CA Firefighter Facing Disciplinary Action for Controversial T-Shirt

Jessica Flores

San Francisco Chronicle

(TNS)

Sep. 25—A San Francisco firefighter will face disciplinary action after he was seen wearing a T-shirt with the phrase "Let's go Brandon" while on duty — a violation of the Fire Department's uniform policy, a spokesperson said.

The Fire Department became aware of the employee wearing the T-shirt after a Twitter user shared images of three firefighters Saturday who appeared to be on duty at Noe and 18th streets in the Castro district.

One of the firefighters wore a navy blue T-shirt with the phrase "Let's Go Brandon" on the back, which has become a coded expression used by conservatives to insult President Biden.

The phrase was coined last October at a NASCAR race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Brandon Brown, who won his first Xfinity Series, was being interviewed by a TV reporter while the crowd behind him was chanting "F— Joe Biden." The TV reporter at the time suggested they were cheering "Let's go Brandon," the Associated Press reported.

Since then, the phrase has spread among conservative groups and been repeated by several members of Congress.

The Twitter user tagged the Fire Department, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the Castro, asking: "Is this the new official uniform of the SFFD?"

The Fire Department responded to the tweet Saturday, saying "this is not the official uniform of the SFFD. This will be handled immediately."

In a statement to The Chronicle, Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Baxter said the firefighter wearing "a non SFFD T-shirt" while on duty violated the department's uniform policy and "does not reflect the views and opinions" of the department.

"The Department took immediate action once made aware. The SFFD has followed internal and City policies to handle this incident," the statement read.

Baxter did not immediately respond to questions about what disciplinary actions the employee would face.

Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jesssmflores

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