Before I retired I made a request to my Chief that I needed some emergency lights on my assigned vehicle. He told me that I didn’t need any lights are sirens because I wasn’t assigned to “emergency services” anymore and I wasn’t supposed to be responding to any incidents.
I told him that there had been a few close calls because I had stopped to help motorists who were broken down and I needed lighting on my vehicle for my safety. His response was that since I was no longer assigned to emergency services I was under no obligation to stop and assist anyone. I told him that I had a problem with that. I was a city employee, paid by city taxes, wearing a Fire Department uniform, driving a marked city vehicle and I wasn’t supposed to stop and assist when someone was in trouble? I don’t think so.
He still refused my request. I knew I was talking to a stinking turd on the ground. I said screw it. I bought some lights out of my own pocket and installed them and kept on stopping to help others. He never knew anything about it till a lady I helped with a flat tire called the newspaper and told them about me helping and gave them my name. The PIO sent him a copy of the article and it was mentioned in a staff meeting. He didn’t say anything positive or negative. He just handed me a copy of the article and went on with the meeting.
I told him that there had been a few close calls because I had stopped to help motorists who were broken down and I needed lighting on my vehicle for my safety. His response was that since I was no longer assigned to emergency services I was under no obligation to stop and assist anyone. I told him that I had a problem with that. I was a city employee, paid by city taxes, wearing a Fire Department uniform, driving a marked city vehicle and I wasn’t supposed to stop and assist when someone was in trouble? I don’t think so.
He still refused my request. I knew I was talking to a stinking turd on the ground. I said screw it. I bought some lights out of my own pocket and installed them and kept on stopping to help others. He never knew anything about it till a lady I helped with a flat tire called the newspaper and told them about me helping and gave them my name. The PIO sent him a copy of the article and it was mentioned in a staff meeting. He didn’t say anything positive or negative. He just handed me a copy of the article and went on with the meeting.
