Monday, June 25, 2007
Response from South Carolina: "Everything they say is inaccurate."
"Everything they say is inaccurate. Every single word." That's Jim Bowie's reaction to International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger's assessment of the planning for last Friday's memorial service honoring the 9 firefighters killed in Charleston. Bowie is the Executive Director of the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association.
Last week, Schaitberger wrote a message to IAFF leadership explaining why the preparations for the memorial service at the Charleston Coliseum were not very "organized and (not) up to the IAFF's normal standards for funerals and memorials". Schaitberger explained that Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas and Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr. are not "labor friendly" and "have resisted any of our planning ideas and have refused all IAFF offers of assistance".
Schaitberger called Charleston an "openly anti-union city that is hostile towards the IAFF".
Much of the criticism in the message focused on Jim Bowie. Schaitberger wrote: "They appointed the president of the state volunteers association, Jim Bowie, to run the entire memorial program. Bowie does not like the IAFF".
In a phone conversation with STATter 911 on Monday, Jim Bowie said his main role was as incident commander for Friday's event. Bowie said that Mayor Riley had final approval for the agenda.
Bowie said he is "infuriated" by the charges. According to Bowie, "IAFF had a seat at the table every single day".
Jim Bowie said it is true, that during the planning process, he wanted Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani to speak at the service. Bowie now believes it was a mistake to suggest Giuliani as a speaker. Bowie credited the IAFF's Jeff Zack for helping to straighten him out on this issue.
Schaitberger characterized this episode a bit differently in last week's message to IAFF leadership: "Bowie is also the leader of the South Carolina first responders for Giuliani campaign and has attempted to make this memorial a platform for Rudy. We are fighting to keep this from becoming another political platform."
Jim Bowie said that his support of Giuliani is a "personal decision". He points out that the chair of the coalition of South Carolina firefighters backing the former New York mayor is actually Croft Fire Department Chief Lewis Hayes.
Bowie denies Schaitberger's claims that he failed to support the 2 -in, 2-out standard in South Carolina. Bowie believes South Carolina's rule of 2-in and 1-out was a compromise position at the time and he would continue to fight for the stronger standard.
As for Harold Schaitberger's claim that Bowie doesn't like South Carolina Professional Fire Fighters President Mike Parrotta, Bowie said he hardly knows Parrotta and has nothing negative to say about him.
In summing up, Jim Bowie said this about Schaitberger's message: "It is a page of untruths, false and inaccurate. I can't imagine anyone writing something like that."
(Note: Michael Parrotta called STATter 911, returning our request for a comment from the IAFF. We have not been able to have a conversation, but I will add his thoughts when we do connect.)
You can find Harold Schaitberger's message, along with a variety of comments from STATter 911 readers here.
Last week, Schaitberger wrote a message to IAFF leadership explaining why the preparations for the memorial service at the Charleston Coliseum were not very "organized and (not) up to the IAFF's normal standards for funerals and memorials". Schaitberger explained that Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas and Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr. are not "labor friendly" and "have resisted any of our planning ideas and have refused all IAFF offers of assistance".
Schaitberger called Charleston an "openly anti-union city that is hostile towards the IAFF".
Much of the criticism in the message focused on Jim Bowie. Schaitberger wrote: "They appointed the president of the state volunteers association, Jim Bowie, to run the entire memorial program. Bowie does not like the IAFF".
In a phone conversation with STATter 911 on Monday, Jim Bowie said his main role was as incident commander for Friday's event. Bowie said that Mayor Riley had final approval for the agenda.
Bowie said he is "infuriated" by the charges. According to Bowie, "IAFF had a seat at the table every single day".
Jim Bowie said it is true, that during the planning process, he wanted Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani to speak at the service. Bowie now believes it was a mistake to suggest Giuliani as a speaker. Bowie credited the IAFF's Jeff Zack for helping to straighten him out on this issue.
Schaitberger characterized this episode a bit differently in last week's message to IAFF leadership: "Bowie is also the leader of the South Carolina first responders for Giuliani campaign and has attempted to make this memorial a platform for Rudy. We are fighting to keep this from becoming another political platform."
Jim Bowie said that his support of Giuliani is a "personal decision". He points out that the chair of the coalition of South Carolina firefighters backing the former New York mayor is actually Croft Fire Department Chief Lewis Hayes.
Bowie denies Schaitberger's claims that he failed to support the 2 -in, 2-out standard in South Carolina. Bowie believes South Carolina's rule of 2-in and 1-out was a compromise position at the time and he would continue to fight for the stronger standard.
As for Harold Schaitberger's claim that Bowie doesn't like South Carolina Professional Fire Fighters President Mike Parrotta, Bowie said he hardly knows Parrotta and has nothing negative to say about him.
In summing up, Jim Bowie said this about Schaitberger's message: "It is a page of untruths, false and inaccurate. I can't imagine anyone writing something like that."
(Note: Michael Parrotta called STATter 911, returning our request for a comment from the IAFF. We have not been able to have a conversation, but I will add his thoughts when we do connect.)
You can find Harold Schaitberger's message, along with a variety of comments from STATter 911 readers here.
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It's amazing that there are debates over the memorial service. The tragedy is the fire itself.
Note: http://firereview.blogspot.com/ is the address for Charleston Fire Review.
Note: http://firereview.blogspot.com/ is the address for Charleston Fire Review.
I am an Paramedic in this State and I am appauled at the lack of courtesy and just plain sense when it comes to the IAFF comments.
I could not agree more that the focus should be on the fire and those 9 men who lost their lives. The memorial service was both beautiful and moving, a real tribute to these brave men.
I may not agree with Mr. Bowie on everything, but he is dead on right with this. He did a tremendous job of assisting the City with this program.
The IAFF has no business sticking it's nose where it doesn't belong. Any organization that spends $183,000 on professional fundraising and gives back only $89,38.00 to it's members needs to be seriously looked at. In fact, it was (http://www.scsos.com/angelsandscrooges/ScroogeList2006.pdf).
The South Carolina Professional Firefighters Association has nothing to do with the South Carolina State Firefighters Association (which is the legitimate organization representing firefighters in SC).
Shame on Mr. Schaitberger and shame on the IAFF!
I could not agree more that the focus should be on the fire and those 9 men who lost their lives. The memorial service was both beautiful and moving, a real tribute to these brave men.
I may not agree with Mr. Bowie on everything, but he is dead on right with this. He did a tremendous job of assisting the City with this program.
The IAFF has no business sticking it's nose where it doesn't belong. Any organization that spends $183,000 on professional fundraising and gives back only $89,38.00 to it's members needs to be seriously looked at. In fact, it was (http://www.scsos.com/angelsandscrooges/ScroogeList2006.pdf).
The South Carolina Professional Firefighters Association has nothing to do with the South Carolina State Firefighters Association (which is the legitimate organization representing firefighters in SC).
Shame on Mr. Schaitberger and shame on the IAFF!
# posted by 
: June 26, 2007 6:41 PM
: June 26, 2007 6:41 PM
As a long-time fire and EMS chief officer, and for the last 8 years a piper and pipe band leader in the public safety community, I've had the opportunity to observe many (too many) line-of-duty funerals. Any claim that this one was not "up to standards" is just plain wrong. It was solemn, dignified, organized, and respectful. Commendations to the Charleston leadership for not letting it become a circus or a photo op for those seeking national office.
It was a nice way for the community to say good-bye to the fallen. It's about them, their families, and their colleagues - others ought to exercise their right to remain silent.
Skip
It was a nice way for the community to say good-bye to the fallen. It's about them, their families, and their colleagues - others ought to exercise their right to remain silent.
Skip
The IAFF supports only its 280,000 full time members nationwide but they forget these numbers...Almost three-fourths of the nation's 1.1. million firefighters are volunteers, and two-thirds of all fire departments are volunteer. They have a fundraiser for the IAFF for the fallen nine but I guarentee only their members families in that group of nine will see any funds from it but they use all nine as their reason for the fundraising.
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# posted by : July 23, 2007 7:37 PM
: July 23, 2007 7:37 PM Links to this post:
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