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Entire Canadian Department Suspended Over Beer Theft
OLIVER, B.C. - Every member of the Oliver, B.C., fire department has agreed to accept a two week suspension as punishment for the removal of six beer kegs from a burning hotel.
Oliver Mayor Pat Hampson confirms the suspensions will be served by each member of the volunteer fire department.
Some of Oliver's nearly three dozen firefighters weren't even in the southern Okanagan community when the May 23 blaze destroyed the Mesa Hotel.
But Hampson says all the members have agreed to the suspensions as payback for removal of the beer - and the tapping of at least two of the kegs at the local firehall.
Hampson says the suspensions will be served in rotation, to ensure the community has adequate fire protection.
The firefighters who removed the kegs later paid the hotel owners for the beer but RCMP are still investigating and have not yet said if charges are likely. (CKQQ)
Related
Canadian Firefighters Admit to Fireground Beer Theft
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Oliver Mayor Pat Hampson confirms the suspensions will be served by each member of the volunteer fire department.
Some of Oliver's nearly three dozen firefighters weren't even in the southern Okanagan community when the May 23 blaze destroyed the Mesa Hotel.
But Hampson says all the members have agreed to the suspensions as payback for removal of the beer - and the tapping of at least two of the kegs at the local firehall.
Hampson says the suspensions will be served in rotation, to ensure the community has adequate fire protection.
The firefighters who removed the kegs later paid the hotel owners for the beer but RCMP are still investigating and have not yet said if charges are likely. (CKQQ)
Related
Canadian Firefighters Admit to Fireground Beer Theft
Copyright 2010 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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 Larry Wells on
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Being a FIRE! If they didn't take it out, wouldn't the kegs have exploded from the intense heat? Thus causing even more lost of property and possibly life. Any alcohol involve in a fire is considered to be tainted and is no longer a consumable product. It would be thrown out or poured out as a result. The firemen saved this product from it's own demise. I say, "Raise your glasses and toast these brave and quick thinking professionals." What! You didn't bring any glasses?
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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I'm impressed. "Every member of the Oliver, B.C., fire department has agreed to accept a two week suspension as punishment for the removal of six beer kegs from a burning hotel" - volunteers accepted a suspension? Suspension as a volunteer? What is that suppposed to prove?
If members of my brigade were to steal from the scene of a fire, I would not 'accept' punishment, because it would not have been me stealing. I would expect the police to bring charges of theft. Those found guilty should be dismissed from the service.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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It gets worse, the entire school got a suspension because a couple of kids got in a fight, the entire town got a ticket and points because some people were seen speeding, and your wife is leaving you because she heard about some other guy having an affair!
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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"your wife is leaving you because she heard about some other guy having an affair!"
If only it had been that easy!
I agree with Tony though. If I had no part in the crime, I would tell them where they could kiss.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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What they did was a major lapse in judgment and undoubtedly deserve punishment up to and including criminal charges and termination. Besides those directly involved it 'appears' that others knew about it and went along with it.
As indicated in the links below the department wide suspension was something the entire department proposed and agreed to. So it was not a case of all being punished for the few but a unified voice that said 'we screwed up and will all willingly take our punishment.' I think it was a bold move on the department's part to show their remorse for the incident. I have a different and better opinion of that department now.
From here http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/07/06/bc-olive...
The small town of Oliver, in the Okanagan Valley, originally decided to suspend two volunteer firefighters, and the chief took a leave of absence...But Mayor Pat Hampson said further investigation revealed more than just two firefighters were involved.
"The fire department approached us and said, 'Look, we've made a stupid mistake here, and we feel we should all take responsibility for it, even the members who aren't at the incident,' just to show solidarity amongst themselves," he said
From here http://www.timescolonist.com/Volunteer+fire+force+suspended+after+r...
"The fire department approached us and said, 'Look, we've made a stupid mistake here, and we feel we should all take responsibility for it, even the members who aren't at the incident,' just to show solidarity amongst themselves," he said.
As the site was going up in flames, some firefighters noticed six kegs of beer and decided to save the merchandise.
Two members were initially given a three-month suspension for the incident, but Hampson said an investigation discovered that more members were involved.
The department has also paid the pub's owner for the cost of the beer and printed a formal apology in the local newspaper.
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Permalink Reply by GARY HANSON on
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Obviously you haven't been to the Okanagon River Valley. It isn't Napa Valley but they have some very fine vineyards and bottle some excellent wines.
As for the nicking of the kegs - - not too bright! If they had just left them to burn up it would have been a total waste of good suds. Why would the "hotel" complain "theft" instead of donating the remains? TICLMAO The conundrum here is - if they are all unpaid volunteers they could just quit and let the community burn down - - or the hotel could then offer free beer to get them to come back . . .
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The headline "ENTIRE "CANADIAN" DEPARTMENT" is a little misleading. Canada is a HUGE country - - British Columbia is a HUGE Province - - Oliver is a small community in these HUGE entities. Would it have been more appropriate to title the article as "Volunteer Firefighters if a small town in British Columbia illegally carried off some kegs of beer from a hotel fire"? Your headline seems to indict thousands of fire department members all over Canada with this inaccurate headline.
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Permalink Reply by Katrina A. Graves on
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That is a long ass title but I agree. When I read the title I did think a large number of Canadian firefighters were involved.
As for the whole department I'm sure more then just the 2 volunteers knew about it but I still think it is messed up that the ones that didn't know are getting suspended because of others bad judgment.
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Permalink Reply by Bob McCartney on
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Up until they tapped the kegs it was salvage and overhaul, kudos to the members willing to take the hit for their brothers, that must be a tight nit group,
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If people would read some of the recent replies you would see that the DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE AGREED TO THE SUSPENSION AS A MEANS OF SOLIDARITY AND REMORSE FOR THE INCIDENT.
Good god do some of you ever read anyone else's replies? Maybe you should, you know....for more -or up to date- information?
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Jack,
I'm inclined to believe that for many FFN'ers, readin is more harder than writin.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on
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Thanks for bringing that up Jack.
I too was wondering WTF is up with people who don't bother to read the rest. Kinda sucks responding to these things, knowing a majority (it seems anyway) couldn't be bothered to read.
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