Drinking culture focus of suit over firetruck crash

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Drinking culture focus of suit over firetruck crash

Judge dismisses many claims, but allows discovery on firefighters' alleged custom of drinking on duty.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-upper-mount-bethel-fire-truck-crash-lawsuit-20130620,0,5364515.story#ixzz2WtSx9BnQ

[PEMO3 523]

"Police alleged he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, eight times the limit for drivers under the legal drinking age of 21."

I must be missing something. If the "legal" drinking age is 21 and the operator was 20 years of age would not the legal limit for this driver regardless of the type of vehicle being operated be 0.00?

[Ladder44 73]

"Police alleged he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, eight times the limit for drivers under the legal drinking age of 21."

I must be missing something. If the "legal" drinking age is 21 and the operator was 20 years of age would not the legal limit for this driver regardless of the type of vehicle being operated be 0.00?

They give you that 0.02 for nyquil so they say

[JM15 386]

They give you that 0.02 for nyquil so they say

Don/t forget that high quantity in mouth wash also!!

[bigrig77 95]

A Chief at 20. He must have been a great firefighter. Of course he set a great example for the fellow firemen by drinking then responding to call. That's why kids cant be Officers. They don't have the brains yet to deal with these things. I'm guessing that part were they clear it from his record if he does a stint in a quickie rehab will go over real well with people.

[SmokeyJoe 161]

A 20 yearold chief, drinking on duty, beer at parades...this would never happen here in Westchester would it?! ;-)

[SECTMB 612]

I have to say that I was pleased to be involved in the fire service long enough to see a major shift, generally, in attitudes about drinking at the firehouse. When I joined in the early seventies there was a bar in the firehouse and it was quite popular and unfortunately in one case quite fatal after an individual left in his POV and mowed down two residents.

After a parade the beer pit was always the popular spot, as it is today, but less beer soaked it would seem.

Before I 'retired' I was able as a fire council member to vote to shut the bar down once and for all and most people seemed to be drinking more water than beer after the parades. The driver of our apparatus would never think of driving after a drink, nor would any of us let someone who had.

I was an Assistant Chief when I was twenty, but that was a college department so we were all that young and I had been involved at home with one ambulance corp and another fire deptartment for three years, so I was 'experienced'. I don't know what training this young Chief has had, but regardless, he missed the lesson that you don't drink when you are underage, representing your department and certainly not when you are operating it's apparatus or directing it's personnel.

They may have membership issues requiring the need for such a young officer, but if he is not set down for this incident, I would think their issues go well beyond those of membership.

[SmokeyJoe 161]

Will someone try to explain me why drinking is EVER allowed at ANY firehouse? And don't give me that camaraderie BS...

[firemoose827 324]

A Chief at 20. He must have been a great firefighter. Of course he set a great example for the fellow firemen by drinking then responding to call. That's why kids cant be Officers. They don't have the brains yet to deal with these things. I'm guessing that part were they clear it from his record if he does a stint in a quickie rehab will go over real well with people.

That makes me sick too...I have heard hundreds (no exageration) of young firefighters argue that with todays training it makes them equipped to be officer at an early stage...I still say BULL &^*%!!! This just proves my point; they lack the maturity and real life experience to properly lead a fire department or even a company. They may be well trained, yes, granted...BUT...You still need to take that training and apply it in the field to get real life experience, and you MATURE as a result of that experience. To read this article and see that his excuse was "Well company officers and members have been drinking at parades for a long time now and no officer or official have done anything about it..." makes me sick.

1. He KNEW about the problem and did nothing about it as one of the chiefs.
2. He participated in the infraction himself being drunk behind the wheel, putting him, his FF's, and if his family or someone elses family was with them as well all in jeopardy.

You need mature people with experience in the field and lots of training to properly lead a department as chief. Lieutenant...Maybe a younger person (21-25) can take that spot and learn from his/her captains and chiefs and gain some insight to properly run a dept, but any chief spot? That should be someone in the dept for over 20 years, knows the equipment, knows the district blind folded, knows the people, has tons of training and field tested experience on the nozzle or on the roof or crawling down that hallway with a high level of MATURITY to lead.

Luckily, no one was seriously injured or killed...this time. He injured one of his men (hopefully not out of work on disability or anything), and probably destroyed the truck wasting tons of taxpayers money to either repair or replace it. He put his district in danger because now they are down by one truck that they would normally depend on and have to rely on mutual aid. He should have the white hat taken away, and given a hot pink helmet with a bunch of AA stickers and 12-step program stickers on it for a year and have his driving priveledges permenantly taken away. Maybe that will give him the maturity he NEEDED when he took the office.

Sorry...im done now...and I respectfully dont want to hear any younger member say anything to me like "But there are some of us that are mature..." please...just respect my opinion because you will not change it until I see a young chief work miracles...then maybe we can talk...

[markmets415 524]

Will someone try to explain me why drinking is EVER allowed at ANY firehouse? And don't give me that camaraderie BS...

Been my argument for years, As Chief the good old beer machine went for a ride, yet after I got out from office it returned, I am with you 100% there is no need for it to be there and it's one of the reason why I stopped going to parades, it sad to see a bunch of drunk firefighters making a spectacle of themselves and the departments they serve.

[pump305 53]

A family member of mine was a cop in Washington. After awhile he noticed the amount of drinking by the local Vollye's. After one accident he started to write tickets or arresting the drunk F/F. He started geting death treats and became a target. After a long period of time he quit. Sad!!