The Boston Globe and firefighter autopsies

We don't know that - officially as of yet.

 

While I am a prick, I am not callous enough to tell someone whose son died in a burning building to shut the fuck up. Doc was correct; it was to the junior varsity band mom who obscured facts with emotion in defending her very much alive son.

 

Let me throw this out for thought:

Recently, near Gallipolis Ohio, two cops, one may have been a state trooper, were killed along with a civilian in a fiery crash.
The initial autopsy said at least one cops was drunk - VERY drunk.
Kind of hard to believe since he was coming off duty and numerous co-workers who interatced with the guy, including his boss saw no signs of drunken behavior.
The wife raised a big stink - said there was no way. Second autopsy was performed and it was determined the blood alcohol level had been artificially raised due to the instense heat of the accident.

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/4434336.html

The third paragraph of the news release is the part I'm talking about.

Doesn't excuse the guy with coke in his system .... just something to consider.

 

Far from going away, this story is...

A good no-crap column from Michele McPhee in Friday's Herald on making sure the families don't suffer for their loved one's mistakes, were they under the influence:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1036123

And from today's paper: One of the jakes was arrested for drunken driving two years ago, yet still was able to get a "hardship" license to drive to the firehouse:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1036340

 

REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOUR HOUSE IS BURNING AND YOU BASH ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS! [/pissedoffmotherofanalivefirefighterwhomissesthewholepointoftheoriginaldiscussion]

 

If my house is burning, and the firefighting prick is drunk or stoned, I'll snatch the hose and try to put it out myself. I can't do any worse than an impaired "hero."

 

In the volunteer fire service, this used to be a bigger issue. A guy is drinking at the country bar, the siren sounds, he's one of only a few on the squad, so he goes and answers it -- and sometimes drives the truck. (Kid in Pennsylvania got killed this way 10 or 15 years ago.)

I'm stunned that the BFD did not have a better handle on this. Actually, given the hackorama that any big-city first-responder force is, I guess I shouldn't be.

P.S. Hope the families do not suffer for their loved one's apparent selfishness (because if true, this was selfish behavior).

 

a city-generated report in 2000 revealed widespread alcohol and drug abuse among boston firefighters.
the report called for random testing.
testing is done in many large cities, including new york.

the mayor dropped the ball.
nothing was done - the firefighters union opposed testing - and nothing changed.
the mayor dropped the ball.

at least one of these two dead firefighters might be alive if the mayor had acted.

fish, fire departments, and cities, rot from the top.

i'm not from boston, but i know that any mayor in office for 14 years needs to abdicate the "throne". it's not a lifetime job.

 

So are you saying the problem is Boston?

 

Run someone and beat him
(This has been a message from Democracy.
You may be familiar with our work.)

 

Richard J. and Richard M. Daley just laughed at you.

 

Doesn't matter. The fact is one guy one drunk. The other guy was high.
They had no business trying to put out a fire. Could a random test prevented that from happening? You don't know and to assume such a thing is crazy. Guys get high every day and pass piss tests.