Another dirt bag, making us all look bad

[sawman]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/dec05/375911.asp

ON WISCONSIN : JS ONLINE : NEWS : MILWAUKEE : E-MAIL | PRINT THIS STORY



Milwaukee fire lieutenant is focus of misconduct inquiry

Firefighter said she saw him perform lewd act while he was on duty

By JOHN DIEDRICH
jdiedrich@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Dec. 6, 2005

A Milwaukee Fire Department lieutenant is under investigation for allegedly performing a lewd act in front of a computer camera while on duty and broadcasting the image on an adult Web site, sources familiar with the investigation said.

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The incident was reported by a female firefighter who said she saw the lieutenant engaged in the lewd act.

Fire Chief William Wentlandt confirmed there is an internal investigation into possible misconduct by a department employee. He said the investigation is in its early stages and declined to give other details.

"We are being very aggressive in pursuing this internal investigation," the chief said. "I can't comment on the investigation because it is ongoing."

Unlike the Police Department, the Fire Department has relatively few internal investigations, perhaps one or two a year, said Luke Jones, a lieutenant in the department and vice president of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Local 215.

Jones said the lieutenant had not been suspended as far as he knew.

He said the alleged incident occurred last week, but he has received very other little information.

"All I have is a lot of rumor and talk, and nothing concrete that I can share with you at this point," Jones said.

Internal investigations at the Fire Department are handled by the Bureau of Administration, headed by Deputy Chief Andrew Smerz, who also declined to comment.

Fire Department employees who are suspended generally do not receive pay during that suspension, he said. Unlike police officers, firefighters are not paid after they are terminated by the chief.

A state law that applies only to Milwaukee police says officers must be paid until their appeals are exhausted with the Fire and Police Commission. A bill to cut off pay for fired officers was recently k

[FFFRED]

Hold the F*ck on there Francis.

Nothing here states he is guilty.
Nothing here mentions that this woman might be trying to get even with him.
What kind of fireman or brother are you? F*cking hairbag.

I saw you burning puppies alive in the firehouse oven.... Now does that make it true?

I know multiple stories about my department that have had "facts" manipulated, mischaracterized, changed and even made up in the news by the press in recent years.

Wait to find out if he is convicted before lowering the axe.

BMA

FTM-PTB

[DennisTheMenace]

The department seems to be handleing the situation correctly, this does not smear "us" it just smears him. No sane person in the community is going to say it is a firefighter thing to be a lewd fool, it is just a perverts thing.

[ChiefReason]

The department seems to be handleing the situation correctly, this does not smear "us" it just smears him. No sane person in the community is going to say it is a firefighter thing to be a lewd fool, it is just a perverts thing.

Yeah; I agree.
Change the heading for your thread and leave the story.
We'll take it from there.
CR

[RadRob]

Gollly. Can't even sit at the 'puter and play with 'ole one-eye anymore. Geez, what is this world coming too?

I have to question the validity of the claim. Are there really people that brave to smack it in the firehouse, in a common area, with the chance and likeliness to be caught? If you're a pervert and do something as stupid as this, I guess you deserve what you get. If he really did it, punish him. But until we know the whole story, don't judge him. If she was only making the claim to get back at him, you help her out by buying into it before the facts are known.

[Ledebuhr1]

Its hard to believe that someone would make this kind of charge up. if it was a bogus charge, the female ff that made it could and prabally would be fired. Why wold anyone accuse someone else of a crime if its not true when your job can be on the line? Its not like it was an annoyamas tip that started the investigation.

[Smoke20286]

And really, has he done anything wrong. Suppose he was making obscene phone calls, as long as the receiving party didn’t object what is the problem? Only issue here is was the PC in a public area. Of course then again, you need to define lewd.

Well IF the gentleman is guilty he used Dept equipment to proliferate pornographic material over the internet, He also apparently did it while on duty.

[ChiefReason]

Well IF the gentleman is guilty he used Dept equipment to proliferate pornographic material over the internet, He also apparently did it while on duty.

Everything is "ALLEGED" to have occurred to this point.
Before anyone gets upset and starts accusing others of turning their backs on "brothers", go back to the Sacramento thread and see how quickly that thread reached a boiling point.
Again; if this had been a butcher, a baker or candlestick maker, it would have been buried on page 10 and wouldn't be the lead story to a website.
I'll wait.
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

I am waiting for the "funny" part.

[Smoke20286]

Oh c'mon, you gotta admit, thats pretty funny

[lutan1]

We're a funny bunch aren't we? Very quick to judge our own...

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

I aint laughing.

[Jasper 45]

Oh c'mon, you gotta admit, thats pretty funny

There isn’t one thing about this that is the LEAST bit funny; in fact, it’s rather serious.

[Smoke20286]

There isn’t one thing about this that is the LEAST bit funny; in fact, it’s rather serious.

Then your funny bone must be broken, aside from them getting caught and suspended, its exactly the sort of sick joke firefighter always pull on each other. I predict it may find itself as a sub-plot on next years season of Rescue Me

[Jasper 45]

Dude, It's hillarious... A bunch of guys posed as some women and got this guy to spank his monkey for all to see.... Now that is funny. Of course, they could have done it somewhere besides the Fire House

So let me get this straight, families being ruined, careers wrecked, the city opened for an expensive lawsuit, this is all funny to you?

Your completely ridiculous, but enjoy your laugh.

[Jasper 45]

Then your funny bone must be broken, aside from them getting caught and suspended, its exactly the sort of sick joke firefighter always pull on each other. I predict it may find itself as a sub-plot on next years season of Rescue Me

There is nothing wrong with my “funny bone”; I just don’t happen to see the humor when numerous lives are completely changed, and all over some stupid “firehouse prank”.
I’m not going to comment on the incident any further.

[RadRob]

I think that if people reported ALL the pranks we pull on each other, we would be in trouble also. They just happened to get caught. I have never played with 'ole willy, but I have pulled a few pranks and had pranks pulled on me. So the question should probably be, do we tolerate pranks? How far is too far? Isn't that objective? What are the repercussions of certain pranks? Is the punishment tiered to fit the severity of the prank?

It's all in fun, some just go further than others. Can you imagine how much crap the LT caught by the other guys? I bet they call HIM mini-me. Personally, I think it is funny. Sorry the guys are being punished for what they thought was an innocent joke, but sometimes you need to decide when it has gone far enough, and apparently this prank did just that. It went too far. Once they saw the snake in the turtleneck, they should have called it off. But I can see how they could let it continue for the embarrassment factor.

I get up and try to laugh as much as I can throughout the day. It makes life much more enjoyable, rather than being grumpy all the time. Who wants to be around a grump?

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

I have never played with 'ole willy

... Yeah right.

[RadRob]

... Yeah right.

Ok, let me add something to that statement... Not while looking at porn on the firehouse computer, in the firehouse at all. Is that better?

[Jasper 45]

That is only because the city over re-acted to the whole thing.

I have no idea whether or not the city over-reacted; the department is merely enforcing existing rules/regulations.

Why they have cameras on PCs in a firehouse is beyond my scope of comprehension. I can't see the need. And for the young chap to yank his willie in front of the camera was a bit out of line. However, in his defense, he believed he was talking to a girl friend of his, he didn't know that he was braodcasting to a group of fellow FFs including a female who might be offended. It sounds to me like he might have had some expectation of privacy, perhaps he was in a closed locked room. In that case, what is the difference between doing it there or doing it in the little boys room?

The department does not provide web cameras; it was a personal device. As far as him “yanking his willie” on camera, that is really not the issue here. What the issue really is is the violation of departmental rules, with regard to web sites allowed, even on a personal computer, while at work; a rule being enforced upon all members involved.
Granted, the original victim was in the privacy of his office, the issue came about because it was broadcast in an open area of the engine house, where ALL members could see what was on the screen. I’m sure no issue would have been created had the “broadcast” not been shown in a part of the engine house where all working could watch.

Now for the fellows on the other end. It would appear that the city put the PCs there for them to use. It would also appear that they allowed these chat sessions. That being the case, the nature of the chat would IMO, be subject to privacy restrictions. That is, the chat session should be treated just like a private phone call. The fact that they coerced the young lad into to doing something under false pretenses seems to be the only thing they did wrong.

Again, there are policies in place, with regard to allowable web sites. This policy is extended to your own PC, were you to bring it work.

We don't know all of those details.

I know a significant more about this incident than do you. All parties involved are guilty of a lack of judgment; it is an extremely unfortunate, and regrettable incident, all the way around. More than just a few careers will end over this.
I’m sorry though, you will never convince me this is a harmless prank.

I have seen this before, women love to play the Sexual Harrasement card, even if it had nothing to do with them.

I live with these politics every day, even beyond the “sexual harassment card”. It doesn’t justify what these guy’s did though. The modern day work place dictates that you need to be aware, and considerate of those around you, otherwise you may end up in trouble, and when you do “find trouble”, you may lose time, or even your job.
There is a good one, a stupid prank costing you your career.