STATter 911: Fire chief calls Kentland tapes "unprofessional" and "disturbing"

Friday, July 11, 2008

Fire chief calls Kentland tapes "unprofessional" and "disturbing"

Bottle rockets flying. An apparently drunk and sometimes naked man running in front of the firehouse as he is doused with a fire extinguisher. A man's underwear pulled from his waist over his head. A wagon driver showing his bare behind as he pulls the fire engine out of the fire station. All of these are images from videos leaked to the news media in Washington, DC, showing actions of firefighters with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department.

The videos are more than four-years-old. Still Prince George's County Fire/EMS Chief Lawrence Sedgwick is not happy, saying in a statement, "What I saw can briefly be described as unprofessional, disturbing and a matter that requires further attention".

One of the videos involves the apparent hazing of a member. The man is heard saying he is drunk. There are similar statements from other volunteers about the man being targeted. One firefighter grabbed the man's underwear giving him what is commonly called an "atomic wedgie".

Volunteers doused the man numerous times with a fire extinguisher and a hose. At one point he is seen running naked in front of the busy firehouse on Landover Road. He is ordered to stand still as a fire engine leaving the firehouse, responding to a call, passed by on the ramp.

The man later showed off burns apparently caused by the extinguisher.

Another video shows firefighters shooting off bottle rockets on the engine room floor. Fireworks are illegal in Prince George's County.

This same video shows a man driving the wagon out the bay door at the same time he "moons the camera".

Seen at various times on the videos is Tony Kelleher. Kelleher is now the chief of Kentland VFD. STATter 911 was scheduled to interview Chief Kelleher, who has said he has matured since the video was taken. Just before the interview was to occur, Kelleher said he was advised not to make further statements. A promised statement from Kentland has not been received.

Chief Kelleher took over the department during a long battle last year with Prince George's County over the assignment of an ambulance to the Kentland station. Kelleher replaced Mike Mattison who was suspended by Chief Sedgwick during the dispute. The county chief also briefly suspended Chief Kelleher.

In his statement Chief Sedgwick wrote:

Out of respect for due process of the judicial system, I will refrain from further public comment on this matter until litigation, that may or may not involve this video, has concluded. This pause in public comment does not preclude the Fire/EMS Department from proceeding with an internal investigation concerning the actions displayed on the videotape and public statements made by Kentland officials.

According to multiple career and volunteer sources familiar the situation, the "due process of the judicial system" Chief Sedgwick is talking about concerns civil suits connected to a previous incident involving Kentland. Two career firefighters are suing Kentland members over actions at a February, 2006 fire in Landover Hills.

During that fire, members of Kentland were accused of turning off the air supply of other firefighters. A criminal investigation was conducted, but the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office declined to prosecute any of Kentland's members.

Sources say the leaked Kentland are expected to be a part of the civil suits.

Numerous volunteer and career firefighters have been deposed for the cases. These include members of the Prince George's County Fire Department's command staff.

According to sources, one item the attorneys are interested in is a book about Kentland VFD. Probie Days was written by Jerry Engle, a life member of the department. The book describes Kentland's aggressive style of firefighting. Engle can bee seen on the videos having a bottle rocket ignited while it is resting on his bare backside.

Complete statement from Prince George's County Fire/EMS Chief Lawrence Sedgwick Jr. issed today:

Kentland Video is Reviewed

I have reviewed a videotape that depicts activities at the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. What I saw can briefly be described as unprofessional, disturbing and a matter that requires further attention. Out of respect for due process of the judicial system, I will refrain from further public comment on this matter until litigation, that may or may not involve this video, has concluded. This pause in public comment does not preclude the Fire/EMS Department from proceeding with an internal investigation concerning the actions displayed on the videotape and public statements made by Kentland officials.

Citizens and residents should be assured that this matter will receive the appropriate attention that it deserves. One of the unfortunate outcomes of this display of unprofessional conduct is that our citizens and residents may develop a negative opinion of our entire Fire/EMS Department based on the inappropriate actions of a group of individuals. I, the Fire Chief of Prince George’s County, will ensure that the combined membership of the Fire/EMS Department, career, volunteer and civilian, will continue to strive to provide the very best in fire and emergency medical services delivery to the citizens, residents and visitors of our great County.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 6:50 PM

Comments:

Wow...imagine that...the words "unprofessional" and "Kentland" used in the same sentence...who'd have thought!

# posted by

Anonymous : July 12, 2008 10:44 AM

Hazing has been a part of the fire service since horse and wagons.
Today, times are different.The video camera, cell phones have brought there horse play to public view.Firefighters have to accept the fact that displaying this kind of action in public view is no longer tolerated and the consequences that await will hurt there families.
Joe Berry ret Lt F.D.N.Y.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 12, 2008 12:26 PM

Lt Joe

I agree, Keep the doors closed...no cameras...but

Blah blah blah, lets not rush to judgement here....show me a man who has crawled down a smokey hallway and I will show you a man. To say unprofessional activity in the firehouse?? Who cares...it happens in every firehouse across the country...be serious. Ask Dennis Leary how bad it is...he and others are making a living off firehouse life (and I am sure that coward, rat, couldnt join, etc, tape dropper just loves that show...oh, so childlike.....please)

Behavior at the a job, different story...thats not the case here...

For this to make the news...boy it must be a slow news day or someone with an axe to grind.

Obviously the coward, rat, turncoat, (insert your favorite word here ___________) who got the tape (instead of giving it to the chief for him to handle in house, if he was Sooooo outraged and concerned) decided to cop to the moral fiber of the "holier than now" media......oh yeah, they only report the truth, the whole truth so on....

come on guys.... Seriously, are we again to let the internet safety morality police solve another one??

Whew....

We have 2 signs in our firehouse kitchen that I will pass along to you for the future....they aint new, but they read...

What we say here, what we do here, when we leave here, stay's here...

No one else is looking out for us, but us

Take them to heart brothers and be safe
Mack

# posted by

Anonymous : July 12, 2008 3:27 PM

Isn't it time the public forces Chief Sedgwick to close down this dangerous and un professional station. Obviously he is unable or unwilling to do anything about it. There are very good volunteer stations in PG, this is not one of them. The Fire Chief needs the authority to shut them down and replace them with career personel. And please Kentland personnel, you dont need to write in and tell everyone, how different it is in your area,how stressful,. Give us a break, there are busier and more stressful places to work. You are not unique.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 12, 2008 3:37 PM

Goons!!!!!!!!!!PG Taxpayers will be paying Workers Comp on one of these clowns after a cover up from the big fire on the buttocks! They probably will get a silver medal from Firehouse magazine for rescue some one with an un-charged hoseline! Why hasn't someone broken the story on the bunkroom antics? Basicly apartments with overnight visitors?

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 8:13 AM

How long will this behavior be tolerated? Kentland thrives on their "rebel" image. They have been involved in numerous fireground fights, been involved in numerous unsafe practices that destroys fireground accountability and puts everyone (the public, other firefighters, and themselves)in danger. Who can forget the pictures of Tower 33 laying on its side and finding out there were two "non-members" riding the rig. Alot of good that tower did the community for the next year!

We've seen them snub their nose at the community for years and years when it came to ambulance service. They could run two or three engines, a tower, mini-pumper and several chiefs on calls, but they just didn't have enough staff to put two people on an ambulance. Too bad almost every other station in PG County is able to operate that way with 25% of the members that 33 has,but hey, they're Kentland. I understand why career staff doesn't like them, but what has always puzzled me is why the other volunteer companies tolerate it. Kentland walks around with a holier than thou attitude and made the surrounding companies cover ALL EMS runs in Kentland for decades, oh but don't forget they WERE able to muster up two poor firefighters to put on the Mini-pumper for EVERY EMS call and then count it as a FIRE call. Anybody got a guess why they are the busiest or second busiest engine company in the country. How about EMS calls with a glorified brush truck! Take that away and they are putting up the same numbers as most of the other companies in Prince George's County inside the beltway.

Kentland has some very good firefighters and I don't mean to take away from that. Their accomplishments have certainly been documented. Unfortunately their accountability level in and out of the station is not where it should be, so we will continue to see stories like this in the future. I hope is that they could control it themselves, but they have proven time and time again that won't happen, so now PGFD has to once again step in and be the bad guy because Kentland can't police themselves.

One last question, out of the 40+ stations in Prince George's County, when is the last time you heard about or watched on TV a behavior problem other than Kentland or involving Kentland? I rest my case.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 11:32 AM

thanks to the member from 9 who provided the tape. too bad the county doesn't have the balls to do anything about it. dear kentland-you're a train wreck but you still rock on the fireground

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 12:40 PM

Does anyone get this happened 4 years ago? It was no acceptable and should have been dealt with then...4 years ago.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 2:33 PM

What is it exactly about the four year lag between taping and discovery have to do with anything?

Forgive me if I'm being a little dense here, but is there really some sort of statute of limitations on "stupidity"?

Has Kentland stated something that I have not heard about regarding some miracle program that should assure the public that the same group of knuckleheads who did these antics in their late twenties, thirties and early forties has somehow "matured" in the last four years?

Give me a break!

Listen. If you uncover a tape of something that someone did in their teens and they are now in their forties, I can see a difference, but a 42 year old sticking fireworks up his buttocks doesn't really mature between being 42 years old and being 46 years old.

Four years ago or not, one vital question remains: What exactly has Kentland done in the last four years to make such a great a difference in the perception of their behavior?

Anything?

I rest my case.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 3:43 PM

i prefer jelly beans

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 9:10 PM

I wonder what would happen to these guys if they were not volunteers. If they were career personnel and this incident occured four years ago it wouldn't matter they would of been suspended until further notice.

And i think its funny how a city official protects them with some lame excuse. I'm very sure she answers calls, but also remain proffesional when at work......And yes even though they are unpaid they are still at work.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 13, 2008 10:34 PM

once again kentland boys...not men...but boys decide to embaress the entire fire service..something needs to be done about these clowns. the county needs to come in and drop the hammer. you donn't see anyone else acting this way..why does this garbage need to heppen..they need to grow up and get a life..they are a complete embaresment to all firefighters across the globe

# posted by

Anonymous : July 14, 2008 1:00 PM

You all are a bunch of insecure jealous crybabies. None of your sorry behinds would survive a day in this department including that fat donut eating poor excuse of a county fire chief (I use the term lightly) It all boils down to the fact that Kentland IS better than everyone else and has proven it over and over again and now all of the other insecure "firefighters" out there are bending over backwards to try and make this amazing fire department look bad. As far as the stupid ambulance, they don't belong in any fire station. This kind of thing happens everywhere.

# posted by

Anonymous : July 14, 2008 3:27 PM

These guys work, train, and play hard. Everyone needs a release once in awhile. Sometimes the only way to handle the kind of stress we handle is to make light of something that really isn't funny. Didn't this happen right after a member was killed too?

# posted by

Brett : July 15, 2008 9:11 AM