Here’s The Scoop……Bending VFD The Rules…….
May 12, 2009 by Barbara
RULES….WHAT RULES?….
Dear Readers…For those who caught the May 12,2009 Commission meeting…you may have heard BFF Commissioner “Jimmy-Boy” Silverstone giving his take on whether or not the VFD firefighters could speak to any Commissioner without repercussions…..
This came after Commissioner Dodd asked the question of VFD Chief Perkins…..and Chief Perkins assured the Commissioner that they could…”absolutely”…
Comm. Silverstone who has noticeably become the “pit bull” on the dais of late ..(with his” teeth snarling” remarks like he’s going for the jugular)….needed to rectify the statement the Chief made……due to what we hear took place at the Monday night VFD member’s monthly meeting…
We hear the Vice Mayor/Deputy Chief imposed upon the members the threat of being fired from the department if it was discovered that any member was speaking to any Commissioner!…Fearing the Deputy Chief it is also said this ultimatum passed!…
If this is indeed what took place…the Chief’s remarks in response to Comm. Dodd would be direct conflict with the decision made at that VFD meeting…. OOPS!…
Leave it to the BFF of the alleged perpetrator of this fearmongering to have his pal’s back…when “Jimmy-boy” brought up the VFD Constitution and the “Chain of Command”…..HMMMM….
How is this acceptable? …It gives the “2-Hats” the right to speak to the VFD members but not the 3 other Commissioners…Looks like a conflict …a conflict that should call for either a resignation from the VFD or a resignation from the Commission…unless it is immediately rescinded!…
When you think about the VFD and their Constitution, By-laws and Standard Operating Policies…they tend to bend the rules rather than follow them…
You may recall the one that was previously posted that states on page 80, Article 2, section 9…. ‘No Officer shall hold any publicly elected office in Town’….
But the “2-Hats” Commissioners/VFD members decided it did not apply to McIntee and they held a special meeting where they decided to go ahead and ignore their own rules…giving the Vice Mayor a “pass”on the rule and voting him in as Deputy Chief!…
Unfortunately ….they continue to be bent…..for McIntee…..
Previously posted…5/4/09 a suicide in the north end of town…in Bel Air….a resident shot himself and a call went out …This writer obtained the BSO incident report yesterday…and found in the narrative a most disturbing discovery….
‘LS09-05-00054
Treijs, Guntis 9714
On 05/04/09 I responded to xxxx SE 15th Ct. in the Town of Lauderdale By The Sea., in reference to the call of shots fired, possible suicide attempt. Upon arrival, I observed a Voluntary Fire Department’s (VFD) vehicle in the driveway. I met with the Complainant xxxxx, xxxxxx and VFD Assisitant Chief Jerry McIntee inside the house, talking in the living room. xxxxx, xxxxxx advised that her husband xxxxx, xxxxxx just shot himself and is in the master bedroom at the end of the hallway.
Dep. Pickell, Dep. Eason and I went back to the master bedroom, where I observed a white male xxxxx,xxxxxx laying on his back in bed, with a shotgun to the right from his head. There was a large quantity of blood behind subject’s head. xxxxxx arms were trembling. I immediately secured the handgun in the trunk of my patrol vehicle. American Medical Response medics arrived at 1716hrs and started CPR on the subject, transporting the subject to the North Broward Medical Center at 1738hrs, followed by Dep. Hincken.
Crime scene log maintained by Dep. Eason. BSO Crime Scene Detective Hawkins responded at 1820hrs, weaponwas turned over to the crime scene unit. Broward Sheriff’s Offcie Victim Advocate Ruby Ferguson responded to the scene at 1939hrs to assist the family.
There is no call history at this address per dispatcher. The gun was checked on teletype, there was no record for the gun as per records teletype. BSO Aggravated felonies Det. Mellies responded at 1749hrs and Homicide Det. Carmody responded at 1925hrs to the scene. Copy of this repoert was forwarded to the BSO Homicide Division.’
It was signed by Officer Treijs and his Supervisor Sgt. Palmer….
LBTS-VFD STANDARD OPERATING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES….
801 EMS RESPONSE
VIII SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE CALLS
2) VIOLENCE
‘On EMS assistance calls such as attempted suicides, gun shot wounds, etc, when instructed to by dispatch, or by a LBTS-VFD Officer, responding members shall remain outside and away from the immediate scene until law enforcement arrives and has requested assistance.’
‘ Always make sure your scene is safe. Your safety always comes first.’
‘ Do not approach any unsafe or questionable scene until the police have approved our entry.’
‘ Plan, Observe and React on all scenes’
BC- According to this BSO incident report….the BSO Deputy found Vice Mayor/Dep. Chief McIntee’s car in the driveway when he arrived….He found VM/Dep Chief McIntee already inside the house with the victim’s wife…and then went to find the victim in the bedroom with a loaded gun….still alive…The Deputy removed the gun…with AMR coming to perform CPR…
That seems to go against the VFD-SOP for dealing with such an event.
If the response back from the VFD is that the McIntee is an Officer, that “just doesn’t fly” (a favorite McIntee response)…not with a dispatch of “shots fired”…
Questions should be asked about this latest independent action by VM/Dep. Chief McIntee especially being done in a non- VFD event…. that clearly called for BSO to be first on scene …
It’s bad enough that he (McIntee) shows up on scene and proceeds alone for fire calls…and shows up unwanted on medical calls …but to inject himself on a police call with this type of dispatch.. not only seems to violate the VFD’s rules…but could have greatly aggravated the situation …for the victim and the police…..
This one should be straightened out!…
more to come…
