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NEWS FROM FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATIONDISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LOCAL NO. 36 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERSA Motion, " The membership of the District of Columbia Fire Fighters Association, Local 36, has no confidence in the ability of Fire Chief Ronnie Few to lead the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department." WHEREAS, RONNIE FEW FORMERLY SERVED AS THE FIRE CHIEF OF THE EAST POINT FIRE DEPARTMENT, EAST POINT, GEORGIA FROM 1993-1997 WHERE HE SUPERVISED 102 FIREFIGHTERS, DIRECTED (3) BATTALION CHIEFS AND (8) ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, AND WHEREAS RONNIE FEW FORMERLY SERVED AS FIRE CHIEF OF THE AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY FIRE RESCUE, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, FROM 1997- TO JULY, 2000 WHERE HE SUPERVISED 309 FIREFIGHTERS, (2) DEPUTY FIRE CHIEFS, (15) BATTALION FIRE CHIEFS, (4) ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, AND, WHEREAS, RONNIE FEW HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SINCE JULY 10, 2000, WHERE HE SUPERVISES 1,920 EMPLOYEES WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS PROMOTED HIS FRIENDS FROM GEORGIA TO HIGH RANKING POSITIONS IN THE DC FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENT OVER MORE HIGHLY QUALIFIED MEMBERS OF THIS DEPARTMENT; AND WHEREAS, AFTER ANNOUNCING A BUDGET DEFICIT OF $l.7 M FIRE CHIEF FEW PURCHASED FIREFIGHTER "SLEEP WEAR" AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY S35,000. AND, SUBJECTED OUR MEMBERS TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL RIDICULE, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW IMPLEMENTED A GROOMING POLICY WHICH VIOLATED THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF OUR MEMBERS, AND WHEN THESE MEMBERS REFUSED TO COMPLY, PLACED THESE MEMBERS ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, FORCING THEM TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE FIRE CHIEF, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW IS A PROPONENT OF MANAGEMENT THROUGH INTIMIDATION, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW PERMITTED THE VIOLATION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF FEMALE RECRUITS BY ALLOWING A HIGH RANKING MEMBER OF HIS STAFF TO INTIMIDATE, THREATEN, AND HARASS FEMALE RECRUITS WITH TERMINATION IF THEY BECOME PREGNANT, AND WHEREAS, THROUGH HIS SILENCE, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS GIVEN TACIT SUPPORT OF STATEMENTS MADE BY HIS NEWLY HIRED DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, LISA BASS, REGARDING THE ALLEGED THEFT OF FIRE EQUIPMENT FROM THE PENTAGON BY D.C. FIREFIGHTERS, AND. WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW ATTEMPTED TO PROHIBIT THE COLLECTION OF MONIES, BY OFF DUTY FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN NEW YORK CITY FIRE FIGHTERS, AND ACCUSED OFF DUTY FIREFIGHTERS OF PANHANDLING, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW, DESPITE HIS ATTEMPTS TO HALT COLLECTIONS, APPEARED, UNINVITED, AT A CAPITAL HILL PRESS CONFERENCE WHERE LOCAL 36 PRESENTED A CHECK FOR $293,000 TO REP. CURT WELDON, R- PA, AND WHEREAS, BY ATTENDING THE PRESS CONFERENCE, FIRE CHIEF FEW ATTEMPTED TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF SUPPORTING THE "FILL THE BOOT" FUNDRAISER, AND WHEREAS, THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS INVITED MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO RESPONDED TO THE PENTAGON TO BE THEIR GUESTS OF HONOR AT THE FIRST HOME GAME, AND WHEREAS, THE INVITATION WAS GIVEN TO FIRE CHIEF FEW, RESULTING IN TWO HIGH RANKING FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS, THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF OF SERVICES, AND THE FIRE MARSHALL ATTENDING THE GAME, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW IS VIEWED AS AN OUTSIDER, WITH NO TIES TO OUR DEPARTMENT, WHO IS JUST PASSING THROUGH, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS FOUR STANDARD ANSWERS FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR CRITICISM DIRECTED TOWARD HIM; "I INHERITED IT", "I FIXED IT", "ABSOLUTELY"; I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT ... IMMEDIATELY," AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW TAKES CREDIT FOR SECURING THE FUNDING FOR THE ARBITRATION AWARD SETTLEMENT; THE ADDITION OF THE 5TH FIREFIGHTER ON THE LADDER TRUCKS; THE RESTORATION OF THE BATTALION FIRE CHIEF'S ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS; THE PARAMEDIC ENGINE COMPANIES; ALL OF WHICH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND NOT CHIEF FEW, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS IMPEDED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUAL ROLE/CROSS TRAINED FIREFIGHTER CONCEPT FOR THE DELIVERY OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE IN. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF HIS FIREFIGHTERS BY INITIALLY DENYING A PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THE 800 MHZ SYSTEM, AND, WHEREAS, HIS FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM HAS RESULTED IN DELAYS IN CORRECTING THE PROBLEMS, AND WHEREAS, THE 2000 PROMOTIONAL EXAM WAS FOUND TO BE COMPROMISED BY DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL AND NO WORD HAS BEEN FORTHCOMING FROM THE FIRE CHIEF REGARDING A DATE CERTAIN FOR A REPLACEMENT EXAM, AND, WHEREAS, THE LIVES AND CAREERS OF MANY OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE LACK OF ACTION BY FIRE CHIEF FEW, AND WHEREAS, FIRE CHIEF FEW HAS INTENTIONALLY MISLED THE MEMBERS OF THE DC CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF THE DISTRICT CONCERNING THE READINESS OF THE DC FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENT, TO HANDLE NORMAL DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS WHICH HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR INCIDENTS OF TERRORISM HERE IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL, BE IT RESOLVED ON THIS 22ND DAY OF OCTOBER, 2001, THE MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, LOCAL 36, OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS HAS NO CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITY OF FIRE CHIEF RONNIE FEW TO LEAD THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. |
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