GLBT FIREFIGHTER/EMS ISSUES, CONCERNS & INFO

[bluepride]

Gay Firefighter "Killed Himself After 15 Years Bullying At Work"

Great Britain:
A man is seeking damages from a fire service after his civil partner killed himself after allegedly suffering 15 years of homophobic bullying and harassment at work.

The man, who cannot be named, committed suicide on January 28th, days before his hearing was due to start.

It is claimed he had been subject to discrimination and abuse from colleagues since coming out 15 years ago.

The complainant alleged he had been passed over for promotion and that colleagues would stuff his uniform and boots with gay porn, making it difficult for him to go out on call quickly.

He was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and forced to retire early after 27 years of service.

The man had been in a heterosexual relationship for the first half of his years of service, but alleged that problems only began when he came out as gay.

His partner is contending that the "discriminatory" treatment he received contributed to the mental health issues that led to his death.

Anne Gadd, of Gay Lawyers, the dedicated LGBT division of Giambrone Law, said the dead man's partner was seeking "substantial" damages.

She said: "To lose your partner in this way is horrendous. He wants acknowledgment and justice for what happened and recognition for this terrible wrong."

The hearing has been postponed for reasons unrelated to the case.

The parties cannot be named due to legal reasons.

A survey of firefighters released last year found that a third of respondents had experienced bullying or harassment in the previous 12 months and a quarter said they had been verbally abused.

There was also evidence of discrimination by individuals against work colleagues on grounds of age, gender, sexuality and race.

Last month, minister Sadiq Khan, who has responsibility for Fire and Rescue Services in England, wrote to chief fire officers encouraging them to take action by joining Stonewall's Diversity Champions Programme.

Mr Khan's call was backed by the the Fire and Rescue Service's associations and unions.

"If we are to attract and recruit the best people to the Fire and Rescue Service from the widest pool of talent then all must know that they are welcome, that there is equality of opportunity and they will be treated with dignity and respect," said Mr Khan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Gay Firefighter "Killed Himself After 15 Years Bullying At Work"

[infireguy911]

wow....I have no doubt what he went through is true and not exaggerated. Being on a small suburban midwest department myself, I know just how homophobic the fire service can be (not to mention many other services too). Living with 3-4 guys every 3 days for 24 hours, you get to know exactly what you can and can not discuss with them, not to mention you get to see their true self. Homophobia, at least at my department, is very very strong. That is one of just many reasons that I feel it best not to be out...the harassment, jokes and discrimination would be endless in my opinion.

This story saddens me to no end....to see that his "brothers in arms" forced him to feel that there was no end in sight and that that was his only option is beyond words. The core philosophy of the fire service is "everyone goes home" "protect the brothers" "do the right thing" "keep the faith" "for the members" just to name a few....and this goes against everything the fire service stands for...we are supposed to save lives...not make someone take their own, especially a brother firefighter's own life....it almost makes me ashamed to be called a firefighter, but then I think...wait a minute...THEY are the ones who should not be called firefighters!!

I hope his surviving partner wins this case and that those who are linked to the harassment and degrading behavior are served the appropriate justice they so deserve.

Hopefully they will no longer be able to call themselves Brother Firefighters....as they don't deserve it!

OK..I need to end this post before I get even madder than what I am....thanks for letting me rant and vent.

I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he was trapped in a fire...would they even have saved him??

Dave
EGH FTM PTB
www.foolsinternational.com

[TheBear]

THANK YOU, Infireguy911,

Awareness / Acceptance are most certainly painfully slow in making progress in many areas and departments. Yes, we have come a long way in overall society but OH MY are there still dark-age areas still around us.

Suicide in our ranks is a much more frequent tragedy for LGBT persons than the general larger community. Statistics, I believe, are woefully short in reporting actual and true numbers.

For those who are going to be able to attend the TOGETHER IN DIVERSITY Conference (the 2009 LEGAL International Conference) in Palm Springs the first week in September, there is a workshop listed in the agenda that addresses Suicide in the Ranks.

For ANYONE who is struggling with severe Depression or is having ANY SUICIDAL IDEATIONS[/i], PLEASE send me a PM private message here on the BluePride site... or send me an email at... [e-mail]

DO NOT suffer in silence. We can get you help. We can help you feel better.

"Bear"

Mark Hartness, LSPT, SDC, PBSP, retired
MS, Grief and Bereavement Counseling
MS, Pastoral Thanatology

FT, CT, CPE

Thanatology / Traumatology

The CARE is in the CARING
____________________________________

[flblue09]

Gene intended this to posted (he accidently sent it to me as a message) ... ...

Hello Blue Pride and thanks for the kind greetings!

FIREFLAG/EMS has grown so large its hard to be remembered sometimes. But, I go to the annual Christmas party and, thanks to the current President, Mike, I get a warm welcome from all. I am always especially happy and encouraged to be greeted by the probies who thank me for my early efforts. Too, I am glad there are more and more "out" firefighter/ems people.

FIREFLAG/EMS is a professional, FDNY recognized fraternal line organiation, and is involved with test prep, recruitment, in service support, is introduced at the academy as a fraternal line organization, and involved with the LGBT community in general. From the very begining, we never insisted that anyone "like" us, but did and continue to expect the professional respect shown other professional fraternities in NYC.

I think its easier to be an "out" gay firefighter now. The city's attitudes and those of peers are more progressive than years ago. I have always said ... be a good firefighter and prove you know the job - you'll get the respect of the your superiors and peers. In the early days Tome jeans, Carroll Hunter and many others from GOAL were my sources of support, advice and encouragement. I'll always be grateful to them. Thanks too for remembering me here on Blue Pride. I am proud of what I, Tom Ryan, Billy V. and others have accomplished over the years.

Be safe out there and keep in touch.... [e-mail].

[bluepride]

Dano,

Thanks for posting this for Gene! You guys are class acts all the way!

[bluepride]

Monterey Park fire chief sues city; alleges discrimination because she is gay

The city's first female fire chief has sued the city, alleging she was discriminated against and forced out of her job because she's a gay woman.
In her lawsuit filed Thursday, Chief Cathleen Orchard alleges the City Council and firefighter's union conspired to undermine her authority and force her out.

Orchard is still the city's fire chief, although she has not returned to work since she experienced "chest pains and high blood pressure" on June 5, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims her medical condition was a result of "wrongful conduct by Council members."

Orchard's salary is $13,192 a month, city officials said. They declined to say if she has collected that salary since she went on leave. If so, the city would have paid her more than $100,000.

The lawsuit does not specify how much money Orchard is seeking.

"... Councilmembers are acting in concert with and under improper influence from the Fire Association, and this was an orchestrated plan to force (Orchard) from her position, based on her gender and sexual orientation," Orchard's lawsuit alleges.

Orchard's Burbank-based attorney, Diana Ratcliff, did not return calls for comment. Ratcliff's secretary said the attorney was out of town.

Read article: Monterey Park fire chief sues city; alleges discrimination because she is gay

[bluepride]

Firefighter Sues City, Says He Was Harassed For Being Gay

Steven Saunders always dreamed of becoming a firefighter, like his father and grandfather—but he says that dream crashed and burned after his fellow White Plains firefighters learned he was gay.

“Being a firefighter is very much a part of his identity and he feels really betrayed by his fellow firefighters,” said the White Plains resident’s lawyer, Debra Cohen who is jointly representing him with civil rights attorney Randolph McLaughlin and the law offices of Lori Sullivan. “The whole relationship between firefighters is built on a foundation of trust, and he feels like an important part of his life has been taken away from him.”

The 43-year-old father of three is suing the city, various departments and its employees for what he described as his continual suffering of harassment in a hostile work environment, due to the unauthorized outing of his sexual orientation. A situation he claims supervisors never sought to remedy, despite his requests.

Read article: Firefighter Sues City, Says He Was Harassed For Being Gay

[infireguy911]

well I won't comment on the specifics of this case since I only know what has been written....but I can believe parts of it though....unfortunately I have found in my experiences that the fire service is very homophobic I just hope it turns out as well as can be for all involved

[bluepride]

I saw the guy on the news last night and he seemed pretty genuine. He seems to understand all about being thick skinned and all that but he made some good points about going over the line. He also said that he wanted to let his children know that it's ok to just be who you are, whether you're straight, gay or..."martian" (his words!). Seemed like a good guy.

[bluepride]

Gay firefighters in London Pride boycott

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans firefighters say they will refuse to march with London Fire Brigade in the capital’s Pride parade next weekend.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union say they are boycotting the brigade’s usual place in the parade over a range of equality issues.

A statement from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claimed there had been a “year of regression” on LGBT issues, including the brigade withdrawing from the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

The union also claimed there had been “successive disengagement” with LGBT staff and that progress has “stagnated”.

In response, London Fire Brigade said its commitment to LGBT issues was “as strong as ever”.

Union member firefighters from across the UK will march in the July 2nd parade in the union section.

Read article: Gay firefighters in London Pride boycott

[edmontongreg]

Frick - i hate when stuff happens on my birthday....especially when it is related to me (except for niece being born). Fire guys at my house appear to be adapting ok. Some won't, but then we weren't close anyway

[bluepride]

Openly gay firefighter breaks stereotypes

Are you a man who thinks sports are boring, loves the color pink, or dresses like Cher at the Oscars on Saturday nights? Well then, you must be gay. Those are the rules, right? And if you can’t slide your feminine figure into those stereotypes whelp, you must be straight!

Those are the kinds of cliché assumptions that drive men and women all over the world to run from who they are. Brett Dunckel is one of the men fighting back against the heavy-handed stereotypes that weighed on him, crushing him into hiding.

Dunckel is an openly gay Firefighter Paramedic in Fort Lauderdale who had spent the majority of his life ambivalent about who he was.

“I didn’t know anyone who was gay,” he says. “I only knew stereotypes but didn’t identify with any of them.”

In absence of a sexual identity, Brett threw himself into service work. He did the Firefighter Explorers as a kid, and then became a lifeguard. The City of Deerfield was the first to hire him as a firefighter. He experienced all the traditional ice breakers of a new job. Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? He just kept coming up with excuses not to answer.

Dunckel eventually went online to search for others like him; people who wore a badge for a living yet hid their life from it. He ended up discovering Oasis Magazine, a cross between a blog, Q&A, articles, and other writings written by gay people.

“It helped me see that I wasn’t alone. I wanted to be one of those authors.” After reading through Oasis and finally addressing who he was, it clicked. “This was my identity. I finally felt whole.” He knew he had to tell his family.

“I wrote a letter. I was still living at home so I left it out and went to work a 24 hour shift. I checked my phone all day but had no responses. I found it really strange.” He worried that maybe his parents hadn’t read it.

Finally Dunckel’s parents explained that they were fearful of the adversity he would face, and at first there was still a lot of apprehension with his father.

Read article: Openly gay firefighter breaks stereotypes

[edmontongreg]

Well this has to be the place for this. I was on a training course for the past two weekends in a town South East of here. There is new money for area training, our department was lumped in with other departments in Central East Alberta.

Anyway, a little perspective here, Alberta is the most conservative Province in Canada, they'd vote Republican over and over again, and then bitch. The area I live in is affected by Edmonton, this is a liberal oasis in the middle of all the right wingnuts.

One of the Southern departments in our are borders on the Holy Roller christian portion of the province. They have no use for gays, they frequently refer to the 'Lake of Fire' as punishment for being gay.

There were five guys from our department and the other 9 were from the South. At the beginning you didn't know what anyone's full time job was, just that they were volunteer firefighters.

The training was pretty risk, controlling burning fuels, gas or liquid form. This involved getting up close and personal with the fire, to turn a valve off. It required teamwork and lot of safety.

The first weekend was OK, everyone got along, we had issues with the backup man not pulling his weight, a common fire problem, the guy holding hose just aims the nozzle, the guy right behind him is facilitating his aim. In other words he is moving the hose, at 475 kpa that is job.

One guy, who I had backed up a few times gave me some advice. He was a full time Highway Patrol officer and a volunteer firefighter. He kind of looked like a guy I went to school with, who was my best friend (he later joined the RCMP). So anyway, I never hit on the guy, but I did talk to him.

I thought he was like the Highway Patrol in the rest of the province, delegated for traffic offenses but defer to RCMP on the Criminal Code stuff. Doing the job I do I knew what to ask. He said they were delegated for everything, this was weird. But hey, he has a gun. This guy also rode a motorcycle and he was looking for people to ride with (he was about my age, single).

We stayed in the town as it was 3 hours from our town, so did the highway patrol guy and his co-worker. The town was small, it had one restaurant and then there was food available in the bars in the hotels. So we bumped into them a lot.

The second weekend was completely different from the first. First off, three of the five from Vegreville rode down on bikes, the other guys came in a van with the equipment. Vegreville is the largest town in the area. The other 4 guys in our group didn't seem to want to hang out with the other guys, this may have been a factor, I don't know.

Saturday morning, I said hi to the Highway Patrol office, he didn't even make eye contact, he walked past me to the classroom. Another guy, who was my buddy for equipment checks the previous weekend was cold as well. Normally fire guys always have on fire t-shirts. 'Buddy' had a a blue shirt with no fire logo, on the back it had 'Exit Only' and an arrow pointing down to his ass. He wore this shirt both days. Highway patrol's buddy (not highway patrol) would talk to me. There were about five of them there, I found out. The supervisor was the Chief of one of the departments.

Anyway, for this past weekend I felt like i had the plague. A conversation would end, or move away from me if I was near.

When we were doing hose practicing for the most part I was invisible, the highway patrol guy corrected me on something he thought i was doing wrong. Although the others were doing the same thing. But I adjusted.

We had the practical test in the afternoon on Sunday. I hate tests, my adrenaline was moving fast, I was on safety nozzle for first of what were to be 7 runs. It started off just as planned, Teacher gave the thumbs up for my position. One of the attack nozzles lost pressure from 475 so we had to back out. They decided to change the nozzle with mine, this was fun, on air (SCBA). Got it done. Sweating really bad now.

We got through the first run. I rotated to another position. The evaluator wanted anyone involved 'on air'. On 3rd run i was backup to attack. We were just about to start and my low pressure valve goes off. I had used up my air, I ran to the compressor room to refill. Basically anything that could have gone wrong, went wrong for me. I did fill the tank in record time and reported back. The evaluator noticed.

The practical test ended when a real fire occurred at a feed mill and they had to grab our pumper.

Anyway, I thought of this on the ride back and will probably think about this some more. i really think that the 'cold shoulder' was gay related. Somehow, one of these guys had checked with someone one the blue grapevine about me.

I just wanted to say, that no matter how good any of the other guys were, if we had a joint department fire with them, i would not want any of them backing me up.

My fellow department guys were probably oblivious to this. They are all Type A and wanted 100% on the written test, they were always studying (70% was pass). One of them was master of the what if's anyway.

Highway patrol is probably a closeted gay guy or extremely homophobic (net result the same).

Inn two weeks I am back down there for training, in interior firefighting. This it the one where your buddy drags you to a safe place - the practical involves a burning structure, practice does too.

[bluepride]

Sounds like the gossip mill might've been at work here. It's possible. I think firefighters, like cops, are the biggest gossips. Stories spread and take on a life of their own whether the stories are true or not. That goes for gay stories as well as every other type of gossip material.

Off the top of my head I would say that if this training is still ongoing, be the best of all of the guys who are taking part. You get paid to work and train with them. You don't live with them. I always used to think that when I had rough times with co-workers. And it's true. It's great to be part of the crowd and be one of the boys, so to speak. But it isn't like that all the time for us, in some cases. Hopefully, by the end of your training, they'll be sucking up to you because they don't do as well as you. And of course, then you just walk away from them and mutter, "It's what I do". And leave them standing and scratching their heads. Because they're not as good or as capable as you.

[edmontongreg]

Thanks for the feedback. I figured out who the gossip mill was, or I have a pretty good idea anyway.

Background on the training, I have been a firefighter for 5 years. There was no dollars for this training and no apparent will to give it. Then the big fires happened and the Government found the money. Some of this stuff we should have had within the first year.

Highway patrol guy is a Deputy Chief in his department, probably hoping to be the Chief. Thinking about this more, the C or DC has an obligation to be non-biased. If there is a perception of bias and something goes wrong - they are screwed - the proverbial Buck stops there. Unlike the US, Canada has hate crime legislation in the Canadian Criminal Code (we are not 50 separate countries). Sexual orientation is in there.

I think that highway patrol had a not so nice t-shirt on and no balls to show it. He had a spring jacket zippered up all the time - even when it was warm.

A friend at work, immigration job says i am over analyzing this and it is building up. I agree, but I do not have people to speak with about this. As I posted in my blog, I am alone. I have been so since coming all the way out. I have no support system, no one to rationalize with. I have to do this myself. i fear that it has gone far enough that I do not want to trouble any of my acquaintances be they friends or family, with it.