for image only. -
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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I went back and read it...if that is the real story then I suggest he address it with the legal authorities and get it expunged..and I would support him in that endeavor...but lying (by omission) is not right and I take offense to that...to me it is almost as bad as the Firefighters(I hate to call them that) that commit arson.) If you check the very last line on the job application it states under penalty of purgery all the items have been completed to the best of my knowledge.....I just don't like bullshit...and this is what this amounts to.......time to end this post once and for all.......Paul
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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It's a juvenile crime and he should be able to get his record either sealed and/or expunged as long as he has committed no further crimes as a adult.
Juvenile records are supposed to be sealed. He needs to check on it. -
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Permalink Reply by Nathan on
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How can a city tell you that you can not own a hand gun? isnt that every LAW obiding citizens right to own and possess a firearm? Paul, if i were you, i would move out of that city! I am a DOD firefighter and i know our hiring requirements are tough! if you have ANY type of felony against you, you will not get the job!
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Art,
I'm saying he shouldn't have a "past" that needs burying - if what he says is true. -
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Nathan, you haven't been to New York City lately, have you?
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