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From the AP:

Racist comments transmitted on the Houston fire department's radio frequency Wednesday were made by someone outside the department who hacked into the system, authorities said.

"Someone or some group hijacked seven to eight seconds of airtime of a public safety radio channel Tac 2," Fire Chief Phil Boriskie said. "The statements that were made were morally offensive."

The comments were directed toward African-American firefighters and the black community, said Assistant Fire Chief Adrian Trevino. He did not provide more details.

Steve Harris, a radio technician supervisor for the department, said it was possible that someone outside the department could have hacked into the radio channel's frequencies because the codes are public record. The racist radio transmission did not track back to a fire department radio, he said.

The fire department has a history of problems with race relations in its ranks.

The comments broadcast early Wednesday come after racist and sexist graffiti was found scrawled on the women's quarters at a fire station at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. Two female firefighters reported the incident.

Fire officials said the station's restricted access narrows the pool of possible suspects, and they hope to identify who was behind the graffiti soon.

A few weeks ago, Houston City Council members earmarked $60,000 for sensitivity classes to calm racial sentiments after allegations that a noose was found in a veteran firefighter's locker.

"We have an ongoing issue with race in the Houston Fire Department," Boriskie said. He said the Federal Communications Commission as well as Houston authorities were investigating the racist radio comments.

Some community activists have been calling on Boriskie to resign from his post. But Boriskie told reporters Wednesday that his fellow firefighters will have to judge him.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 8:05 PM