Officials disappointed in firefighters
FirefighterNation Staff
PORTLAND, Oregon — An investigation has begun in Portland Fire and Rescue over the creation and posting of a calendar inside a firehouse that was made with images of homeless camps, according to KPTV.
A spokesperson told KPTV that an internal investigation has started looking at the circumstances of the calendar.
Fire Chief Sara Boone sent a “Letter of Expectation” to all city firefighters on Monday.
In the letter Chief Boone wrote “Recently, I learned of an incident that has the potential to undermine the public’s trust by dehumanizing people who live in poverty and are at times the most vulnerable of those we serve,”
Chief Boone added, “To be clear, it is the expectation of this administration that all employees who work at Portland Fire & Rescue will conduct themselves in a manner that does not undermine the efficiency of our operations, the good of the order, and the integrity of our service to the public. This integrity is undermined when we fail to show respect to those we serve, regardless of their circumstance.”
It is not known who created the calendar and why, as well as if other firehouses have the calendar.
The president of the Portland firefighters’ union issued a statement that does not condemn the calendar but calls attention to dark humor to relieve stress that comes with the job.
“I would not expect the public to understand, but one of the ways that professions like the military or the fire service cope with stress is through humor,” the statement said. “The gritty realities we see every day can get grim and creating some humor around the intensity of our work relieves the stress we all feel. This is one of those times.”
