Calvert Scanner - A lot going on !

[FireBuff40]

1. Any member accused of a minor offense that requires action beyond extra duty / work detail, or suspension of seven (7) days or more, may be brought before the Line Officers Hearing Board. Line Officers shall have the right to suspend a member for a minor offense not to exceed seven (7) days without a Line Officers Hearing.

2. At Least three (3), line officers, and the Chief must be present to constitute a Line Officers Hearing Board.

3. Should the Charges be brought by a line officer, that line officer shall not be permitted to act as a member of the Line Officers Hearing Board.

4. The Chief shall have the authority to suspend the accused until a hearing before the line officers for a period no to exceed seven (7) days, or if the said charges are referred to the Trial Board, for a period not to exceed fifteen (15) days.

5. All decisions of the Line Officers Hearing Board will be by Majority vote.

6. The accused member has the right to appeal to a Trial Board, the decision of a Line Officers Hearing Board. The Member who has been charged will have seven (7) days to file their appeal in writing to the President. The Trial Board may reverse the decision or uphold the decision. The member making the appeal will be notified of the decision within seven (7) days.

7. Any member who has a Line Officers hearing or Trial Board pending and through mediation of the Chief and / or President is able to bring resolution to any charges or problems the hearing may be cancelled by authority of the Chief and / or President. A written notice bearing signatures of all involved parties will be forwarded to the appropriate board and the matter will be listed as concluded.

1. When a member is accused of being in violation of any article of this constitution and By-Laws, station rules and Regulations, or the order of a company officer which are major in nature, written charges shall be filed with the Secretary who shall forward the charges to the President to call a special meeting of the Board of Directors to act as a Trial Board.

2. Also at the discretion of the President any hearing appeal may be forwarded to the Board of Directors to act as a Trial Board.

3. The Board of Directors shall be designated as the Trial Board to investigate and determine the outcome on the pending charge(s).

4. Six (6) Members of the Board of Directors must be present in order to constitute a Trial Board.

5. The accused shall be given at least seven (7) days notice of the time and place of the scheduled Trial Board Hearing. The Secretary shall furnish the accused member with a copy of the charges so that the member may prepare their defense, and shall be accorded full opportunity to be present at this hearing.

6. All Persons involved in pending charges shall be present at the Trial Board Hearing.

7. If for any reason the accused / charged member should fail to appear without good reason or notification, the Board will accept their absence as a proven plea of guilty.

8. If for any reason the person(s) filing the charges should fail to appear without good reason or notification, the charges will be dismissed.

9. If the charges involve a member of the Board of Directors, that member will not be permitted to act as a member of the Trial Board Hearing.

10. The trial board may if It believes charges have been falsely or maliciously place, placed for personal reasons not involving charges made, may place charges, suspend or expel the charging member.

11. The Trial Board upon completion of the hearing will determine the appropriate disciplinary action for the member, if required. This may include suspension or expulsion from this department.

12. All decisions of the Trial Board shall be by majority vote.

13. The actions of the Trial Board in no way preclude or exclude any actions that may be taken by The Prince Georges County Fire & EMS Department, Any Police Agency or Legal Authority.

14. Any member who has a Line Officers hearing or Trial Board pending and through mediation of the Chief and / or President is able to bring resolution to any charges or problems the hearing may be cancelled by authority of the Chief and / or President. A written notice bearing signatures of all involved parties will be forwarded to the appropriate board and the matter will be listed as concluded.

 

[kom526]

Does being a "loyal volunteer" also mean standing around on a beach while others are in danger? If he responded as a private citizen what recourse would the FD have had? None. If he responded WITH the FD the I can understand their actions but it seems to me that this was not the case.

FB40-Stick to posting weather reports and scanner transcription and leave your holier than thou super volunteer attitude elsewhere.

If a dept. is going to have a rescue craft (Zodiac) it would help if they knew how to back into the water, doncha think? Also, like MMdad said a Zodiac isn't going to sink if the plug is out.

 

[FireBuff40]

Does being a "loyal volunteer" also mean standing around on a beach while others are in danger? If he responded as a private citizen what recourse would the FD have had? None. If he responded WITH the FD the I can understand their actions but it seems to me that this was not the case.

FB40-Stick to posting weather reports and scanner transcription and leave your holier than thou super volunteer attitude elsewhere.

Super Volunteer??? hahaha thats the funniest thing I've heard all week, he got what was given to him. First off I wouldnt enter a waterway if I didnt have proper training. He also stated that his department just stood around. Its all a he said she said deal. Maybe his fellow volunteers didnt have the appropriate training. We dont even know his training certifications. The only reason why I wrote the email, was to let the officers know that there is a problem and he shouldnt have been talking trash about his own department. They did what they thought was appropriate.

 

[kom526]

Super Volunteer??? hahaha thats the funniest thing I've heard all week, he got what was given to him. First off I wouldnt enter a waterway if I didnt have proper training. He also stated that his department just stood around. Its all a he said she said deal. Maybe his fellow volunteers didnt have the appropriate training. We dont even know his training certifications. The only reason why I wrote the email, was to let the officers know that there is a problem and he shouldnt have been talking trash about his own department. They did what they thought was appropriate.

Obviously they do not have the proper training b/c they had no idea about the capabilities of the Zodiac.

"Its all a he said she said deal" but you still took it upon yourself to rat out someone not in your department. I really hope that if I have the need for someone to rescue me or my family that I do not get someone so paralyzed over the fear of being suspended by the FD that they render themselves useless. But I guess there are some out there that enjoy carrying a pager and that little badge.

 

[KMPaddy2255]

Super Volunteer??? hahaha thats the funniest thing I've heard all week, he got what was given to him. First off I wouldnt enter a waterway if I didnt have proper training. He also stated that his department just stood around. Its all a he said she said deal. Maybe his fellow volunteers didnt have the appropriate training. We dont even know his training certifications. The only reason why I wrote the email, was to let the officers know that there is a problem and he shouldnt have been talking trash about his own department. They did what they thought was appropriate.

You say "Loyal" ? Doesn't that mean to be loyal to your brotherhood as firemen/women? I'm sorry, but I think he did what any normal person would do. He saved a life, and at the time with everything going on he probably didn't have much time to think! Maybe you could of talked to him, and explained to him what you thought was so wrong with the things he said. But.....reporting him to his department is just plain WRONG!

 

[BS Gal]

You say "Loyal" ? Doesn't that mean to be loyal to your brotherhood as firemen/women? I'm sorry, but I think he did what any normal person would do. He saved a life, and at the time with everything going on he probably didn't have much time to think! Maybe you could of talked to him, and explained to him what you thought was so wrong with the things he said. But.....reporting him to his department is just plain WRONG!

 

[MMDad]

.....reporting him to his department is just plain WRONG!

His department was quite aware of what was going on without FB40 getting involved. The kid was wrong to plead his case on the open forum the way he did. The FD couldn't very well respond and defend themselves.

I agree that FB40 shouldn't have come on here with his "I'm reporting you" stuff, but that doesn't change the fact that what Shawn did to start this was wrong.

 

[Junebug1]

To All,

This was a real mess, and real unprofessional for all involved . It shows that there is a real problem with getting the call out to the correct responders. And lives could have really been lost. Problem 1: I don't understand why FD 2 was the first responder when they are not prepared for a water rescue? Problem 2: I don't know why the Zodiac wasn't launched? I heard??? "no plug" and I also heard that the old access/ramp road was blocked by another vehicle. I do know that it is impossible to launch the boat from this old road since this ramp has been gone for at least 15 years and there is nothing there but 20?? huge boulders. There is NO WAY that the trailer would have gotten over these boulders the tires would have fallen between the boulders and it would have gotten stuck. There needs to be an immediate review of the water access roads/ramps. They need to make sure that they are accessible. The "Zodiac" responders need to know where the access ports are to the water. This is crucial and they may be needed to save lives. The Zodiac could probably have been launched from the beach grassy area or from the Dares Beach ramp. (This is something that really needs to be fixed.) All the kids that were in the water had to walk back approx. 1/2 mile or so (1 was given a ride on a 4-wheeler) They were not assisted, they were freezing and sooo tired they were not given anything dry, shirts, blankets , etc.. anything....It really makes a community wonder.

"Thank God for North Beach coming to the rescue. And picking up the other 4 kids!"

Now that's my outlook on the way this was handled by the emergency responders.

As far as Shawn and the other 5 that jumped in to rescue thier friends, there wasn't anytime to think, they all reacted! A few teenagers tried calling for help, which is a phione issue, they were panicking as it was taking a long time, they saw their friends drowning and they were scared, so they REACTED. I understand Shawn being so upset over this as he wasn't trying to do anything WRONG he was trying to HELP. He was not on call! He was not acting on behalf of the FD. He was reacting as a member of Bayside Forest and just wanted to help. He was just another kid at the beach that DID help rescue the kids. For that he should not be dammed, He is a 16 year old boy that did not set out to violate the FD regulations. He wanted to Help and he is very upset that his position with the FD has been terminated. Give him a break, he's a young man, that really has good intentions. He really didn't believe that he did anything wrong. He just wanted and did HELP! I now understand why FD-2 didn't save the day "They are not water responders!" Maybe the county/FD should look into something about this, as they may be called again and be the first responders onsight.

It could be you or your child/ren that need to be saved one day!

Again, Thanks to the Angels that were on the beach May 26.
All of the kids are safe!

God Bless You Shawn.




My apologies to Shawn he is a young boy that has good intentions, that did react and for this he should be congratulated NOT bashed. And no I'm not blaming anyone! All I want

 

[Junebug1]

We need PAID firefighters in our county. I know as my house caught fire in May 2006 and there wasn't even a driver for the fire truck at the fire department. Thank God for neighbors. They put the fire out before Company 2 could even get the truck out!! Thank God for our volunteers but we also need paid personnel!

 

[redneck_woman]

This is from our By-Laws.......

1. Any member in violation of any article of the Constitution and By-Laws, Station Rules, or Failure to obey a lawful order of an officer may be subject to Disciplinary Actions.

2. Disciplinary Actions can range from additional work details / extra duty or suspension for minor offences up to expulsion from the department for major offences.

3. Work details / Extra Duty will be at the discretion of the charging officer and approved by the Chief and / or President for first time or minor offenses

4. Suspension of a member by an officer shall not exceed seven (7) days and will be approved by the Chief and / or President. Any suspension longer than seven (7) days will only be done by the Chief and / or President Only.

5. Any offense which warrants further disciplinary action will be by either a Line Officers hearing, or by The Board of Directors sitting as a Trial Board. Repeated offenses may warrant a trial board hearing.

6. Any minor offense that warrants action other than work detail / extra duty, or suspension of seven (7) days or more will get a written notice, and acknowledgement. The notice will be placed in the member’s personnel folder and may be removed after two (2) years have passed.

7. Any Offense that is major in nature will ONLY be handled by the Trial Board. A copy of the charges and written acknowledgement will be permanently placed in the members’ folder.

8. A copy of all written charges and any previous decisions will be forwarded to the Chief and / or President to determine if any further action is needed. Any further action may be continued as part of the previous actions, or separate from previous actions. The Chief and President may recommend additional actions.

9. Any member, who is suspended twice in a twelve (12) month period, or within twelve (12) months of a previous suspension, must appear before the Board of Directors. This must be done after the second suspension, and before any further action is taken, their membership status reinstated, and / or they are expelled

SECTION II – EXPLANATION OF TERMS

1. WORK DETAIL OR EXTRA DUTY - The Member will be assigned extra duties or a work detail as punishment for violation of company rules and regulations, Constitution and By-Laws, or disobeying an order given by an officer of the department that is minor in nature and not a repeated offense. Work details can be any reasonable work that is not in the normal scope of their duties to the department.

2. SUSPENSION - You are suspended from the Department for a specific Period of time. You are not allowed on fire department property or to participate in company activities. At the expiration thereof, you shall automatically be restored to your original status.

3. EXPELLED / DISMISSED - You are no longer a member of the Department; you will be expected to turn in to a chief officer all property of the department and the Prince Georges County Fire Department. After the expiration of one (1) year from the date of your expulsion, you may apply for re-admission by completing a new Membership Application.

4. MINOR OFFENSES are those that are not deliberate or meant to bring discredit or harm to the department, its’ members or the public, and those that are not malicious in nature.

5. MAJOR OFFENSES are those that are deliberate in action or words, meant to bring discredit or harm to the department, its’ members, or the public, and those that are malicious in nature.

And you obey each and every By-Law....I really find that hard to believe.

 

[KMPaddy2255]

We need PAID firefighters in our county. I know as my house caught fire in May 2006 and there wasn't even a driver for the fire truck at the fire department. Thank God for neighbors. They put the fire out before Company 2 could even get the truck out!! Thank God for our volunteers but we also need paid personnel!

I live in North Beach, and my Grandmother lives in Chesapeake Beach. About a year or more ago she fell in the bathroom, and her leg started to bleed. She couldn't get the bleeding to stop, so she called 9-1-1! The first ones to arrive on the scene was the Naval Bases Paid Firefighters. They were always the first responders to almost any scene, and a great group of people. They actually shut that section down, and from what I understand it was unfair. The local towns wanted them to stay, and even North Beach Fire Department wanted them to stay also.

 

[shawn2]

thanks to all of you that agree with me and also feel my pain. wasn't trying to break any rules at the department i just saw four teenagers in the water screaming for help. and i am one of those people that would help anyone. i would risk my life tosave somebody elses. I would have jumped in the water either way probably. i can not just sit back and watch. Now that ithink back and everybody that was there, we could have changed a few things. i could of gotten a life ring from the pool or got a rope or something but i was not think about safety at the time. i ws think about getting the teens out of the cold water.

 

[butterfly08]

Firebuff - You need to grow up. I think this was totally wrong of you. We come on these forums and are able to speak our minds and we don't need tattle-tails like you running back and saying what we said. This was inappropriate and you should be banned.

Definately childish...

 

[AK-74me]

What did firebuff do? :SLAM?

 

[Bay_Kat]

What did firebuff do? :SLAM?

http://forums.somd.com/life-southern-maryland/142996-scanner-people.html

 

[keepsmiling]

http://forums.somd.com/life-southern-maryland/142996-scanner-people.html

Found that interesting!!! So basically he came here to cause trouble. A young man comes in here to talk and maybe find some answers and this idiot takes it upon himself to send a letter to Company 2.....Ok I think I have it now. Good luck to the young man from Prince Frederick, you will be able to follow your dream as a firefighter, just ignore the idiots like this guy. You weren't on duty that day and that's what I don't get, how come you are getting suspended when you were off duty, in your own neighborhood and going in to help a friend, why are you getting suspended for that let alone being asked to leave the department? Plenty of departments in St. Mary's and Calvert that would love to have a young kid giving up his free time protecting others and not expecting nothing in return.

Watch and learn from the firefighters who have been doing it for awhile, and you will learn. Respect them and they will teach you an awful lot. Best of luck.

A good firefighter is one who has patience to teach the young new firefighters.....

 

[shawn2]

thanks you for the support and yes i am igorning the idoits . he was really starting to tick me off.i am going to another department in calvert and they said that they could not believe that they would do something like that so i appreitate that back up

 

[Bay_Kat]

thanks you for the support and yes i am igorning the idoits . he was really starting to tick me off.i am going to another department in calvert and they said that they could not believe that they would do something like that so i appreitate that back up

 

[Junebug1]

Follow Up to Story

Update in Calvert Recorder today...
Near-drowning sparks criticisms of water rescue plans

 

[eng69ine]

Update in Calvert Recorder today...
Near-drowning sparks criticisms of water rescue plans

Just read the article in the Recorder, so it seems to me that he should have listened to whomever was in charge, i know for a fact that if it was me, in his position I would have stayed on the beach, but what happened was his fault, and the article did say that this was not the first time he was told not to go in the water. So I'm sorry if I caused any trouble for this kid, but I would have rather the department know about it, than him getting away with it. He might be a hero to some people but he could have also became a fatality if something seriously went wrong.... My opinion