Should Sex Offenders Be Firefighters? What about Pardoned ones?

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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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on November 15, 2010 at 11:57am

Oh please get real here.... If you go to court and are convicted of a crime by a judge/jury, then yes sorry about your luck, but go someplace else.... It may be quiet at the station but at least you know they are law abiding citizens.....

Again, personal opinion here..... I have high standards and high expectations......

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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on November 15, 2010 at 11:58am

Yes. Again you are in a position of trust. How can you trust someone who will disobey the laws?

I expect more from people who work with the public. I have that right to do so. No I am not holier than thou and I am not better than any one else. When it comes to my family I expect to know that those who are taking care of them can be trusted with not only thier lives but with their personal belongings. Should I lower my expectations?

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Permalink Reply by Jason on November 15, 2010 at 12:07pm

I previously worked for Georgia Department Of Corrections.
GDC has their own fire departments manned by inmates.
These same inmates also provide first due service to small towns along with mutual aid for large cities depending on the need for manpower.

Georgia also has amended a few laws to aid inmates who served as firefighters while incarcerated. They can now be equally hired as EMT and or Firefighter jobs.

These inmates do any and everything a free world Firefighter would do. Once their time is served, they are "technically" considered rehabilitated. Lets forget about repeat offender numbers here because the number of firefighter inmates are not specified.

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on November 15, 2010 at 12:10pm

So what you're saying is that anyone arrested and convicted of anything should never be a firefighter? So if you were in a car accident and it were discovered that you had been texting or talking (without a hands free device) you could be charged with driving while distracted and if you caused significant property damage or personal injury, not only could you not get hired but you could, would and should be fired?

Let's all hope that you can live up to your own high standards.

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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on November 15, 2010 at 12:13pm

I do strive to live up to my own standards. If I am in an accident and convicted of a crime then yes I do expect to be asked to resign from the department.

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on November 15, 2010 at 12:41pm

Let's hope your super hero cape never gets dirty.

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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on November 15, 2010 at 12:45pm

If it does I take full responsibilty for that. I am not going to apologize for who I am. This is how I was raised.

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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on November 15, 2010 at 1:04pm

You know in a perfect world everyone would have the same ideals that I do. Since this is not a perfect world I have learned to "lower" my expectations of others. It does not mean that by lowering them I lower my personal opinion. It means that I have learned to adjust to society and to not expect perfectionism from those around me. I know that not everyone has the same work ethics/personal ethics that I do. That is fine and that is reality.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Oomkes on November 15, 2010 at 1:14pm

Exactly, like I said someplace, there are many jobs\careers that are off limits to felons and\or sex offenders.

Police, doctors, teachers, anything related to schools\education, etc.

I don't think we're saying don't give them a second chance, just not in a position such as this.

Say a doctor had been convicted of a sex offense 30 years ago and was pardoned, would you want that doc examining your wife\daughter\son? Alone, in an exam room with basically no clothing?