Now ex-Memphis EMTs who responded to assist Tyre Nichols on Jan. 7 failed to follow policies and procedures, Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat told city council members.
She noted that firefighters dispatched to the incident were not told it involved a seriously injured person, according to WREG.
The chief said they were sent for a person who had been pepper-sprayed and found Nichols propped up against a cruiser.
“They should have done a more thorough assessment when they were on the scene,” she said, adding that they failed to follow policies and procedures to render aid…Obviously, they did not perform at the level that we expect or at the level the citizens of Memphis deserve.”
EMT-Basic Robert Long, EMT-Advanced JaMichael Sandridge and Lt. Michelle Whitaker were fired. The lieutenant never got out the engine, reports indicated.
Prior to their termination, they were relieved of duty and placed in a remedial training program.
EMS Chief Angie Sullivan said even without viewing the video, it was determined the EMTs violated protocols.
“Any time there is a large incident we do a quick review, we will pull the documentation and do a quick review of protocols to make sure they were followed. We did that as with this case and immediately placed personnel on remediation just based on precautionary to make sure the skill level met,” Sullivan told the council.
Nichols died Jan. 10, three days after he was beaten by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop. Five officers have been charged with murder.
Travis Yeargans, who worked at six stations during his 23 years at the Kansas City Fire Department, said he was excluded from a whites-only study group when he was preparing for 2012 captain’s test.
Black civil rights activists and faith leaders on Thursday said city officials must be held accountable after a report on racism and sexism in the Kansas City Fire Department, with some saying a new chief should be brought in from outside the department.
Those reactions came a day after the Kansas City Council released the findings of a months long review of the fire department that revealed some firefighters said they have been grabbed in sexually inappropriate ways and subjected to racial slurs in the city’s fire stations.
It also found that firefighters were more careless about damaging homes in poorer neighborhoods and celebrated dangerous driving that caused crashes.
“This report substantiates claims of a racist culture in the KCFD that is perpetuated by union control over all aspects of KCFD’s operations,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City.
“The City Manager and City Council must be held accountable for allowing this dysfunctional system to persist,” Grant said. “The search for a new Fire Chief is an opportunity to bring someone in from the outside and empower that person with the tools and support needed to transform the culture.
“However, this will be impossible if the Mayor and City Council lack the courage to stand up to the union that has had a stronghold on the department for decades,” she said.
In a written statement, Interim Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said the department has and will continue to address and correct the shortcomings identified in the report. He said the document would help guide the fire department toward creating a more welcoming and inclusive workplace.
“It’s important for all organizations to take proactive measures to create a positive and inclusive work environment,” Grundyson said.
“KCFD continues its dedication to becoming a more accountable, safe, equitable, and inclusive place for all employees and members of the community. We look forward to working under the leadership of Chief Equity Officer LaDonna McCullough as we continue to create a more inclusive work environment.”
The City ordered the report after a 2020 investigation by The Star found Black firefighters and women faced systemic discrimination in the city’s fire service. The Star’s investigation named more than 20 current and former Black and women firefighters who went on the record either with reporters or in lawsuits.
Within days of publication, city officials said they were taking action by hiring two law firms to further investigate the findings of The Star’s series. The city also hired McCullough, its first chief equity officer, who is tasked with rooting out discrimination.
The city’s report, emailed to council members Wednesday, said Black and female firefighters are ostracized and their career advancement blocked if they speak out against discrimination and inappropriate behavior.
McCullough, the city’s chief equity officer, said the findings reveal the experiences of Black, female and minority firefighters inside the department.
“I believe that it is imperative that we validate the experiences of the KCFD personnel who bravely came forward and participated in the assessment process because their voices provide those of us outside of the department with an intimate view of the complex and inequitable challenges, they face each day,” she said.
In January, Donna Lake retired as the city’s fire chief and accepted a job as an assistant city manager in Lee’s Summit. Grundyson, an assistant fire chief at the time, was named interim fire chief.
Several clergy leaders said the assessment report further confirmed what Black and female firefighters had shared with them about the working conditions inside the department.
“In fact, the report clearly exposes that racial discrimination, sexual harassment, intimidation and other forms of oppression are being experienced by individuals who feel as though they have no protections, recourse, or options for justice and repair.
“Our strong encouragement to public officials that reports of this nature be performed within the KCFD stemmed from the many blatant and harmful experiences of racism and even in some cases the expression of hate which were reported to us,” he said.
The city report found the culture inside KCFD is one where bullying, intimidation and hazing are common. Many Black and female firefighters said they fear retaliation if they speak out. Women and minority firefighters are often denied promotion based on their race and gender. It is common for firefighters to tell inappropriate jokes and make slurs about a colleague’s race, gender or sexual orientation.
Eric Morrison, a minister who was brought in as a community member to work with Black firefighters and the KCFD’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, said the assessment comes after years of the fire department not being held accountable for its treatment of female and minority firefighters.
“The chickens come home to roost,” Morrison said.
Councilmember Teresa Loar said Thursday morning that she was not aware that she had received a copy of the report, and had no comment.
Mayor Quinton Lucas and other council members had not as of early Thursday afternoon responded to requests for comment on the report.
Key findings
The 163-page assessment report released by the city Wednesday was produced by third-party consultant Debra J. Jarvis Associates Consulting & Training LLC after a yearlong review that the authors said included 231 KCFD employees from different ranks and positions.
The names and identities of the participants were not included in the report. Among the report’s key findings:
▪ Firefighters treated fire scenes in low-income neighborhoods differently from those located in more affluent areas of Kansas City. Crews will sometimes tear up houses more than necessary in poorer neighborhoods, while firefighters put plastic over couches and may not chop a hole in the roof while battling fires in more expensive homes.
▪ The report said workplace safety was not stressed enough. Erratic driving that resulted in wrecks is commemorated in fire stations with plaques or pieces of wreckage on display. The department is not strict in requiring firefighters to wear protective breathing gear at fire scenes.
▪ Department members with higher seniority are recruited to block unwanted firefighters from being given assignments to specific fire stations.
▪ Female and minority firefighters believe they are required to “conform to standards of whiteness.” Black male firefighters are hesitant to say anything for fear of being labeled “an angry Black man.”
▪ Study participants complained that the two firefighter unions had too much power and influence in how the department operates.
Most department personnel are represented by International Association of Fire Fighters Local 42 and those above the rank of captain but not in upper management are represented by IAFF Local 3808.
Union members dominate the joint labor management committee that makes many of the department’s decisions, the report said.
“The over-arching perceptions and opinions of KCFD participants in this culture study are that the two IAFF Unions prevent KCFD Management from holding personnel accountable for compliance with policies and practices because they have more power and influence in daily operations practices, as well as City politics that KCFD Management,” according to the assessment report.
The Star sought comment from Local 42 and Local 3808, but neither union has issued a statement.
A jury on Tuesday found Perth Amboy and its fire department negligent in its supervision and training during the time period in which a now 44-year-old man was sexually abused by a former city firefighter, authorities said.
In 2019, the firefighter, Hugo Fleites, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the boy — who was 12 years old when the abuse began in 1998 — and two other victims and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to a statement from the man’s attorney Jay Mascolo.
Fleites was close friends with the boy’s family and molested him countless times, including being abused over 30 times in at least two former Perth Amboy firehouses, the victim testified.
He filed a lawsuit against the city on May 13, 2020. The case was litigated for over two years and proceeded to a two-week jury trial at the Middlesex County Courthouse that ended Tuesday.
In addition to finding the city negligent, the jury awarded $331,000 for the abuse that occurred in the firehouses, Mascolo said. The total amount will be increased to $450,000 under an agreement in place between the parties prior to the verdict.
“We are pleased that the jury found this public entity responsible for a lack of supervision and training that contributed to this horrible story,” Mascolo said in a statement. “Hopefully this verdict reinforces the concept to any organization that it must properly supervise all employees and facilities and train its employees as to risks and signs of child sexual abuse.”
Mascolo said the ruling was among the first of its kind since New Jersey extended its civil statute of limitations as it relates to victims of sexual abuse.
In 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy permanently expanded New Jersey’s civil statute of limitations for sexual assault. Prior to this, survivors of sexual assault had a timeframe of two years to pursue civil litigation, or, for survivors of sexual abuse during their childhood, two years after age 18.
Under the expansion, all victims of sexual assault have seven years to pursue civil action. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have until age 55 or seven years from the time that they became aware of the trauma to come forward and file a civil suit against a responsible entity.
City and fire department officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Firefighters worked tirelessly for hours to quell flames at a Bronx grocery store Thursday night.
The owner noticed the fire shortly after the store closed about 5:30 p.m., CBS reported.
“We quickly put tower ladders into operation and had hand lines in all of the exposed buildings and we prevented that from happening,” FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
Three firefighters and a civilian were injured.
He added that firefighters had to continue working from outside. Families in nearby buildings were evacuated. More than 200 fire and EMS personnel battled to stop the flames from spreading to the neighboring gas station and tire shop.
“The supermarket has a large stock of many different types of combustibles, potential flammables,” Hodgens said.
What’s left is a pile of rubble within the walls. Neighbors say they will now have to travel for another supermarket as big as that one.
Feb. 9—An explosion rocked San Francisco’s Sunset District Thursday, damaging one home so badly that it became engulfed in flames, leaving one inhabitant dead and another severely burned.
Cadaver dogs and excavators roamed the rubble of the scorched house Thursday afternoon searching for the occupant who apparently died from injuries. Officials at San Francisco Fire Department later said that crews uncovered a body in the wreckage of the destroyed home.
“The house that exploded is completely destroyed and collapsed, it totally imploded,” said Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset.
Investigators continued to probe the cause of the explosion and the fire that followed, but answers were scant as firefighters doused the final smoldering ruins and assessed the damages to other homes on the colorful 1700 block of 22nd Avenue.
Engardio said the fire was caused by a “possible gas explosion” at the home. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. officials did not directly address questions about whether its equipment sparked the incident but said surveys conducted at the residence found no evidence of gas leaks.
The incident unfolded shortly after 9 a.m., when neighborhood residents were shaken by what they described as a thunderous explosion that shattered windows and jostled houses. Soon, a column of thick black smoke rose up from the home.
Marcel Moran was parking his bike nearby when he heard the deafening blast.
“The ground shook, and you could hear glass breaking,” Moran told The Chronicle. “I immediately started seeing smoke rise from a block away.”
The explosion and clouds of smoke prompted a flood of 911 calls, officials said, dispatching firefighters to the home within minutes.
Crews arriving on scene found the house ablaze and the resident outside with “serious injuries,” SFFD spokesperson Jonathan Baxter said. Paramedics transported the person to a local hospital, where they were receiving treatment for severe burns.
Eyewitnesses told the first arriving firefighters that another person likely remained inside the house. But soon after crews arrived, the front of the home collapsed shortly before 10 a.m., preventing a search-and-rescue mission.
Firefighters then moved to prevent the flames from spreading to beyond the two adjacent houses, which both suffered extensive damage. After assessing the rapidly spreading fire, commanders sent specially trained rescue squads into the adjoining homes to ensure no one was trapped within.
The aggressive efforts left one firefighter with minor injuries, Baxter said. The injured firefighter was hospitalized and later released to recuperate at home.
“They know they are taking a great risk going inside,” Baxter said.
Officials evacuated the residents of nearby homes and no other injuries were reported.
PG&E crews were among those who responded after being called to the scene. They quickly shut off gas to the home and later began conducting a leak survey, said spokesperson Jason King. The survey did not locate any leaks, he said.
According to King, the utility company conducted a leak survey at the home in October 2022 and found no indications of a gas leak.
As night fell on the neighborhood, dogs continued searching the rubble for the missing adult, who remained “unaccounted for,” Baxter said. Officials lifted evacuation orders and Red Cross volunteers arrived to offer temporary housing to an unknown number of displaced families.
In all, about 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, a response that Baxter said likely saved many more houses.
“This fire could have engulfed an entire city block if not for the quick response of the firefighters and their extremely aggressive and tactical approach,” he said.
Chronicle staff writer Jordan Parker contributed to this report.
An Indianapolis firefighter was seriously injured in a fire Tuesday that authorities say was intentionally set.
The firefighter was taken from the scene to Eskenazi Hospital after complaining of a heat-related injury. However, doctors said his condition became more serious and he was placed in a medically induced coma, according to WTHR.
A man has been arrested for starting the fire that was brought under control in about a half hour.
Changes in FDNY leadership continue as two other deputy assistant chiefs are asking to return to previous assignments.
Deputy Chief of Safety Frank Leeb and Deputy Chief Kevin Woods are the latest high-ranking chiefs to relinquish their posts and request a return to the field.
Earlier this week, Chief of Department John ‘Jack’ Hodgens and Chief of Fire Operations John Esposito stepped aside following the demotions of Assistant Chiefs Michael Gala, Joseph Jardin and Fred Schaaf to deputy chiefs, according to the New York Daily News.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh demoted the trio without consulting Hodgens and Esposito, who usually weigh in on such decisions, according to Lt. Jim McCarthy, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers’ Association.
Kavanagh was greeted with jeers and boos as she stepped to the podium Tuesday morning during the department’s promotion ceremony.
Hodgens, on the other hand, got a rousing standing ovation that lasted several minutes. He didn’t take the podium to address the new officers as he usually does.
Leeb, who gave the keynote at last year’s Firehouse Expo, wrote in a letter requesting the move that recent changes made it impossible for him to continue in his position.
“Several changes have led me to believe that our organizational priorities are shifting away from the cornerstones of safety and training which have long protected the citizens and visitors of New York City, as well as the members of our great organization. Additionally, breaches of trust coupled with a lack of communication and transparency have further led me to this difficult decision,” according to The New York Post reporters who reviewed the letter he sent.
Leeb’s request continued: “As a servant leader, I have never placed myself before the organization and today’s decision is no different,” Leeb’s letter states. “I look forward to continuing to serve and contribute in meaningful ways. Therefore, I am respectfully requesting a return to a field assignment in my civil service title of deputy chief effective [at 9 a.m.] Monday, March 6th, 2023.
McCarthy said he wouldn’t be surprised if other deputy chiefs make similar requests.
Two state troopers and a firefighter were injured on the scene of separate crashes in Hamden and Cromwell on Wednesday morning, according to the Connecticut State Police.
There were several crashes on Wednesday morning as Connecticut saw some icy road conditions following a bout of rain on Tuesday night. There were reported injuries reported in at least four crashes on Wednesday morning, state police said.
Troopers responded to a report of a crash on Route 15 South near Exit 60 in Hamden at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday. A trooper was struck by a car while inside their cruiser, state police said. Minor injuries were reported in the crash. The highway was closed for a short amount of time.
Troopers from Troop H responded to a report of a rollover crash on Route 9 near Exit 22S in Cromwell before 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Minor injuries were reported in the crash and one person was transported to an area hospital, state police said.
While on the scene of the crash in Cromwell, a trooper and a firefighter were struck by a car while outside of their vehicles. The two responders were injured in the crash and transported to an area hospital, state police said. The off-ramp to Interstate 91 North was shut down.
“Anytime a motorist sees any emergency vehicle on the side of the road they should slow down well below the speed limit and, if safe, move over to the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle(s),” Trooper Pedro Muñiz said in a statement Wednesday.
There were also reported crashes with injuries in Meriden and Manchester on Wednesday morning, state police said.
Troopers responded to a one-car crash where the vehicle was overturned on I-691 West near Exit 5 in Meriden after 5 a.m. One person was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, state police said.
State police also responded to a one-car rollover crash in the median of I-84 East near Exit 62 in Manchester before 7 a.m. There were serious injuries reported in the crash, but the extent of the injuries is unknown at this time, state police said.
Muñiz said drivers should slow down and “ditch all distractions” when faced with icy conditions as the state saw on Wednesday.
