So whilst I would never condone this sort of behaviour, nor would I think anyone else would, BUT (There's always a but...) this is 4+ years old.

This is the first I've seen or heard of it- does it still go on? Is it still allowed to happen?

If no, then this is a non issue....

Well this will continue to be brought up until the newsies think the proper thing is done for Discipline. It will be brought up everytime that fire department makes the news.

I just discovered something. Were these videos of Kentland originally posted here on Firefighter Nation and then removed when they hit the media? It appears there are two videos on Firefighter Nation that were posted by B.L.P.S. 13 called Lack of Adult Supervision and Lack of Adult Supervision II - and they are now unavailable? Hmmmmm.... Go check yourself. Go to Videos and do a search using KENTLAND and you will see the two videos. Click on them and they are unavailable or set to private by BLPS13.

The message you get is-

You need to be B.L.P.S. 13 to do that. For further assistance, please contact us.

Or you can go back to the Firefighter Nation - Firefighter Rescue and EMS Social Network main page.

No, those are not the same videos.

Members can post videos as public or available only to their friends.

Web Chief

Gotcha chief. I just posted the original raw video of Kentland - added to this blog and the video section.

Rockland let me first of all say that you need to change your picture because it looks like your a demon or something just this dark kind of look. Second Besides the Atomic Wedgie and the idiot drunk stuff and the mooning while driving havent we all done pranks and fireworks and just plain ole mischevious behavior at the firehouse? Its Tradition the biggest thing wrong i see here is what i stated above that most have not done and that they videotaped it. what we do inside a firehouse should stay in a firehouse. definitley not filmed or done in the public who we serve's view. Now to add everything up this all happened at a 100% volunteer house, Now come to find out its Kentland and its double trouble. If this had been any other house it probally wouldnt be as big a deal as it is but there has been alot of contreversy with this house. so let the media crucify us cause thats what they do untill they need us but we as a family need to stick together. no matter how annoying the other brother might be.

Nick, thank you for your comment. So what you are saying is that it is ok to do illegal activities as long as we don't videotape it and keep it out of public view? Sorry, I disagree. Hazing, shooting illegal fireworks, and doing all this within a public tax assisted facility is unacceptable. I think you will see how unacceptable it is this next week when the county comes down on Kentland. Kentland is not above the law or professionalism of the fire service.

Now i dont belive in hazing but i also think there is a difference in Hazing and pratical jokes. Now about doing it in a public assisted facility i thought that kentland was owned by kentland it runs off tax dollers but it was built without public tax dollers. Now i might be wrong but thats what i think i remember. Oh i belive that Chief Sedgwick is gonna blast them im sure of it. I dont belive we are above the law but the fire service is known that we are a tight family and we have fun but when the call comes in we get serious. Now dont get me wrong im not the biggest fan of Kentland but i belive that most fire depts are guilty of this. Also just listened to one of your shows and very much enjoyed it.

I agree with you 100% Rockland, but let's not judge them today on things that occurred 4+ years ago.

The County hs the right to obviously because it's been investigated, etc, but for all we know, they have cleaned up their act and no longer do this stuff.

Do you know for a fact this still happens there?

One of the videos they posted here (I think "Lack of Adult Supervision") showed them on the front ramp pulling a guy around in a shopping cart with some kind of motorized equipment. I posted a comment that it appeared negligent in the taxpayers eyes and the response I got was "We don't ask for donations." Clearly there is a lack of supervision and leadership at the command level.

I knew a guy from Kentland and he used to tell stories of turning off air bottles of other departments at fires, posting a "guard" at the door to prevent others from coming into those fires, etc.

From all appearances the members of Kentland are immature and unprofessional at best. Hopefully they can get someone in there that can get control of that department before we have another funeral.

well there was an alleged incident of them turning off two career guys air bottles and getting into fights at a fire in feb 2006 or 2007 cant remember. The two guys got burned bad enough to go to the hospital.

well, if none of you have never rode in the county or know what the exact facts are or never been to a fire with these guys, then you shouldn't be commenting. the "hazing " incidents happen everywhere at every firehouse in this country and probably in canada too, but you never hear about them. someone with a point to prove or an axe to grind is blowing this completely out of proportion.if you don't "condone or approve " of this then fine. no one was hurt or pressed charges about this, and besides it happened 4 years ago. BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT. the best thing that will come out of this is that kentland will sell 100,000 t-shirts and buy a new piece of apparatus.

hey rockland, here's another firefoghter video you can bash, on the ffn home page................. firefighter fun. wonder if that would be considered "hazing" or conduct unbecoming. i'll bet they would never do that in fairfax.

I like yor style Chuck

I'm not bashing anyone and I apologize if you are offended that a nearby station where you volunteered is in the news. I know Kentland is close to many. I am presenting the information as reported and the response from county chief. As much as I respect your opinions, you should respect the opinions of others. When the two investigations conclude this week, we can then stop assuming and deal with the real facts. I provided two news stories and the raw video as shown on local media. I'm not here to bash, I am here to bring sensitive topics up for open discussion.

I think they seriously need to take a look into the leadership of this dept... has it been changed since this incident? or more recently.... has it been changed since the guys decided to mess with 2 peoples air packs and mess with the attack lines? THAT wasn't a harmless prank. I remember that multiple people wound up going to the hospital because of that one.

Discussions of the conduct of Kentland has been going on for years. From their adrenaline dripped "recruitment" video to their John Wayne style of response, Kentland has been the target of anyone who cares about their own public image. Kentland videos are used by others as "DON'T DO THIS" or "here is an example of what not to do".
Does anyone remember a little over a year ago Kentland and another department got into it at a house fire, hoses were ran over by apparatus and firefighters were disconnected from their SCBAs. Also, a video appeared that showed an apparatus engineer being threatened by a Kentland FF.
Good stuff on an entertainment level.
Kentland is old stuff.
Just like Long Island spends too much money.
Get something new.
TCSS.
Art

this is ridiculous. Kentland firefighters may be a little wild when they are at their firehouse, but when they get a call; they go to work in a way that would put a paid company to shame! i live a couple hours away and their reputation is second to none.

so i say who cares if they play with fireworks or spray people with their booster lines... as long as they arent acting a fool when the s*** hits the fan then its alright by me.

see the problem is that they HAVE been known to act a fool when the shit hits the fan.... ie turning off others air packs and stopping the flow of water to attack lines....

Do you have proof of that or is it just hearsay on here or TWD. Most of you people sit and judge and don't have a clue as to what really happens there or anywhere else except your perfect little world . Run your 300 calls a year and leave the busy stuff to those that know how. If you need a fire put out in your little haven, just special call a unit from our county, we'll be happy to oblige.

it was ALL over the news among many other things... we had a briefing on it where i'm at too... they turned off the air packs of two career guys and parked the truck over attack line, they also got in an all out fist fight with the career guys over it.... last time I checked my dept runs a lot more calls than them, and has a much better reputation as well..... we'll stick to our own units where people actually try to protect eachother in the fire thanks....

We know how to have fun here too, but we don't RISK THE LIVES of other firefighters in the process so that we can be the "cool ones in charge of the fire scene"


I urge you to re-assess your mentality..... I am sure everyone in the fire service is aware that the world of an emergency svc's provider is not perfect.

Safety should be your number one priority even if it involves making people leave the department and taking away some of the "fun"

Well said Siren- if it's happened recently and is a current issue, then discuss away, but this si years old...

LANDOVER, Md. -- 9NEWS NOW has learned the chief of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department has been suspended. Sources confirm the suspension is part of the disciplinary action announced Sunday night by the board of directors of the Prince George's County fire company.

For more go to http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/News/Maryland-Chief-Suspended-Over-Old-Videos/46$60217

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/printer.jsp?id=47617

http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/News/Kentland--Md-Tower-Likely-Totalled-in-Crash/46$2395

http://www.emsresponder.com/web/online/Fire-Service-EMS/Maryland-Fire-Department-Restricted-after-Ambulance-Dispute/18$6011

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=90713

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/printer.jsp?id=60217

http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/News/Maryland-Firefighters-Face-Criminal-Charges-for-Alleged-Assaults/46$48356

Yeah; I wanna be like them!
Art

.
Ok, I watched the videos, and yes some of those acts should not have taken place in a firehouse. But they did, and obviously someone that was involved with the making of that video had an axe to grind or was looking for maybe some type of electoral gain by surfacing this video that they held onto for 4 + years,
Every firehouse messes with new members to some extent,hosing them down at drills,tossing them into a portable pond(drop tank) full of water, tying them up with knots,ect.
And I must commend the chief for accepting responsibility for the actions.
Although wrong he apologized and pointed out that himself and the group was younger and has matured since then, becoming an officer will do that to a person.

FireSiren, I removed the KKK story because you did have a point about the content balance of my posts. I wish you had mentioned the other stories that have been posted. It's funny how Firehouse.com, Firegeezer.com, StaTTer911.com and other blogs can post the same variety and SAME stories that I am posting. But, when I post a blog story that appears on almost every other blog site then it's completely out of bounds. I guess I should be posting an article on my preference to load a crosslay? My stories are 50/50 in content and are not always negative. I don't need an audience for my Internet TV show because it's a whole different subject matter. I don't even discuss fire department on that show. You had a point and I appreciate your post regarding the KKK incident - I removed that with your comment. That story really had no discussion merit and so it was removed.

I will continue to post articles that will generate discussion and awareness. That is one of the purposes of a blog. I've been blogging for 4 years now and quite successful at it. I'm sorry that those in the fire service are finding the subject matter offensive. Siren, I will take better care at what articles do get posted on the blog - thank you for your comments.

Please understand, I am not doing any of this for publicity - I don't need it. I am trying to generate discussion in the community here and generate more traffic to THIS site for Web Chief. Judging by the blog posts, I think we are succeeding.

Blog posts?
In many cases, I have to seriously question if some who posts "blogs" really understands what that is.
And as far as blogging to stimulate discussion? How much can any one person stomach the posting of the poems, personal pictures and urban legends that some believe as "blogging"?
It should be embarrassing, but they want to call themselves "bloggers" when they are doing nothing more than plagiarizing or posting a "message".
And when you try to stimulate discussion and to elicit responses, you are told to change the subject or the thread is closed. That is strange when you purport to be a "social" network, wouldn't you say?
People are afraid to say how they really feel because they don't want to be controversial.
Controversy has existed since they penned the Bill of Rights. It is here to stay.
We have become a society of followers with few new leaders emerging. That might force them to make controversial decisions that effect others. And that disturbs the balance of our "pass/fail" mentality.
No thanks.
As long as my brain functions, I will say what's on my mind and if that upsets some, then they can go elsewhere or I can. It really doesn't matter.
TCSS.
Art

Gee love the mohawk....some how fits the behavior...!? I have seen a lot of horseplay over the years, but nothing to this extreme and potentially a hazard not only to the personnel but the structure as well. Prior to this the worse I have seen is bombing the batt chiefs car from the bucket of an extended tower ladder with a watermelon....The batt chief wasn't the target he just happened to pull in and park over it, the same time the watermelon was dropped...

Oh here we go again with this story.....when I first started my current fire service related job, this story and the related video was getting tossed back and forth across the internet like the proverbial hot potato. It was hot news then....it's old news now....but in the grand tradition of the media....there's no better news than shock news. I graduated with a Communications/Journalism degree, and the old adage goes "If It Bleeds, It Leads"--meaning that if the story contains something particularly salacious, or features an over-the-top "weird" or blood and guts angle...it gets top billing.

But that begs the question...why is this getting dragged out of the attic and run through its paces again?
My comment then when this surfaced was..."you can't fix stupid"....but....... those responsible can and DID learn from their mistakes after getting their dirty laundry splashed across the entire country for six months. The mindset there has matured, as have the individuals responsible. And if they are still doing any bonehead maneuvers, you can bet your last peso that they aren't filming it for posterity.
Anyone care to hold a burial ceremony for this story? I've got a shovel and a nice quiet shady spot all picked out...