Full Frontal Stupidity

There always will be members who misbehave when drunk. Dunkirk VFD joins a too-long parade of leaders who provide an adolescent and dysfunctional response when things get out of hand. It is stupid behavior.

WEDNESDAY January 7

Kenneth C. Rossignol, publisher of a weekly tabloid St. Mary’s Today, posted pictures on his website showing men (and one woman) who appeared to be drinking, with two of the male participants showing their genitilia.  Many participants are wearing fire department logos on their clothes.

With the emailed pictures was information that these were off-duty members of the Dunkirk VFD, an all-volunteer department in Calvert County, Maryland. The group was partying after one of them was elected chief. 

Calvert County government removes the Dunkirk VFD link from the Volunteer Fire-Rescue-EMS website page.

Dave Statter reported the item in STATter911:  Firefighters exposed in Southern Maryland. Newspaper runs pictures of Dunkirk VFD members.

Rossingnol continued to expand the on-line story after looking at the VFD website.  There were pictures of members who appear to be drinking at other social functions and artwork that Rossingol finds inappropriate. 

Shortly after a telephone interview with VFD Chief 5, the website is removed. WUSA Channel 9 runs a story about the pictures being posted by St. Mary’s Today.

THURSDAY, January 8

Efforts by Statter and others confirmed that the newly elected Dunkirk VFD Chief 5 is (a) a District of Columbia career firefighter and (b) one of the people exposing himself.  The DCFD Engine 30/Truck 17 website provides a picture of the VFD chief working his “day job.”

The emailed pictures were taken at a Dunkirk bar/restaurant. The bartender on duty that night, a single mom, is fired.

Because two in the picture are sporting DCFD emblems, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services start an internal investigation.

Rossingnol expands the online article to reinforce his concern about “cowboy” volunteers, reposting information from two January 2008 rollover accidents involving VFD operated heavy rescue squads.  Excessive speed was a factor in both accidents. 

Statter posts a second item: Dunkirk chief identified in pictures of firefighter exposing himself at bar. Bartender has been fired. Bar disputes this was a “private” party.

WUSA Channel 9 runs a second story, including an interview with the fired bartender.

FRIDAY, January 9

After responding to some of the 100+ comments posted on STATter911.com, Dave Statter provides a more comprehensive response in this post:  “STATter YOU SUCK!”

Rossingol publishes the final version of his article for the weekly print version of St. Mary’s Today:  FRAT CHIEF

MANAGING TESTOSTERONE RADIO TALENT

I like radio aimed at the 18-34 year old male listener, especially Opie and Anthony on XM satellite radio.  Well before the 2004 SuperBowl wardrobe malfunction, terresterial radio reduced “shock jock” creativity. 

These restrictions were in response to FCC fines, high publicity incidents, expensive lawsuit settlements and a few stunts with tragic outcomes, such as death of a Sacramento contestant after the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest.

Opie and Anthony complain that they cannot perform certian activities on satellite that used to be ”normal” on 1990s terrestial radio.  O+A know about the limits, they were fired twice.  Boston in 1998 (April 1st – The Mayor is Dead) and New York in 2002 (Sex for Sam 3 – FCC fine). 

In unregulated satellite radio, an adolescent response by the boyz after an on-air incident resulted in a one month suspension without pay in 2007. XM was planning to fire Opie and Anthony.  It was not a stunt, XM scrubbed their website of all O&A references, including removal of past shows posted on Audible.com. 

Last month, perhaps to test their new Sirius bosses, Opie slammed down his headset and left the show 20 minutes early on a Friday. This was an angry reaction to a management response about a proposed radio bit.  Returning to the air Monday, Opie said that he would be fired if he left the show early again.

O+A have become millionaires by serving the blue collar young male demographic.  They have also, while whining, changed the content of their show and on-air behavior to assure continued employment. 

ADOLESCENT AND DYSFUNCTIONAL RESPONSE

It only takes a few minutes on Google to find examples of drunk off-duty volunteer firefighter behavior that results in a high publicity incident, expensive lawsuit settlement,  felony conviction or tragic outcome. The four linked events include the death of a police officer and two volunteer firefighters.

Mike P. Dallessandro is a life member of a New York volunteer fire company and provides consulting, training and speaker services.  One of his programs, Fire Department Officer/Member Conduct, Pride and Leadership Academy, addresses this dysfunctional behavior.  

In an email exchange, Dallessandro provides this perspective:

My experience has been that there has always been one of three or a combination of the three points that lead to that behavior:

1. A culture of “free wheeling” behavior exists or has existed in the organization.
2. A lack of swift, firm and fair discipline does or has not occurred in organizations when stuff like this occurs.
3. Nobody has ever told or spelled out for the members in painfully basic details what types of behaviors will not be tolerated.

Which is the basis for my work in leadership, team, conduct training.

In looking at Dallessandro’s program, it seems that the managers of testosterone radio have addressed these three points to keep talent on the air and owners out of court.

Maybe conduct and behavior training should be part of volunteer officer preparation. Check out Dallessandro at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference.  He is presenting “Leading the Volunteers” on Friday, April 24 @ 08:30.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward