Fire buff arrested after ride-along in Brooklyn

[Truck4 48]

PHILIP MESSING, JOHN DOYLE and ANDY GELLER

The New York Post 09-20-07

A convicted Brooklyn forger and blaze buff conned his way into getting rides on firetrucks by showing up in stolen gear and claiming he was going to join the FDNY, law-enforcement sources said yesterday.

Ronald Deshields, 33, a car salesman also suspected of calling in false alarms so he could ride on the trucks, proudly roamed the streets of his Bushwick neighborhood in a firefighter's uniform.

Once, when he was locked out of his apartment, he allegedly told a neighbor, "I work for the FDNY. I know how to break doors, I don't know how to fix them."

His girlfriend, Tracy Bacchus, 37, told The Post, "Since he was young, he always wanted to be a firefighter. That was imbedded in him. That was his passion. He loves it."

Bacchus said Deshields had volunteered with the Broad Channel Fire Department in Queens for two years, but the department did not return calls yesterday.

In May 1999, Deshields plead guilty to numerous charges including criminal impersonation of a security officer. He was paroled in May 2003, but violated his parole and was sent back to prison for another 11 months, authorities said.

He was released in March 2006 and is on parole until August 2008.

About two weeks ago, Deshields showed up at Engine 222 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a mile from his home.

He presented a phony letter purportedly signed by FDNY Chief of Operations Patrick McNally authorizing the ex-con to ride along with the unit's firefighters, the sources said.

Deshields told the firefighters he had a brother on the job and was on the list to attend the Fire Academy in January.

To their surprise, he brought along firefighting gear. That included his own helmet with the words "Probationary Firefighter" on it, and his own carbon-dioxide detector. He also had four stolen FDNY items - a radio, firefighting pants, rope and harness, the sources said.

Engine 222 brass agreed, and Deshields rode on firetrucks at least three times, including one tour that lasted 24 hours. It doesn't appear he went out on any fire runs.

Last Thursday, between his second and third tours, the parolee committed a burglary in Bay Ridge, and was busted and released on $1,000 bail, the sources said.

Deshields showed a working knowledge of firefighting.

But some Engine 222 members were suspicious because he was 33 years old, and the age cutoff for joining the FDNY is 29.

On Sunday, his last tour, Deshields left his radio lying around, and firefighters, by checking the device's caller ID, were able to determine that it had been stolen from Engine 271 in Bushwick.

They notified fire marshals, who busted Deshields Monday on charges of criminal possession of stolen property. He is being held on $20,000 bail.

[Billy 68]

WOW!! What a pair this guy has! He must be some "schmoozer" to convince everyone to go along with this!

[Guest]

WOW!! What a pair this guy has! He must be some "schmoozer" to convince everyone to go along with this!

He is a Car Salesman. He's got some skills..

[Oswegowind 17]

He was also a BURGLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry, but that is just plain ridiculous...but I guess, if he had a letter that appeared to be signed by a top official then you can't blame the guys at the Station.

[JetPhoto 626]

I'm not familiar with the way FDNY operates but do they give you probie gear 3 months before you begin probe school?

This guy needs some psych meds

[danb 10]

is myspace is even more hysterical

http://www.myspace.com/rdeshields

[JBE 328]

Just another moron who makes life worse for the regular buffs.

[Guest]

is myspace is even more hysterical

http://www.myspace.com/rdeshields

this guys' actually in a myspace club called "Career Firefighters (and those aspiring to be)" and "Black Professional Firefighters."

...it seems he really created a certain image in his head and that became his reality and its a repeat of ID forging...this guy needs some serious help.

[Jared1979 19]

I agree with you on that

[10-Buff-4 0]

Just another moron who makes life worse for the regular buffs.

And I bet Scoppetta will use this as a further excuse to crack down on us honest BUffs. GRRRRRRRRRR!

-Joe DA BUFF

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

The shot with Ray Kelly is CLASSIC!!!!!

[Guest]

The shot with Ray Kelly is CLASSIC!!!!!

makes you think whether he used his "FDNY" ID to get a quick shot, or he just spotted him in that building...

[Guest pentax02839]

well i see his profile on myspace is private,was it like that before?

[xfirefighter484x 234]

well i see his profile on myspace is private,was it like that before?

Nope. The day danb posted that link, I was able to view it. Guess he started getting nasty messages or something.

Gives us honest buffs a bad name, like 10-Buff-4 said.

[Guest pentax02839]

Gives us honest buffs a bad name, like 10-Buff-4 said.

i agree wth that.he must have been getting some nasty messages

[ltjay157 10]

granted the numnutz has his myspace page set to private, you should still be able to send him nasty notes (not that any of us would do that type of thing). why couldn't the fire marshalls also nail him for impersonating a firefighter? i say we drag him to each and every firehouse in NYC and let the REAL firefighters do some street justice on him.

[Guest pentax02839]

granted the numnutz has his myspace page set to private, you should still be able to send him nasty notes (not that any of us would do that type of thing). why couldn't the fire marshalls also nail him for impersonating a firefighter? i say we drag him to each and every firehouse in NYC and let the REAL firefighters do some street justice on him.

that would be very intresting.