Man, talk about sticklers for rules, this is ridiculous; a Pennsylvania firefighter suspended for not removing an American flag sticker from his locker says he’ll fight it to the bitter end. James Krapf of Chester, Pennsylvania has been suspended from the job because he violated department policy that says personal items can only be displayed inside lockers.
The ban on personal items displayed on the front of firehouse lockers came when some complained of a cartoon that they found racially insulting. Imagine that. So most of the firefighters went to peeling and scraping all stickers and posters off of their lockers; James Krapf said he felt like his sticker of the American flag would be exempt from the rule. He was wrong.
Krapf says that his chief asked him to remove the flag sticker and he respectfully told the chief that he wasn’t taking it down. The chief immediately asked him to vacate the premises. I guess firefighters are a dime a dozen in Chester, Pennsylvania since this firefighter was suspended for such a outlandish rule.
Hope the people of Chester realize what’s truly important to the chief, stupid draconian rules about stickers and political correctness rather than public safety and protecting the community; this is of course the real job of firefighters everywhere.
Krapf has asked for a meeting with the Fire Commissioner and the Mayor of Chester to discuss the matter further. The Firefighters union also plans to negotiate on James Krapfs behalf over the silly issue.
The Fire Commissioner claims the symbolism of the sticker is not the issue, citing the fact that the firefighters wear the American Flag on their uniforms. He says the only issue is the decal itself.
Here’s an idea, how about a rule that says no “offensive” stickers or posters on your locker. Common sense says that a firefighter putting an American Flag sticker on his locker isn’t offensive. Then again I’m writing a story about a firefighter suspended because of an American Flag sticker. Guess that throws the whole common sense argument out of the burning building now doesn’t it?
October 19th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Unreal..This is not about a flag, or a fireman’s stance. It is about a bunch of firemen playing blackie against whitey. The dept should save face by calling the flag what it is; a symbol and not a personal item, and our public officials should go back to work…the whole department needs to go back to work, and quit wasting time, and the taxpayors money….or they should go work elsewhere where such b/s will be tolerated.