Firefighters Union At War With FDNY Over Lockers
Pictures Of Loved Ones, Flags Among Banned Items
NEW YORK A locker room controversy is erupting within the FDNY. Firefighters have been ordered to remove all personal decorations from the outside of their lockers, including pictures of colleagues killed on 9/11.
What rocket scientist came up with this insult?
“[The regulation] prohibits a firefighter from having an American flag, a ‘Support Our Troops’ sticker, a picture of their family, a mass card of a dead firefighter,” Cassidy said.
After the hell that the New York first responders went through on 9/11 and the battles they fight on a daily basis, I find it offensive that anyone would tell them what they can, or cannot have on their lockers. I don’t live anywhere near New York, and I’m appalled…as an American!
A department-wide crackdown on locker decorations began several weeks ago after a sexually offensive slogan was found on the outside of a locker at Engine 230 in Brooklyn.
On the outside of A locker? One?
The union hired civil rights attorney Ron Kuby to fight the regulation.
Don’t go into shock, but this is one time I agree with the union (I just hope it’s not an ACLU lawyer).
The FDNY defended its move.
“No city agency should permit the work place to display inappropriate stuff,” said Mylan Denerstein, the FDNY’s deputy commissioner for legal affairs.
Pictures of family and lost “brothers”, American flags and “Support Our Troops” stickers are “inappropriate stuff”? Stuff?
The union said it’s not satisfied with the fire department’s response and what’s more, Thursday it plans to give every firefighter a flag decal to put on their locker.
Do they need donations to help pay for those flag decals? I’d be more than happy to send what I could.
Because ONE inappropriate slogan was found, everything has to come down? Since when is the American Flag inappropriate (no ACLU lawyers need respond)? Why not use common sense and punish the person with the inappropriate slogan rather than punish everyone for their non-appropriate displays.
Comment by rosettaresearch — January 11, 2007 @ 9:02
I think because you’re talking about a bunch of low level bureaucrats here. Sounds like one of those “mine is bigger than yours” things. It just chaps my hide!
Comment by olbroad — January 11, 2007 @ 9:16