Recent events at the Lewes Fire Department with Chief Buckaloo have exposed the dark side of the fire service and that organization. Everyone is entitled to their First Amendment rights, even when they are racist, bigoted and hateful. First Amendment rights, however, do not shelter you from the consequences of your words or action.
When you are in public safety of any form, you represent the department on and off duty – you know this when you take the oath. The department may not agree with your position, but they are responsible for protection of the departmental core values, not your personal core values.
Second chances are great, depending on the offense, but someone who has three strikes and continues to espouse hatred, bigotry and racism has no place in the fire service or any organization. An organization gets the behavior it rewards. When you are silent on the matter, that is consent and approval of the behavior.
I applaud the union and certain members of the Lewes Fire Department for clearly indicating they do not support nor condone this behavior. There are only two sides to this issue – you either support bigotry, hatred and racism, or you don’t.
The fire commission, the City of Lewes, the citizens of Lewes, and the Lewes Fire Department need to take the ethical and moral stand to eliminate this kind of hatred from their ranks. People who espouse these ideas are not fit to serve in any public safety organization or private organization. If you want to live your personal life with these values, shame on you. However, the organization should never embrace nor support this, unless those are the core values of the organization as well.
If you stand and support this behavior, we know clearly who you are and what you stand for. If you speak out against it, we likewise know what your moral and ethical compass is.
This is not a complicated issue. You have an individual who represents the Lewes Fire Department, as the chief no less, and is continually espousing hatred, racism and acting outside the norms of society. The facts and data are clear and without doubt.
Lewes Fire Department, rid yourself of this cancer and restore the citizens’ and the fire service’s faith in you. Train your people on the core values you have posted on your website. Never accept this kind of behavior as the norm.
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