Elmwood Park fire captain charged with DWI after crashing firetruck on return from call

[16fire5 693]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/elmwood-park-fire-captain-charged-with-dwi-after-crashing-firetruck-on-return-from-call-1.997501

I'm not looking to get the normal "black eye for the fire service stuff here"

The fact is there are no new lessons to be learned here; only old lessons that tragically went unheeded. If you're allowing this in your firehouse it's just a matter of time before this happens in your community. Why risk lives and the confidence of the public you serve. Get the beer out of the firehouse. I love a cold one as much as anyone else but as they say "there's a a time and a place for everything" and the firehouse and on duty are neither.

[Dinosaur 844]

I think the most disturbing part of the story is that he was RETURNING from a call.

So the officer on scene was intoxicated? Thank god it wasn't the 4 alarm fire they responded to the next day.

[99subi 121]

typical volunteer bullshit. hill billys need their beer and liquor in the firehouse. They give THEMSELVES a bad rap. Maybe they should attempt to uphold themselves to career standards. Bash me all you want. Marks my words. this wont be the last time we see this.

[gamewell45 258]

typical volunteer bullshit. hill billys need their beer and liquor in the firehouse. They give THEMSELVES a bad rap. Maybe they should attempt to uphold themselves to career standards. Bash me all you want. Marks my words. this wont be the last time we see this.

Give it a break will ya? Try to be positive just once in a while?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

typical volunteer bullshit. hill billys need their beer and liquor in the firehouse. They give THEMSELVES a bad rap. Maybe they should attempt to uphold themselves to career standards. Bash me all you want. Marks my words. this wont be the last time we see this.

Unfortunately it happens from time to time all over the fire service career and Volunteer, East Coast West Caost. Should be no beer in any firehouse.

http://www.examiner.com/article/allegedly-drunk-on-duty-san-francisco-firefighter-collides-with-motorcyclist

Edited April 18, 2014 by spin_the_wheel

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

typical volunteer bullshit. hill billys need their beer and liquor in the firehouse. They give THEMSELVES a bad rap. Maybe they should attempt to uphold themselves to career standards. Bash me all you want. Marks my words. this wont be the last time we see this.

sounds like he was a paid man.99.

[16fire5 693]

I guess if we just go back and forth about paid vs. volunteer and find one article about a career firefighter drinking and driving a rig we can ignore my point. We call it deflecting in the firehouse. Since there's no good reason to have drinking in the firehouse and it inevitably leads to cases like this.

[vodoly 535]

they just fast tracked a replacement fot this truck

[AndyC3J 190]

I may have missed something here, but where, exactly, in that article does it say the guy got drunk IN the firehouse?

I agree that the firehouse isn't the time or place for such activity, but removing the beer from the station isn't going to eliminate the problem at hand at all.

[16fire5 693]

I may have missed something here, but where, exactly, in that article does it say the guy got drunk IN the firehouse?

I agree that the firehouse isn't the time or place for such activity, but removing the beer from the station isn't going to eliminate the problem at hand at all.

More deflection. I guess the chief placed the temporary ban on drinking in the firehouse because he was drinking somewhere else. Maybe if we find out he was only drinking hard alcohol we could ban that but allow beer.

[AndyC3J 190]

I don't know what beer vs. liquor has to do with it. What I meant was that banning alcohol from the firehouse (which, like I said earlier, I agree with) is not going to stop guys from running calls drunk. It's only going to give them one less place to get that way.

I don't drink. I don't understand the allure of doing so....never have, never will. I get aggravated when I hear co-workers go on and on about how much they drank or how hard they partied over the weekend. Even worse, went to a wetdown last year where no beer was served, and that's all most of those in attendance did was b**** about the lack of beer. Some even blamed the poor turnout on the lack of beer. Yeah, I'm sure the crappy weather had nothing to do with it. Sorry, but I don't go to those things to get smashed. I go there to photograph fire trucks.

Back to the original subject, the root of the problem is that the guy not only ran a call, but drove a rig, while drunk (or close to it). Get to the root of what caused that. Where it started is irrelevant. What's going to stop people from responding from bars, parties, or their own homes after "getting their drink on". Getting a handle on THOSE issues is what's going to stop this situation from repeating itself. Removing the stuff from the firehouse is just the first step in the right direction.

[SteveOFD 176]

sounds like he was a paid man.99.

Where did you get this information?

It took me less than two minutes to go to their website http://elmwoodparkfiredept.com/department.html which says they are an all volunteer department.

[FirNaTine 370]

Could have been a Career guy who was also a Volunteer? There's plenty of them still around!

[dave0820 50]

Should we assume that no Career firefighter has ever been out very late drinking on his night off and came to work early the next day with pleanty of alcohol left in his syatem? And when that happens, do his career brothers report him, or do they just cover for their union brother? Why when a firefighter does something wrong can we just say he was a firefighter? I will NEVER understand the hate some career firfighters have for Volunteers. What this guy did is bad for the fire service in general.

[nycmedic 65]

http://nypost.com/2004/12/07/100m-flame-thrower-beer-brawl-bravest-sues-fdny-over-chair-smash-2/

I thought incidents involving alcohol only involved vollys. People who live in glass houses should not through stones

[RFR 12]

The questions we should be asking are

Does he drink on the job that pays his rent??

Or does he only do this at his hobby??

[FirNaTine 370]

Coulda been a career guy who was a volunteer who was on OT who was paid call who was an auxiliary who was a union member who was the freekin Easterbunny.......

Here's what we KNOW:

He was a vollie captain

He was a member of an all vollie FD

His FD has a bar

His blood alcohol was double the legal limit

See a pattern? Does the truth hurt?

Coulda been a career guy who was a volunteer who was on OT who was paid call who was an auxiliary who was a union member who was the freekin Easterbunny.......

Here's what we KNOW:

He was a vollie captain

He was a member of an all vollie FD

His FD has a bar

His blood alcohol was double the legal limit

See a pattern? Does the truth hurt?

Not for me but obviously for some it does. QTIP Brother! Sense a lot of animosity and possibly hidden guilt here! Plenty of Combo Depts. to out there where Career guys have been invited thru more then one locked door to hoist a few with fellow Volunteers. Seen it plenty of times. Also have seen the old adult beverage in the Soda Machine trick over the years in Career Stations. Does the truth hurt?

Edited April 20, 2014 by FirNaTine

[dave0820 50]

People who work (or volunteer) shouldn't drink in firehouses. Or when they respond. Period. Ever.

OMG has Smokey seen the light, he just said "PEOPLE" refering to all firefighters, not just volunteers....I caught that Smokey, see I am a boy genius, just like you said I was. You better watch out the union doesn't see you calling volunteers "People"

Edited April 21, 2014 by dave0820

[FFPCogs 863]

People who work (or volunteer) shouldn't drink in firehouses. Or when they respond. Period. Ever.

OMG has Smokey seen the light, he just said "PEOPLE" refering to all firefighters, not just volunteers....I caught that Smokey, see I am a boy genius, just like you said I was. You better watch out the union doesn't see you calling volunteers "People"

I said people OR volunteers

Read it brain surgeon

The judges are reviewing the quotes to see just what was said...the air is thick with anticipation of their decision, there's alot riding on the outcome. This could finally put the debate of paid vs volunteer to rest....

OK looks like they've reached a decision......let's get back to the ring for the English Professor's call....

People who work (or volunteer) shouldn't drink in firehouses. Or when they respond. Period. Ever.

"After reviewing the quotes, we have reached a decision...

Actually what was said is "people who work (or volunteer)"...people being the noun (i.e. who) and work or volunteer being the verb (i.e what they are doing), so this round goes to dave0820"!!

So there you have it folks, in an unexpected 3 to 2 call, the judges have confirmed that volunteers ARE people. Wow what drama.............

Edited April 21, 2014 by FFPCogs

[dave0820 50]

The judges are reviewing the quotes to see just what was said...the air is thick with anticipation of their decision, there's alot riding on the outcome. This could finally put the debate of paid vs volunteer to rest....

OK looks like they've reached a decision......let's get back to the ring for the English Professor's call....

"After reviewing the quotes, we have reached a decision...

Actually what was said is "people who work (or volunteer)"...people being the noun (i.e. who) and work or volunteer being the verb (i.e what they are doing), so this round goes to dave0820"!!

So there you have it folks, in an unexpected 3 to 2 call, the judges have confirmed that volunteers ARE people. Wow what drama.............

I want to thank the judges I'm excited for this victory!

[16fire5 693]

So far with all the deflection going on not one poster has supported allowing firefighters to drink in the firehouse. I guess there are no bars in firehouses anymore, which if true is a good thing.

[LTNRFD 266]

Coulda been a career guy who was a volunteer who was on OT who was paid call who was an auxiliary who was a union member who was the freekin Easterbunny.......

Here's what we KNOW:

He was a vollie captain

He was a member of an all vollie FD

His FD has a bar

His blood alcohol was double the legal limit

See a pattern? Does the truth hurt?

When I went to the Elmwood Park F.D. website and then to company 4, it has this person listed only as a member. It does not have him listed as an officer or even as a firefighter. Did I miss where it says different?

[AFS1970 504]

This really isn't about drinking in the firehouse. It is about drinking responsibly.

I have written before about a visit to a friend's FD in another state. He took me into his rec room which had a bar. I asked about it because the station I was a member of at the time did not have such a thing. He showed me the glass covering the bottles, the dual locks securing the glass. He told me how one key belonged to the line officers and the other to the bar committee,the bar committee all had to be certified bartenders which involved a class on when to cut people off. Both had to be present to unlock the bar. They had a strict no drinking and responding rule, and if you did and were caught the line officer who failed to stop you was also in trouble. This place managed to keep the tradition and add some responsibility.

Many years ago when I took Fire Officer 1, one of our scenarios was a call comes in, you are in the station with some other FF's. As you are about to leave, another FF responding from elsewhere comes in the station and is visibly intoxicated. What do you do? Note that in this scenario there has been no drinking in the station, you are the only officer present, the crew is short and this firefighter if allowed would bring you up to a full crew. Granted it is designed as a no win situation, and I can tell you that no matter what answer each group gave the instructor showed us how there would be dire consequences, but the point is not all drinking has to happen at the station for it to be irresponsible.

As an aside, I am glad the judges have rules that volunteers are in fact people. However I also wish that they had extrapolated from those statements that volunteers are in fact firefighters.