This topic was first posted on FireCritic.com here: http://firecritic.com/2010/11/should-sex-offenders-be-firefighters-...

Can Sex Offenders be firefighters? Should sex offenders be firefighters? What about pardoned ones?

I am currently working on a story and one of the intriguing details is that a current firefighter WAS a convicted sex offender. The person was pardoned and is not a registered sex offender. The offense was bad (they all are). The offense
happened 30 years ago prior to the current laws that protect us from
these criminals. Should he be allowed to be a firefighter?


Here are my thoughts. Sex offenders should not be firefighters. I do not know of a National standard or regulation on this issue. However, if this man was pardoned and the infraction occurred prior to current
regulations should he/she still be punished for a crime they was
pardoned for? After all, they were pardoned and basically the crime is
no longer part of their wrap sheet (hopefully there is nothing else).
This is basically a loophole due to previously lackadaisical laws.


I just wonder if fire departments can legally disqualify someone from being a firefighter for something that might not show up on their background check. I am not sure it would in this case, but what if
someone brought it to the FD’s attention.


The questions are:

  • Should sex offenders be allowed to be firefighters? What about EMT’s?
  • Should previously pardoned sex offenders be allowed to be firefighters?
  • What about EMT’s?
  • Does your department look for this information in their background checks?

Here are some articles I found on the topic of sex offender/firefighters:

NSOPR – National Sex Offender Public Registry

FBI Sex Offender Registry

You might remember a while back that I posted a question on Firefighter Nation about Felons being firefighters. That discussion continues to spark interest from time to time and the conversation is rehashed. My answer remains to be NO. Several people
said that it depended on the crime. My reply….Name a GOOD Felony! I
didn’t think so. Felonies are felonies for a reason. They are crimes.


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Paul,

I'm sure that will be a comfort to many lesbian couples.
Oregon does post those lists. I was amazed after I bought a house to see how many offenders were in my area.... After that my next house was chosen more carefully.
So Mike.... How many ways can you say NO? lol
Paul,

There are many reasons why a president pardons, grants clemency or commutes a sentence. And assuming by "liberal" you mean democrat, that ain't necessarily true:

Harry Truman - 1913 pardons out of 5,030 petitions
Dwight D. Eisenhower - 1110 pardons out of 4,100 petitions
John F. Kennedy - 472 pardons out of 1749 petitions
Lyndon Johnson - 960 Pardons out of 4,537 petitions
Richard Nixon - 863 pardons out of 1699 petitions
Gerald Ford - 382 pardons out of 978 petitions
Jimmy Carter - 534 pardons out of 1581 petitions
Ronald Reagan - 393 pardons out of 2,099 petitions
George H.W. Bush - 74 pardons out of 731 petitions
William Clinton - 396 pardons out of 2,001 petitions.
George W. Bush - 171.

Clinton while governor issued 426 pardons and commutations.
Huckabee as governor has issued over 700 pardons and commutations.

So while liberals may tend to issue more pardons, it certainly isn't limited to democrats alone.
I don't think anyone, with any kind of record should be in public safety. If you have speeding tickets, you should be able to do this job. We do happen to occasionally drive some pretty big vehicles. The little things. How often do we take care of children? Quite a bit. I would NEVER trust a sex offender BY THEMSELVES in the back of the medic with my child, let alone in general! I don't care if you were pardoned, hell no. I can't believe anyone would think twice about this.
This is why I said that just because something is legal does not make it right.

It was legal for Hitler to murder Jews in Germany, because he made the laws. But it sure wasn't right in anybody else's view, except some idiots nowadays.

I totally agree with you on having a theocracy. Can you tell me who was the biggest proponent of separation of church and state, the guy who started this idea?

As for not helping someone being attacked because of size, you're sidestepping the issue.

You wanted examples of legal but not right. I gave some, some are valid today, some aren't. Those are the ones I came up with right off hand. The easiest one currently is abortion, but as I said, I was trying to stay apolitical.

The latest decision of SCOTUS on eminent domain was and is wrong.
Paul's first statement still stands Jack.
I am in full agreement with you about the sex offense issue, if you've been convicted of a sex offense, the brotherhood is not for you. We don't need that type of negative publicity, we have enough of brothers and sisters doing stupid stuff on a daily basis to cover that.
But I ask... before you start throwing the "felony offense" words around, a little food for thought. In most states DUI is a felony, atleast in my state it is. So that means in your opinion, if any of our brothers or sisters say have a momentary lapse of judgement and gets slapped with a DUI conviction, they should be removed from their position?? Even if it was a 1st offense???
Just playing Devils advocate..... But before eveyone jumps down my throat again I am in total agreement about the sex offenders being excluded from our family.
As far as EMT's...most states will not license a felon.
"Braithre Thar Gach Ni "
If you get slapped with a DUI yeah you should be removed. You know the freaking laws. Come on... How does this look.... "Off duty firefighter fined for driving under the influence" I want my daughter to look up to that individual.... not..... Before you even say this, I am one of those if I even have one drink I will not get behind a wheel... period..... no excuses..... if I take medication that alters my mind even a little I will not get behind a wheel and I will not respond to any calls.... period..... I d*mn near lost my daughter because of someone stupid once, so yes I am kind of passionate about that issue.
Absolutely.
You know what.... You are 17/18 years old.... You know what is right and what is wrong..... Come on here..... If you can't take responsibility for your own actions how can you be responsible for other people lives??????????????????
You are just as pure as driven snow. Big stretch between convicted sex offender and DUI.

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