Unfriendly Fire
The D.C. fire truck specifically designated to save the president and the first family from a White House blaze has been out of service for 500 out of the last 1,000 days, according to some of its operators, and is, in the words of one firefighter assigned to drive the truck, a “piece of crap.”
Tower 3, the District fire department’s one and only tower truck (a tower truck has a bucket at the end of its ladder), is stationed at the fire house downtown on 13th and L streets NW. One of its main responsibilities, according to several fire officials, is to make a quick dash to the White House in the event of a blaze.
“That’s why D.C. has a tower [truck],” says one longtime firefighter assigned to Tower 3, who asked not to be named because he feared getting in trouble with his superiors. If the president and his family are trapped above the first floor, Tower 3’s bucket, which can support the weight of several people, is supposed to be available for a mass rescue.
“We actually have a designated window we show up at,” says fire technician Mike Rogers, a 23-year department veteran whose job is to ride up in said bucket. Rogers says he’s been working on the truck ever since the department bought it in 2003.
Since April 2009, the truck has been out of service for a total of 519 days, according to records complied by some of the truck’s operators and provided to LL by the D.C. Firefighters Association, the union that represents the city’s firefighters. Fire crews have to keep records every time their trucks are out of service and the union tracks equipment issues independent of the department. The longest stretch, according to these records, was in the second half of 2010, when Tower 3 was out for 143 straight days.
The problems with the truck that’s supposed to save the president are small pieces of ammo in a growing war between Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe and the fire union, along with a vocal group of Ellerbe critics in the department. The battles run from the trivial, like what logo firefighters can wear on their clothing, to the more serious, like what’s the best schedule for working firefighters and who is responsible for equipment problems like those of Tower 3’s. Throw in accusations of racism, a touchy subject for a department with several past discrimination lawsuits, and you’ve got a recipe for a potentially explosive situation. (Yes, LL knows that pun burned.)
Tensions in the fire department were on stark display in the last few days, when rank and file firefighters were ordered not to misbehave at Mayor Vince Gray’s annual State of the District speech on Tuesday. The official logs at several fire houses noted on Saturday that, by orders of one of Ellerbe’s top deputies, any firefighter who acted improperly at the mayor’s speech or wasn’t in official uniform would face punishments for insubordination.
The orders followed a protest last month in which dozens of firefighters openly expressed their displeasure with Ellerbe. After the chief gave a “state of the department” speech, about a 100 firefighters stood up, turned their backs, and walked out of the MLK Memorial Library auditorium where the speech took place. The protesting firefighters were wearing DCFD-adorned gear, which Ellerbe has banned in an effort to rebrand the fire department as the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. (The department answers far more medical calls than calls to put out fires.)
Ed Smith, president of the firefighter’s union, says Ellerbe told him the orders had been misunderstood. Lon Walls, Ellerbe’s spokesman, says the chief wasn’t behind any such order. Regardless, the conflict that led to the walkout is obviously still smoldering (sorry, LL couldn’t resist). Walls took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts to decry the mostly white protestors. The protest, he said on Facebook, was “the most blatant, ignorant, and racist public display of disrespect I have ever seen.”
LL tried to talk with Ellerbe about the incident and other issues covered in this column but couldn’t get time with the chief. LL had to cancel an interview last week due to a sick kid; Ellerbe cancelled a rescheduled interview on Tuesday. LL emailed extensive questions to Ellerbe but did not receive a response by deadline.
The chief isn’t new to controversy. At a news conference introducing him as Gray’s pick to be fire chief in 2010, Ellerbe had to fend off questions about why he claimed a D.C. homestead tax exemption while he’d been living in Florida. (Ellerbe blamed his accountant.) Ellerbe also made headlines in early 2000, after he was briefly appointed interim fire chief. The American Civil Liberties Union took up the case of firefighters who said they were unfairly transferred by Ellerbe for speaking up about problems in the department. When new Fire Chief Ronnie Few took over, one of his first acts was to void Ellerbe’s transfers, according to reports in the Washington Times.
Ellerbe also came under fire in 2009 when the Times reported that he’d been put on “leave without pay” from the fire department while he took a job as a fire chief in Florida, an odd arrangement that had the potential to net Ellerbe several hundred thousand extra dollars in pension payments but unraveled under the media spotlight. Ellerbe has maintained there was nothing inappropriate with the arrangement.
These days, his critics say Ellerbe is ruining the department by focusing on trivial matters. Among the biggest flash points (okay, LL is done now): Ellerbe’s recent proposal to change firefighter shifts from 24 hours with three days off, to 12-hour shifts six days in a row with three days off. Ellerbe says the proposal would save the District money and would improve public safety by having more alert firefighters. His critics say the move is worse for public safety and is a backdoor attempt to force firefighters who live far from the District—read: white ones—to resign. Only about a quarter of the fire department’s force lives in the District. Many live far away, in Pennsylvania or even North Carolina.
Another gripe: the state of the District’s fleet. Emergency equipment in busy urban areas gets a lot of use and tends to wear out quickly. The industry standard average life of a front-line ladder truck is 18 years, while in the District that falls to only six years, according to statistics submitted by the department to the D.C. Council. Fire officials estimated last year that the department is three years behind schedule in replacing equipment, and Ellerbe said at a council hearing that he’s committed to getting the department back on schedule.
Which brings us back to Tower 3, the truck that’s supposed to save the president. Rogers and the other Tower 3 firefighter say the truck has had frequent problems both with its engine and the hydraulic system that raises and lowers the bucket. Rogers says he’s been in the bucket before when its controls didn’t work. An inspection done by one of Tower 3’s crews—after the fire department’s shop said it had fixed the vehicle—found an oil leak, a broken emergency light, problems with the ladder’s controls, and a “burning metallic smell” coming from the engine, among other problems.
Since you’re probably wondering: If there is a fire at the White House and Tower 3 is out of service, a regular ladder truck would take its place, and the president and his family would scamper down a ladder to safety one by one. A spokesman for the Secret Service declined to comment on Tower 3’s sorry shape. But LL seriously hopes the suits who guard the president aren’t actually depending on a truck with a bucket attached to save the most powerful man in the Western world if his house catches on fire. Indeed, even one of Tower 3’s crew says he seriously doubts his truck’s role figures high in the Secret Service’s presidential fire rescue plans.
Ellerbe’s critics acknowledge that the fleet issues date back to former Chief Dennis Rubin and beyond, but say the problems have gotten worse under Ellerbe because he’s done little to fix the department’s repair shop. At one point last week, according to Dabney Hudson, second vice president of the fire union, five out of the District’s 16 ladder trucks were out of service due to mechanical problems. As of Monday, the department said it only had two ladder trucks available in reserve, meaning that if there was a catastrophic event that required the mass mobilization of the department’s force, there wouldn’t be enough equipment for everyone to use.
“They’d have nothing to ride on,” says Hudson. “We’d have to push them down the street with wheelbarrows.”
But Councilmember Phil Mendelson, who has long chaired the committee that oversees the fire department, says responsibility for equipment problems lies not with Ellerbe, but with the administration of former Mayor Adrian Fenty—for spending capital dollars on dog parks and school renovations instead of buying emergency equipment. Of course, it ought to be noted that the Fenty administration did take a peculiar interest in making sure that a resort town in the Dominican Republic had fire trucks, but that’s a very long story.
“This is not new, and this is not the current chief,” says Mendelson.
Mendelson also took the long view in the current fracas between the chief and the department. He says the complaints he’s currently hearing from firefighters echo the same complaints he’s always heard, regardless of who is in charge.
“Every chief is the worst,” says Mendelson.
Photos by Darrow Montgomery
Got a tip for LL? Send suggestions to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. Or call (202) 650-6951.
7:10 pm
And on this issue (if on none else) Mendo is representing the way most Citizens of DC think about the firecryers... I mean fighters.
NOW after compromising sensitive information about the white house just to try to make Ellerbe look bad (you didn't) my hope is that he is able to fire almost all of you. Who knows how far you will go to try to make him look bad. Will you purposely make the trucks break down to say none work? Will you allow someone to die on your watch just to make him look bad? Get lost going a call and then say the chief didn't provide you with adequate directions? How far will you go to make your point that you don't "like" him?
Bottom line... I'm getting scared alright.... Not of Ellerbee and his plans, but of you and how far you will go to resist them. Sounds to me like he needs to start kicking ass and taking names right away.
8:19 pm
Oh c'mon, I can't believe there is a single FF in DCFD willingly putting residents at risk. But the FF in question commenting about the truck "that is supposed to rescue" plays into the citizenry's ignorance of FD operations. Tower 3 is hardly the only unit capable of such action and, wait for it, might even be out saving a DC resident's life in Shaw or another part of town. Fire trucks don't just respond within blocks of the station, they may routinely be far from quarters. If T3 is on a call, the next closest ladder may be across town from the White House. The specific use of the bucket for POTUS is nonsense even if intended. Chances it's used exactly as intended is statistically impossible. It's far more valuable as a tool in DCFD's arsenal saving lives of everyday citizens every day. The POTUS angle is a sensational attempt to draw attention to a serious issue. Why don't we learn more about how DCFD actually operates before criticising them.
8:32 pm
When Gray's FEMS Chief Ellerbe tasks his shop with scraping decals rather than fixing fire trucks, it IS the current administration's fault. You can't blame Fenty / Rubin for that.
Scraping a perfectly fine emblem off the side of a truck, and outlawing a well-recognized acronym, are, of course examples of a culture that favors bling over substance, will lease a $50,000 SUV while living in subsidized housing, and generally embraces the idea of "fake it until you make it".
Ellerbe is all Style and no Substance. Hopefully the citizens of the District are self-interested enough to dump his questionable style and find a Fire (and EMS) chief of substance.
Ultimately the chief is responsible for the performance of the department, and bound by the employment laws of the city and nation. Right or wrong, pissing off many of his employees *will* affect public safety, and it will be his fault, and the Mayor's for appointing him.
As for Mendelson - none of your other chiefs have have been as psychopathic or as universally despised as this one. Observe him. He has lied to you in the past (remember the NFPA uniforms?), he has mislead the public about his employment deal, he has attempted to cheat on his taxes. He is lying now about response times. Investigate.
8:47 pm
DCCitizen,
The firefighter's in this city come to work and do a lot more in their 24 hours than you would think. Every run we take is someone's emergency, and we give every bit of effort to mitigate and solve these citizens problems. We go on Fires, medical runs, and even public service calls. We show up to community events, and give schools and children an opportunity to view the firehouse and apparatus, even while responding to 20 plus runs in a 24 hour period. I think it is unfair for you to say that we are a bunch of firecryers, when all we are asking for is a leader that will lead our department instead of making daily threats to members about personnel cuts, uniform changes, and work schedule changes. These were non-issues for the previous administration, and all they did was make our department go backwards.
What you may not know is that, the members of this department have been coming out of pocket for years to fix broken apparatus and equipment that would not get fixed because the department, "ran out of money." We actually put our own lives at risk to save the citizens with some of the apparatus that we have. At the end of the day every member of the DCFD will make everything happen with the equipment that we have in an emergency where life and property are in danger. We do not break equipment on purpose, in fact we take care of the equipment even more than usual because of the poor state of our fleet.
I also am willing to bet that the firefighter who lives in North Carolina can get you anywhere in this city better than most of the city residents. This department has a long history of pride in the knowledge of their district. No member of the DCFD would ever jeopardize lives by purposely going the wrong way.
Be careful what you wish for though. If you are backing Chief Ellerbee than you are saying that you and your family are accepting the fact that there will be less firefighters and apparatus to respond to your residence if you should ever need it. I personally would rather be able to sleep at night knowing my family has adequate protection. You should give a little more respect those the individuals that have taken the oath to put a persons life, whom they don't know ahead of their own.
8:51 pm
“Tower 3 is hardly the only unit capable of such action and, wait for it, might even be out saving a DC resident's life in Shaw or another part of town. Fire trucks don't just respond within blocks of the station, they may routinely be far from quarters. If T3 is on a call, the next closest ladder may be across town from the White House. The specific use of the bucket for POTUS is nonsense even if intended. Chances it's used exactly as intended is statistically impossible. It's far more valuable as a tool in DCFD's arsenal saving lives of everyday citizens every day. The POTUS angle is a sensational attempt to draw attention to a serious issue. Why don't we learn more about how DCFD actually operates before criticising them”.
Yeah, don’t believe the BS. Tower 3 is automatically dispatched on all second alarms in all parts of the city.
Notice there is no mention of down time caused by Driver/Operator error (Accidents)?
8:56 pm
"We show up to community events,"
Only when ordered to
9:12 pm
Let's the games begin. I'll bet the City Paper and LL will have twice as many readers by the time this regime is over.
9:21 pm
S.E. and DC Citizen....ellerbe ghost writers...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....same old crap you always say.
9:28 pm
DCFiremanRetd.....back at you.
10:54 pm
Thank You Councilman Mendelson for wading through all the b/s. No one complained about repairs when Rubin spent 4 million dollars and couldn't explain where the money went. Fenty gave Local 36 the finger for 4 years and not one soul chose to go and march in front of the Wilson bldg or his home. By the way on 9/11 there was not enough apparatus for call backs to ride on either. But the majority of people on the job now weren't on the job then to know that. This department has been jacked up for the last 4 or 5 administrations. Everytime an article like this is written the real deep seated reality of the department comes out and it isn't pretty. And would some of you jokers on the job please quit with the over dramatization about being a firefighter. You are like a NFL player who gets in the game for the first time and makes a catch for five yards and gets up and celebrates like he scored a touchdown.
11:33 pm
Inside looking in, Rubin pretty muched step on his on dick during his tenure.By the end, he had pissed off a majority of the City Council. He never met mic he didn't like. He was the King of Deposistions. You are right about 1 thing. The apparatus situation have been going on for a while. I am truck technician so I know first hand. I have made more repairs than Fleet Maintenance has evere done.
Ok...here is my short list of Chiefs I have servred under.I have my favorites. Tell me yours. Coleman, Alfred, Latin, Few, Edwards, Tippet, Thompson, Rubin, and Ellerbee. Mayors: Barry, Control Board, Prat- Kelly, Williams, Fenty and Gray. Pick one.
12:02 am
You can't in the same breath tell me to find out more about DCFD and then tell me your own member lied in a newspaper article just for sensationalism. Which is it? Is he crying wolf or not? There is now an article with YOUR member complaining about YOUR Cheif and saying the Potus life is in danger because of THIS Cheif. You then tell me not to believe it, he was just saying it to make YOUR Cheif look bad. So who SHOULD I believe? All of the members complaining or someone else? Do you see my point now? By making up stories for sensationalist sake, you don't end up making your Cheif look bad, you end up looking like a.... Wait for it..... FIRECRYER!
Now I am not FOR Elllerbee so much as I have seen, up close and personal, things that have gone on in YOUR Dept over the last 20 years. That's right I said it. I have numerous family members and friends who are on or have retired from YOUR Dept over the years. I say that to say, I have seen both sides and they are upset about the uniform issue (who wouldn't be, the dept should provide all of your equipment) and don't like the proposed schedule (mostly because it will interfere with their other jobs) but can't believe the rest of you guys are so up in arms about it and are conducting yourselves in such a manner. As a previous poster put it, you all didn't say diddly squat during the last administration and he put his middle finger up, refused to even have contract negotiations with you. Now you are embellishing stories for the media and telling out right lies in interviews for sensationalist reasons all to get rid of "this guy". Why?
You don't have to answer me, I'm just saying... As a citizen who HAS had interactions with you all, some as a result of needing help and some on a familial level, you are loosing ground by handling things the way you are.... And like I said, I KNOW some of you and have heard stories so YES I can see you letting all the oil out before driving around to blow the engine or some other crazy way of putting a truck out of commission.
You can call me what you want if it makes you happy but in the end, I am a DC Resident who is active in my community and instead of getting my support, you are turning me off with your "sensational" stories that turn out to be lies (you said it) just to get what you want. What other complaints have been embellished just for the "sensationalism"? All of them... half of them? How many?
12:56 am
@ gtmcleod
you'ld be surprised!
His proposed schedule changes alone threatens the very EXISTENCE, PERSONA and manhood of most those who come from far as North cakky lakky to get this good gubbamint $$$
Oh DCCitizen knows what he's talking about, when pushed, "some" can be downright viscious and nasty, believe that!
1:00 am
"What you may not know is that, the members of this department have been coming out of pocket for years to fix broken apparatus and equipment that would not get fixed because the department"
BOLD FACED LIE and if you did do this, you're dumber than you look!!
2:02 am
As a Technician I personally repaired our Truck several times. At one point I had a mini sledge hammer at the ready to tap the starter solenoid enabling the engine to crank. I could have the cab raised just enough and the starter tapped in 30 seconds. I replaced the solenoid eventually with my own money. Just one anecdote but the point is the this, granted apparatus has been a problem, Ellerbe knew this coming in. Yet somehow the perfectly good emblems were the priority. He has been here for over a year, when is it his fault? What is the timeline seDCdude, citizen, etc? Just let me know when it's officially time for him to start receiving blame. Was no Ruben fan FYI, was here for 9/11 (45 minute drive in and beat all resident firefighters in my company).
2:05 am
BTW, Ellerbe is despised by all firefighters in my current house, and I am one of a few white persons there. Ellerbe is a losing horse, go ahead and hop on if you like. Wait, is that racist?
5:56 am
Rubin had an Asst. Chief to do most of his dirty work. Suffice it to say he became Power drunk. I'm an African American DC resident, born and raised.On 9/11 , got back to work ( I think #1 Platoon worked) in an hour. Because I lived near the Capitol at the time, my route back to work was altered.
Ellerbe is trying to pit white vs. black. It is not working. The guys may have philosophical or political differences but WE as a whole have to trust and respect each other when the BELL rings. Hell, there are some black and white firefighters I can't stand. Does that make me a racist? Ellerbe did have support from all races when he first became Chief. But, he began burning so many bridges, both friend and foe. I have tried to be in his corner but like Fenty, his arrogance is getting in his way. I've known of the dude for a long time and work with him when he was an OIC. He has always been a petty and tit for tat type a person.
You are not going to always agree with your boss. But, if he is putting the lives of my family, residence, visitors and the President of the USA in jeopardy, then the members will continue to voice their disapproval.
6:35 am
I hope all the FACTS AND TRUTH COME OUT AND THE PEOPLE OF DC HEAR THE WHOLE TRUTH!!! This article is a START OF SOME OF THE TRUTH!!! some of these firefighters have been there a LONG TIME and LOVE theie job, i guess they r "making this all up" well maybe the people of DC need to realize what they do and who they work for. the people of the city. ALL RACES.......THEY DONT ASK WHAT RACE U R BEFORE HELPING U OUT OF A BURNING BUILDING!!!! PLS STOP INSULTING THEM BY CALLING THEM LIARS AND RACISTS. WHEN THESE MEN AND WOMAN TOOK ANOATH TO SAVE LIVES!!!!!! MAYBE YOUR LIFE OBE DAY!!!! THINK ABOUT IT AND BE A LITTLE MORE THANKFUL!!! JUST SAYING!!!!!
7:34 am
Anything that is a necessity, like a Tower truck, should be provided with redundancy. I wouldn't fly to Europe on a plane with one Engine. If the city needs a tower, for the POTUS or for citizens, it needs to have 2 or 3 of them.
However, having a fire truck that is out of service more than it is in service -- for the last three years, is unacceptable. It may be a lemon, but who is ultimately responsible for keeping it? The Mayor and his Fire Chief. How long does the Fire Chief need to be in office before it's "his" lemon?
More important than one Tower - FIVE of sixteen ladder trucks were out of service, with no reserves. When was the last time the FC ordered a fire truck? What kind of goon spends his shop resources on scraping emblems when there are broken fire trucks to fix? How long does a man have to be FC before the lack of reserve fleet is HIS problem? Did he order new fire trucks on day 1? Day 100? Apparently not.
This is a concrete example of Style over Substance - a serious problem when the "substance" in question is the life safety of the public.
7:41 am
As for Rubin - when a group of mostly white firefighters threatened to go protest him at one of his many speaking gigs, he rolled over on *his* planned shift change for firefighters assigned to the EMS units.
For you guys hinting at racism in the fire department. DC has been, and may still be, a majority black city. The mayor has been black for generations. There are black officers at every level of the fire department. If you make an EEO complaint, you'll probably get a black hearing officer, a black judge, and, if it came to it, a majority black jury. Any of the non-black people you'd interact with on your EEO journey would almost certainly be extremely liberal, and predisposed to favor your case. If you really believe that the FD is a cauldron of bubbling racial discrimination, make your case, and take your money.
Put up, or shut up.
8:29 am
Enough is enough.....it amazes me how some of you can sit behind your keyboard and under the screenname of SE and comment on issues that have crippled this department for years now. I am a DC native and I grew up my entire life in this very city....Now let me tackle one issue at a time for the joker that brought in the culture understanding of my community by making the statement of fake it to you make it DO ME ONE FAVOR AND SHOOT yourself...THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DIDNT ASK YOU TO APPLY YOU DECIDED TO DO SO....Now I didnt see this much of a up roar when the Bleoved Chief Dennis Rubin changed the department patch from the one we are currently wearing now, guys quietly went and bought every piece of clothing sold by a former employee of communications...so the argument of pushing out money for addtional clothing has no substance.....no one cried foul when Rubin administration disciplined and fired more our of brother and sisters than any known fire chief of this city...no one IS STOMPING AND MARCHING ABOUT WHY OUR DEPARTMENT HASNT HAD A RAISE IN NUMEROUS OF YEARS, NO ONE IS CRYING THAT THE CITY IS PAYING LESS FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE...SO please do us all a favor on and off the job stand for a cause with some Substance and if any one would like to come and have this conversation I currently work were Tower 3 is assigned
8:29 am
"I hope all the FACTS AND TRUTH COME OUT AND THE PEOPLE OF DC HEAR THE WHOLE TRUTH!!! This article is a START OF SOME OF THE TRUTH!!! some of these firefighters have been there a LONG TIME and LOVE theie job, i guess they r "making this all up" well maybe the people of DC need to realize what they do and who they work for. the people of the city. ALL RACES.......THEY DONT ASK WHAT RACE U R BEFORE HELPING U OUT OF A BURNING BUILDING!!!! PLS STOP INSULTING THEM BY CALLING THEM LIARS AND RACISTS. WHEN THESE MEN AND WOMAN TOOK ANOATH TO SAVE LIVES!!!!!! MAYBE YOUR LIFE OBE DAY!!!! THINK ABOUT IT AND BE A LITTLE MORE THANKFUL!!! JUST SAYING!!!!!"
They're doing the JOB they're being PAID TO DO!!!!!
When they took the OATH TO SAVE LIVES, it did not stipulate: "Provided that the patch on my uniform says DCFD and that I work a
24/72 hour shift."
8:55 am
Obligitory Disclaimer. I am not, nor have I ever been, employed by the D.C.Government in any capacity. I did work as a Firefighter (now retired) in a major East Coast City. My view from the 'burbs: Any Fire Chief, regardless of Who/What/Where that lets broken equipment sit idle while good operating equipment is sidelined at least a couple of hours for "Cosmetic" changes is guilty of a few things such as misuse of funds and although not illegal, dumbness. As I understand it from old news articles, Ellerbee took a job in Florida, but remained on the Rolls of the DCFD, on "Leave without Pay" which had a positive effect on how much his retirement income would be when he finally started collecting it. Chief Rubin called him out on it. So, now that Ellerbee is back, he is Hell-Bent on destroying any trace the Rubin ever set foot in D.C. This type of conduct is, to say the least, unprofessional, and the Mayor should put an end to it. I am somewhat concerned about one thing here, and I'm exercising my Freedom of Speech to ask: How many of you who have written here condemming the Firefighters would take their job?. Many are quick to complain, but refuse to act. For those who don't know, Firefighting is NOT a job, it's a way of life. When you start, you don't just take an oath, you assume a committment to your Job, your Department, and most of all, to your Brothers. This simply isn't 9 to 5, nor should it be, when you look at what is at stake. Last, regarding those who live "Out of Town": In the field of Public Safety, the Citizens of any Jurisdiction can, and should, want the best that can be had. The combination of a wide area to draw from and a tough testing process ensures that the City gets the most for their dollar, as they should. When I'm in trouble, and someone on a Big Red Truck is coming to help me, I don't care if they are Black Inner City Residents or White Farm Boys from West Virginia. I do care that they have the Dedication, Drive, and Determination that's needed to get the job done. The DCFD is already a Professional Organization out on the Street, the Mayor needs to require that Professionalism at the Top as well.
9:20 am
Not only did Rubin know about the "Leave without Pay" arrangement, he approved it.
The same "good operating equipment" was sidelined at least a couple of hours for "Cosmetic" changes when Rubin changed the patch.
What's good for one is good for the other.
10:11 am
Kenny - I never said Kenny Baylor was part of this culture, or do you only stand with Ellerbe because of his race? Do you recognize that blacks might belong to more than one 'culture'? I doubt Barack Obama, or Neil Degrasse Tyson, or Colin Powell, or Will Smith, or Herman Cain ever bought rims for their car while their children played with cockroaches. I doubt General Powell sidelined any tanks so they could have a decal removed. These are men of substance.
Firefighters were never prohibited from wearing the old patch, and so were never required to buy the "Rubin" patch. No need for an uproar then.
Rubin was (is?) subject to a lawsuit regarding disparate impact of discipline. There's your uproar. Taking it to the courts beats walking out AFTER the fire chief spoke. There's your uproar.
Rubin didn't have a say on contract negotiations -- Fenty wouldn't meet with labor - so we (IAFF Local 36) campaigned on behalf of his challenger, Vincent Gray, who won. There's your uproar.
So...since I proved every one of your points wrong, I'll wait for an apology for suggesting that I shoot myself.
SE -- Rubin didn't take old patches off, he put them on new fire trucks. Even if he did, I'd say they're both wrong, and both should be fired. What's good for one, is good for the other.
10:40 am
SE your a liar. Brian Lee approved it, the members replaced the door seals on most of the apparatus between runs at the firehouse to and the rest were done at the shop when units were there getting work done.
Tower 3 IS IN THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE PRESIDENT just like old Tower 10 was.
Rubin was not liked by everyone, in fact most people did not like him or his staff for that matter. He had his handful of followers that would defend him to the end and looked out for some past chiefs kids on the job.
Ellerbe is not like by most and has a list of new officers many don't care for, he has a handful of people that follow him and he looks out for certain people. He also threatens employees and does whatever he can to make a hostile work environment whenever possible. He makes racist comments and tries to belittle people. He has been in office over a year......the department problems belong to him now! He needs to stop blaming everyone else and fix them now.
10:46 am
Well said Commenter - Rubin did not force anyone to buy anything. You could wear either patch, and I was not forced to bear the cost of Uniform changes. 3 DIFFERENT TIMES IN ONE YEAR !!
All apparatus came in with the new patch, as a part of the purchase.
As far as trial boards...WOW !! You mean people were actually held accountable to a higher standard ?? And actually held accountable for doing their jobs ?? Shame on you Rubin, shame on you.
And now the Mayor wants us all to take ethics training and sign an agreement. You will be held to this standard, with the following exceptions. Campaign improprieties, voter fraud, lying under oath, fraud, fruadently stating you are still a member of the department once you leave the state to take another job, tax fraud, lying about your residence for Homestead Credit, misappropriation of funds, malfeasence, and just plain stupidity. Other than that, you will conduct yourself with the highest ethical and moral regard. You will. You will.
11:03 am
You make statments about my culture based on assumption of a few everything i mentioned was fact and I stand behind them as a man I will not apologize because I disagree with what your saying sir.... If you read my comments I was referring to changes that were made without any public out lash towards Rubin I put race totally out of the question. Chief Rubin not only place the patch on new apparatus he also placed it on the old ones fact Tower 3..... Now I will not go back and forth on a matter of opinion but out of respect to those that may live with roaches have you ever wondered how they got there... Not all the people that live in subsidized locations live in filth but your comments say other wise....I grew up in the what some may call the ghetto with two working class parents its the country we live in ... And I stand with leadership regardless of race thats for narrowed minded folks my good man I respect Chief Ellerbe and may not agree with everything on his agenda but its ways to resolve those issues....The man was hired for a reason now for respect for the job I rather speak in a personal setting....argeeing to disagree shines light on some of the things we may not think about.....
11:19 am
What culture is that Kenny?
Does your culture choose style over substance? If not, you aren't in the culture I was talking about.
I don't hate the poor. I recognize that some people live in adverse conditions due to circumstances beyond their control. I **DO** disdain, however, those who would spend money on "bling" while their kids live among cockroaches.
There WAS a planned public outlash against Rubin, regarding putting guys assigned to the ambulance on 2-2-4. Rubin caved, so no public outlash.
There **IS** a forum for determining issues regarding pay, schedule, and benefits. It's called the bargaining table. Ellerbe chose instead to push his plan through the court of public opinion. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Now, what about that apology for asking me to shoot myself?
11:26 am
What is getting lost in this back and forth with Fire Administrator is the personal and ultimate sacrafice the men and women of DCFD. Several days ago firefighter was critically injured at a working fire. She was transported to MED STAR. We do not take this job lightly. Not everyone can run into a burning building to save a stranger or treat someone's eveserated guts without losing there lunch. Those that critizize us because we are not a F.O.E ( friend of Ellerbe) have every right to do that. I just can't stand pat and see this department falter. There are men and women across the Country chomping at the become a DC Firefighter because we are good at what we do. I would love to see more African Americans and Latino from this region becoming firefighters. The Cadet program is a start. President Obama said the other day, lets hire Vets to become firefighters. They already have the balls to face danger and have discipline.
To cut department by 1/4 is just plain crazy. The economy is recovering. As the Mayor said the other night. DC is an example to the Country to demostrate economic recovery. Money is being saved in this department. We cut corners every chance we get.
11:34 am
Why is it in this city, when people who are not of African descent speak up against a politician who is, that is called racism?
11:41 am
I think racism charge is just obscuring the real issue here: Do we think firefighters should work 12 hour days, six days in a row (with a flip from day to night in the middle of it), with only three days off!
I don't know about you, but I would be exhausted working a shift life that and I have a desk job!
That is a horrible, horrible idea. And everyone black and white, resident and non-resident need to get behind that issue.
11:44 am
SE. There is something called a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). That all parties must adhere to. If it is used for promotions, discipline and pay roll issues, then it should be gospel when it comes to work schedule.
You keep acting like Rubin was well liked and no one said anything about it. You are totally wrong. I don't know if Ellerbe have any EEO complaints or filing lawsuits against him. But, Rubin does. If Fenty would have won his 2nd term, Rubin have been asked to resigned.
Now, the joker who is in charge of PIO office, just needs to walk away. He may good at PR for the private sector but he is not cut out for this gig.
11:48 am
Like I stated before I will not apologize for a matter of opinion where is it that in writing Rubin caved because his plan didnt go through..Look like I stated earlier I can agree to disagree with you this country thrives off open dialogue with sensitive subjects yea the things I commented on are bargaining table discussions but how long im on my 3rd full time fire chief and no progress so whos really the blame...we all can bring something to the table but we cant shorten or deck of cards by crying over a uniform policy....ls my point dont ask for a apology you wont get it
11:58 am
The shift change is the real sticking point here isn't it? The EMS issue has been ongoing for several years. Long time firemen were't and aren't happy about it. 24 hour shifts should have been eliminated years ago just as 80 hour weeks for hospital personnel were. 9/11 has been mentioned by several commented how do they feel about personnel in PA and NC when you need them.
12:01 pm
Kenny - I am not asking you to apologize for your opinion.
I am asking you to man up an apologize for asking me to shoot myself. Or are you from a culture where violence against those you disagree with is the norm?
12:08 pm
Choose your words carefully with me sir just take it as a lost and leave it at that....
12:13 pm
Violence is not the norm anywhere... I refuse to get out my character with you on the internet you have my name im available for conversation I dont have a screen name I approach everything Im associated with in a open manner so once again if you didnt like my comment towards your description of a culture you have no relation you have a better chance of knowing the powerball number.....before I apologize
12:15 pm
Well, well....Mr DCFEMS PIO. I see the Fire Administrator via The Mayor put you on Administrative Leave /w pay. I wonder if he has to go in front of the Trial Board?
2:38 pm
Is the rumor true that this Ellerbee guy lived with Lorraine Greene for well over 5 years and now with the Director of Employment Services- Lisa Mallory?
Worse than Peyton Place.
Alan Suderman you are wonderful!!
3:12 pm
"SE your a liar. Brian Lee approved it, the members replaced the door seals on most of the apparatus between runs at the firehouse to and the rest were done at the shop when units were there getting work done."
If you think Rubin had no knowledge of it and that it was done without his approval I'd like some of what you're smoking.
3:14 pm
And for the record.....Brian Lee signed it.
3:36 pm
Fake it til you make it
Put up or shut up
You should respect us for putting our lives on the line
Style over substance
These are your way of getting citizen to rally behind you? From what I am reading, you all are handling things the same way you SAY he is. Only in most articles when they ask him for a comment he doesn't give one, although you say he is threatening, demeaning, doesn't respect you. As I said before, I am no Ellerby fan, and as a whole, I have MAD love for firefighters, but some of the complaints, comments and quotes coming from the members (and their wives) are truly embarrassing. It really does make it seem as if you are a bunch of out of towners, upset because you will have to commute daily, move closer or resign if you have to work daily.
Now I KNOW there is a little more to it but yelling we are all gonna DIE if he makes these changes truly deminishes EVERY OTHER WORD you say. They become irrelevant. Especially when you try to tell me, someone who was born and raised here with a college degree, who also has a large family here, with numerous college graduates who would LOVE the chance to have your job, that if YOU leave, and people who LIVE here get your job, they will be unqualified, substandard, dummies who only got the job due to residency and the whole city will go up in smoke if they are hired and you leave.
Let's be real, you may be experienced at this point but a lot of you didn't arrive experienced. A lot of you got your jobs through the friends and family networks out of Hagerstown, Charles County and other areas further out. Sooo, i think anyone who passes the test and gets the same training THIS Dept has given you may be just as good as you or even better because they will more than likely have a personal stake in the community they live in, whereas you work your 24 hours, go home for 3 days get on your computer and write stories about all the cockroaches and people faking it til you make it in DC where you work. But you want respect AND a pay check from those same people. It seems to me that you have the respect thing backwards. You get paid for your services, and part of that service is to save lives, yes, but also show respect to those YOU serve. By telling me I'm either with him or you, is making me tune you out all together.
I see that by changing shifts, YOUR livelyhood may be in jeprody but explain to me why that means the sky is falling for DC Residents? BTW, that uniform shit is for the birds, no way should you have to buy them...... But it's an issue to be taken up at the bargaining table, not the blogs.
4:02 pm
"SE. There is something called a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). That all parties must adhere to. If it is used for promotions, discipline and pay roll issues, then it should be gospel when it comes to work schedule."
And that's where most is not all of these issues should be settled.
As it has been stated over and over....You are working under a contract that is what, 3-4 years past it's life span? If the Department wants to change the work schedule have them bargain for it.
4:54 pm
DC wake up! Ellerbe's girlfriend Lisa Mallory is supposedly cleaning house with double dippers of employed workers collecting unemployment while her BF Ellerbe held the city on the line for his DC benefits while employed in Florida. Oh yeah....it was an exchange program right? LMAO
5:58 pm
GTFOH, you petty, coward bleeding heart rednecks shot straight out of a trailor park.
Got a little gubbament $$ and wanna play BIG, ie this tenlyclown, #s 40, 39, 36, 23 and the rest of you posers!
Known fact that the average trial board was predominantly white and your charges were stamped WHITE if you were a brotha whohappened to get "caught up" with these racists!
Then you have cornballs talking about it aint about RACE, everything is about race in this kuntry and if you're from here you would know this, from who gets assigned where to the areas served..
#20, interestingly enuff, it is just as you typed the latter part of your drivel and you know it!!
Thats why you typed it
6:00 pm
Did you moderate everybody else??? And if you didn't" 2*8+* I'm sure is the case, MODIRATE deez nuts!!!
6:08 pm
I normally would not write anything on a blog as I see it as a waste of my time, however, I have seen so many half truths & misinformation on here that I feel I have a "duty to act". Number 1: Tower 3's door seal was not paid for by the dept. it was paid for by the majority of members of TOWER 3. Yea that's right it came out of thier pockets (I know this because I was the wagon driver on the Engine). Number 2: When the former fire chief announced his "Rubin Patch" I seem to remember that members were given a 2 year window in which to come into compliance. The order never changed(say like 5 times) , you were not told you could not wear any shirt, sweat shirt, or coat that you had previously purchaced. Furthermore, the order was not effective immediatly as in you are on your days off & are expected to wear this on you 1st day back to work even though you have not read the order. You were also not told to place a dept. patch on your PERSONNAL coat or jacket. Number 3: And the hypocricy has no bounds, I find it appalling that the mayor would authorize additional pay for the fire cheif while any member of his agency that is promoted has to "ACT" for 60 days without pay before being compensated. The members were told that this was due to a budget short fall. Then the mayor says the we are 240 million in surplus. Oh where is the truth!!!
6:18 pm
How elquently put noodlez, you sure have a handle on race relations. Perhaps you should run for mayor, I'm sure the rest of America would consider statehood for the city with you at the helm.
7:52 pm
Noodlez - his picture is underneath the word "racist" in the dictionary.
I worked the 3-3-3 for many years and then the 24 hour shift for a couple decades - more than a decade past the date I was eligible to retire. The 12 hour shifts ran even the young men into the ground and it was very obvious to all of us on the job that the 24 hour shift was better for everyone because we were much more alert.
Racism as nothing to do with circadian rhythm. Your color has nothing to do with your body's ability to recover from rotating shifts.
10:40 am
All I can say is thank God he (Ellerbe) left Sarasota!! We are much better without him and got a GREAT chief to take his place.
7:48 pm
WOW seDCdude and Noodlez... You claim these White Firemen are racist's because they disagree with a Black Fire Chief??? Yet you come on a public forum and make blatant racist comments. Racism isn't only directed towards Blacks, and you've just proven that to everyone. Now since I've wasted time pointing out the obvious I'll move on to something that neither of you have put together yet in your small minds... Why would so called racist White Firemen and Women (to be fair to the sisters on the job) come to work for a some what decent paycheck to protect a City full of Citizens you claim they hate??? One thing I'm positive of is the fact that these so called racist's are more than qualified and capable of getting jobs in much higher paying area's like Montgomery County, Fairfax, Alexandria, Howard County, and the list goes on of places where they would find a much lower population of minorities and better pay to boot. The Men and Women of the DCFD (regardless of race) applied to DCFD because they wanted to be a part of a GREAT FD in an AMAZING CITY. They wanted to make a difference in the lives of the Citizens. The bottom line is this... If your concerned about the race of the Firemen in DC they encourage young Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Arabs, and any other non White race to study hard, stay out of trouble, don't do drugs, and apply for the job. While I can't speak for all Firemen, I personally can say that I've never asked a patient, a victim, or a fellow brother or sister Firemen their race before I cared for them, rescued or assisted in their rescue, entered a burning building with them, broke bread with them, or placed my life on the line for them. You know coming to think of it I bet Lt. Alvarado is a closet Aryan Brotherhood Member just posing as a Hispanic DC Firemen to further the rest of the racist White Firemen's agenda. Maybe instead of making everything a race issue, you should focus bettering yourself and your community. Steven A. Smith said it best the other day on ESPN when he commented on fellow Blacks calling him a racist because instead unjustly of blaming all of his ill's on White's he worked on making himself a better person. Not everything in the World is racially motivated and those who claim to constantly be the victim of racism are doing nothing but making themselves and their race look like fools. I'm sure your going to call me out and try to make me look like a fool with one of your extremely intellegent racist rants, but remember one thing... While you may not like White's or White Firemen chance's are you or your family may need them one day to save your ass.