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Pennsylvania Firefighter Suspended Over Locker Decoration
CHESTER, Pa. - A Pennsylvania firefighter has been suspended over a new rule to clear lockers of decorations - including his U.S. flag decal.
Chester Fire Commissioner James Johnson hopes to avoid controversies like a recent one over a racially tinged cartoon. He says the department's 61 firefighters can still decorate the inside of their lockers.
That doesn't please veteran James Krapf. He was suspended without pay Thursday for refusing to remove his flag sticker.
The 31-year-old Krapf says no one on the force should find the American flag offensive.
Flag images appear on their uniforms and trucks and a flag flies on a pole outside the station.
Krapf says he hopes to strike a compromise with the chief before he loses too much pay.
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com
Related
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Chester Fire Commissioner James Johnson hopes to avoid controversies like a recent one over a racially tinged cartoon. He says the department's 61 firefighters can still decorate the inside of their lockers.
That doesn't please veteran James Krapf. He was suspended without pay Thursday for refusing to remove his flag sticker.
The 31-year-old Krapf says no one on the force should find the American flag offensive.
Flag images appear on their uniforms and trucks and a flag flies on a pole outside the station.
Krapf says he hopes to strike a compromise with the chief before he loses too much pay.
___
Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com
Related
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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There are a more subtle way of making your point rather than having your personnel file marred by a suspension. The flag we are talking about is a small little tiny decal that's not worth losing money over.
The Chief issued a "knee jerk" policy. So be it, but he left the big loophole;
firefighters can still decorate the inside of their lockers
Get a big decal to put on the inside of your locker. Cover the entire inside door if you want. But at least it wouldn't be costing you as much, and you would still be following the policy.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Dalgarno on
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True - the chief is simply following orders/policies.
I think everyone would probably benefit from sitting down around the conference table and having a talk/time-out. Kind of like we used to do in Kindergarten.
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Gregory R Bailey on
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Bad as it seems you have to follow policy. But sometimes it goes abit too far. Down south we have a saying " Sounds like they are killing flies with a shotgun ". In others words if they had a problem with certain cartons they should address that, not punish everyone. You have many supporters. Follow your grievice policy to the end. Have shotguns banned from the firehouse not decals. Capt Bailey
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Permalink Reply by Alan Shaw on
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No, displaying a flag on my locker does not make me more patriotic, but displaying a flag is an outward sign of my internal patriotism. It is a way of letting everyone I meet know that I am proud to be an American. Although I do not subscribe to the idea of displaying other national flags without also displaying the American flag (higher and more prominent), I would not have a problem with other members showing pride for their heritage in that way. I can not think of any way that displaying a flag properly could be offensive. My station has a large number of Italian American members, at one point we had several members that were born in or lived part of their lives in Italy. Displaying Italian flags is the norm in my station, I am not Italian nor am I offended by such displays.
I have read of other cases that involve lockers, in the workplace and in public schools. The courts have generally ruled that lockers are the property of the business not the employee/student. This is why the principal can search a locker or permit the police to do so. This is why putting pin ups & centerfolds on lockers is considered sexual harassment. Interestingly enough, most sexual harassment policies also limit what can be on the inside of the locker since it will be visible when the locker is open.
As for being forced to display the flag, in general we don't get to pick what patches are on our uniforms. We periodically have an issue about patches on our uniforms, as we have one member who insists on putting certification patches on the Class A. At the time we had no patches on our Class A's, now we wear Dept. on one side and flag on the other. We do not have a written policy on this and even have some members with older patches who refuse to add patches to theirs. It's just not that important a battle to fight at this time.
However I think that the three things could have made this far less of a problem. First, the policy is not well thought out and could have been written better. The U.S. flag should be exempt from this rule. Period.
Second, when the policy came out, the Firefighter in question or the union, on his behalf could have made a formal request for change or at least clarification. This would be ideally before any enforcement action had been taken in any of the cases.
Third, this case could be handled entirely internally without media involved. The media can make a small issue into a big issue. Sometimes that is a good thing, but overall it is rarely as appropriate as the media and those that contact them think it is.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Firefighter Krapf, the union and the Fire Commissioner were meeting today in the hopes of coming to a negotiated agreement.
The union is seeking back pay and re-instatement for the firefighter and a more thoughtful policy on locker decor.
If a settlement cannot be reached, then the union will follow their grievance procedure to binding arbitration if necessary.
It was noted in an interview that the sticker had been on that locker for 20 years.
It was also noted that Firefighter Butler has a "problem" with the American flag.
The picture is starting to come into better focus.
So, you can see that this has been an on-going series of issues for some time.
Yeah; the policy was knee jerk, but it was also hastily crafted out of laziness and frustration, I believe.
More will follow, I am sure.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Art, I just read where FF Krapf has been reinstated.
In the articles I read (newpaper and Union websites), it stated that the flag had been there 'a couple of years.'
Unable to find anything that said Butler had a problem with the flag. In the various articles I read it stated that he was told to remove a cartoon that some found 'offensive' and then replaced it with a sign that said "Black man has no free speech." The cartoon "showed two black men and included what could be considered racial slurs, as a protest." Butler himself is black.
Unless I've got the chronology wrong it was: cartoon, protest sign, order to remove all stickers/decals/signs from lockers, flag decal refused not removed, suspension, reinstatement. All just sounds like an in-house pissing match to me.
So not sure what the entire incident was about or how the "picture is starting to come into better focus."
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This morning in an interview, the union president and vice president stated on camera that Butler "had a problem with the American flag". I am quoting. And the interviewer asked, "even after 9/11?" and they both agreed that "yes, even after 9/11".
It sounds like there have been past issues with this firefighter.
In Krapf's mind, the issue is resolved, but I'll bet that it isn't over in Butler's mind. I think that he will stir it.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Bill on
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That is taking things too far. I hope that the Local does something about it. Fire Commissioner Johnson is just power hungry. Thats crazy. Shame on him
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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This is what becomes of a nation of political correctness. Common sense has gone out the window in this country, in a hurry. Absolutely in poor taste, disgusting, pathetic, sickening, horrid, disheartening, nauseating, vomit inducing, abominable, revolting, awful, hateful, detestable, distasteful, foul, ghastly, hideous, loathsome, outrageous, rotten and shameful!
Does anyone, besides the very few, pride themselves on not being politically correct anymore!?!
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