Published Friday, October 26, 2001

Firefighters didn't refuse to fly flag on truck, chief says

Miami Herald Link

nwhite@herald.com

The three Miami-Dade firefighters suspended last month for allegedly refusing to ride a truck bearing a U.S. flag have been told to return to work this weekend.

In concluding the six-week investigation Thursday, Chief Dave Paulison noted that after extensive interviews with fire personnel, firefighters William ``D.C'' Clark, Terry Williams and James Moore did not refuse to ride a truck displaying the U.S. flag.

Clark, who in remarks to the media noted that the United States had never apologized for slavery, was cited in the report as being insensitive. He and Moore, said the chief, will have to undergo counseling.

``It took some time to gather and consider all pertinent information related to the allegations,'' Paulison said. ``I have no doubt that our findings will give a clear understanding of the actions taken by our department and that we will now be able to put this incident behind us.''

The incident he is referring to stems from the three firefighters removing the flag from their truck Sept. 15, just days after terrorism attacks on the United States.

Original televised reports said two of the firefighters were Muslims who refused to work that day because they were offended by the flag. In fact, none of the firefighters is Muslim and none refused to work. The trio, however, did speak to their supervisor about the flag being a symbol of oppression for African Americans. The reason for removing the flag was that it obstructed their view, they said.

Moore and Williams, who are assigned to Station 26 in Opa-locka, and Clark, who works at Station 44 in Northwest Miami-Dade, were placed on administrative leave with pay while the investigation was conducted.

The trio said they did not violate any department policy in removing the flag because there was no department mandate at the time to outfit all trucks with flags. The mandate came Sept. 17 -- two days after the incident.

Not even the media were spared in Paulison's report.

``By far the news media's reporting without clear knowledge caused the most damage,'' Paulison said.

But Clark scoffed at the report, saying the department took six weeks to release the findings because there was nothing there. Worse yet, Clark said, the department took no responsibility for some of the erroneous information department officials released to the media.

``The public information officer of this department went on the air with incorrect statements about me, and yet he is not even reprimanded in this report,'' Clark said.

``This was a witch hunt,'' he continued. ``They're still not used to black men standing up and having an opinion of their own.''

Clark said the three men are consulting with an attorney because they have concerns about their safety when they return to work.

In a firefighter chatroom after the incident, several firefighters said they would refuse to work with the men or back them up in a fire.

Clark said he received a letter from officials that said his incendiary comments to the news media had fueled those remarks.

``Are those individuals scheduled for counseling? I don't think so,'' Clark said.

[do you believe this report? sounds like someone is trying to sweep it under the rug so as to 'move on' and let it be forgotten. Also sounds like the three are not going to be willing to let it be forgotten, not to mention their co-workers, if that chatroom bit is true.]

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2001

Answers

I used to know a fellow named Barefoot, lived in Saxapahaw...

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2001

3 firefighters cleared in flag case

Sun-Sentinel Link

By Madeline Baró Diaz, Miami Bureau, Posted October 27 2001

MIAMI · Three Miami-Dade firefighters have been cleared of allegations that they refused to ride on a truck with an American flag on it, but say they don't feel safe returning to work.

Reports that the men refused to ride on the truck because of the flag spurred many of their fellow firefighters, in Miami-Dade and throughout the country, to express anger toward them and to post online messages saying they refused to work with them.

"There's safety issues we must address now," said Terry Williams, one of the firefighters. "This is not an office job. This is a job where your life lies in the hands of your co-workers."

Williams, James Moore and William Clark were removed from duty last month while the fire department investigated a Sept. 15 incident at an Opa-locka fire station where Moore and Williams work. Clark was there on overtime.

Moore says he removed a large flag from the truck he was driving primarily because it was blocking his vision, although he, Williams and Clark made remarks throughout the day expressing reservations about what the flag represented to them as blacks.

The departmental investigation determined that the men did not refuse to ride on trucks with American flags and that they did not refuse to go on calls.

The investigation also found that, although Moore's supervisor initially asked him to leave the flag on the truck, Moore was not under a direct order to do so, nor was he ordered to return the flag to the truck.

In a WSVN-Ch. 7 report, Clark expressed his views about the flag and said the United States had never apologized for slavery.

Clark, whose remarks to the media were declared to be "insensitive" in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and Moore will be counseled, the fire department said. No action was taken against Williams.

On an America Online message board for Miami-Dade firefighters, messages referred to Williams, Clark and Moore as "treasonous anti-Americans" and "terrorist sympathizers." One message called on firefighters to "alienate" the men.

The fire department has said the AOL message board is not an official form of communication and the messages were not brought to their attention. Williams said he is sure fire department officials know about the messages.

Williams said the department is employing a double standard by sending firefighters home for allegedly refusing to do their jobs, but not investigating the AOL messages.

"What's going to happen to those individuals?" he said. "Will they be disciplined? Will they be counseled?"

The firefighters say the flag incident is not the only source of tension between themselves and other firefighters.

They say they often express controversial Afro-centric views that have made them unpopular.

The men are cleared to start work either this weekend or early next week. Williams and Moore, however, were on vacation when they were removed from duty and are sorting out when they are expected back at work.

Madeline Baró Diaz can be reached at mbaro@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5007.

Copyright © 2001, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[frankly, I don't care whether they feel safe to return to work or not, as they brought this on themselves. Too bad, so sad. You can voice your opinion all you want in this country, but that doesn't mean others have to like it. Maybe they should look into a new job elsewhere, like in another country, since they don't like this one.

And as far as the chatroom messages go, anyone can post there. That doesn't mean they are really fire-fighters. And, I suppose AOL could out the posters, but what would that accomplish? They are justified in speaking their opinions, just as the three idiots are. According to the news story, no one actually came out and threatened the three with physical harm. They only said they wouldn't work with them. It is the job that would put them in harms way, and yet it is because of them spouting their views that they might, I repeat might be in danger of not being backed up by others.

Hasn't happened yet. May never happen.]

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001