Posted on 01/10/2007 5:48:25 AM PST by Jonx6
Police investigating incident at North Austin station.
Authorities are investigating an incident in which a recently promoted Austin firefighter found human excrement smeared on her locker at a Duval Road fire station.
Firefighter Rebecca Farris discovered the waste when she showed up to work Dec. 21, about four months after being promoted to drive the fire engine at Station 25 in Northwest Austin, fire officials said Tuesday. Officials said she also found urine in a shampoo bottle.
Assistant City Manager Mike McDonald said police investigators might require the 15 firefighters assigned to the station to provide DNA and fingerprint samples to determine who was responsible. He said criminal charges are possible.
"We're going to do everything we can to the fullest extent of the law and everything we can administratively to get to the bottom of it," McDonald said.
Farris, who joined the department in 1993, declined to comment.
Stephen Truesdell, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, said that the incident was sad and unfortunate and that he hoped it would be resolved quickly.
"Our members should be able to enjoy a harassment-free workplace," Truesdell said.
The incident raises new questions about the acceptance of women and minorities into a profession that in Austin has historically drawn white males.
Women make up about 4 percent of firefighters in the Austin Fire Department. Farris is the lone woman at Station 25.
In 2005, city officials made diversity a focus of contract negotiations with the firefighters union and attracted a current cadet class that is 17 percent female.
The working environment has improved over the years, but problems still exist, said Jan Wesson, past president of the Austin Women Firefighters.
The problems are exacerbated by the department's lack of a strong policy to prevent discrimination and hostility in the workplace, said Wesson, who has almost 23 years of experience. She was not speaking for the organization, whose current leaders declined to comment.
Firefighters who have learned about the incident have been appalled, Wesson said, and the perpetrators are the exception.
McDonald said, "This is a sick act by one or two individuals and is certainly not something that takes place in the culture of this organization."
Fire Department spokeswoman Michelle DeCrane said that supervisors alerted Chief J.J. Adame about the incident the day it happened and that he immediately began an investigation.
Officers in the department's professional standards unit initially investigated and gave their findings to Austin police.
Austin police said they could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
"The Austin Fire Department prides itself on creating a culture of freedom and personal responsibility," Adame said in a statement. "Those in the department who go against that philosophy are not only a personal disappointment to me but to every citizen who entrusts us with their lives, their property and their tax dollars.
"The bottom line is that we won't and don't put up with this sort of behavior."
ping
Hey, why not... seems fitting, sort of.
Hmm... So it just interesting that a bunch of dead birds were found in Austin, TX recently.
Some time later, page 1millionB, smallest print possible, turns out the minority firefighters had painted the SWASTIKAS on their own lockers.
Let's not all rush to judgement. If she has been harassed by OTHERS, let's kick their patooties after a full and complete investigation, which may or may not be printed ON FRONT PAGES, if they find a guilty "other" Firefighter; on Page 1millionB, smallest print possible, if it turns out she or a pal did it as a set-up.
exactly... how much does it cost to run a dna test?
I agree...might well be staged. Before they investigate anything, the department better check if she has a radical feminist background.
Twice a year Austin Firefighters are required to do a "Personnel Development Evaluation" where both the FF and his/her Supervisor must sign that "We have reviewed and discussed important personnel polices including the current Sexual Harassment Policy."
It is the only policy to be singled out by name as being reviewed twice a year.
Doesn't appear to be very effective then. There is a difference between a prank and disgusting human behavior.
In my book, going thru the motions doesn't count.
Or it could just be a ticked off ex-boyfriend among the firefighters; or any other of her co-employees she's got a feud going with.
Women have no business being firefighters. They lack the upper-body strength to carry an injured person down a ladder, let alone a hose UP a ladder. They also destroy unit cohesiveness in the firehouse. Their very presence is a danger to innocent civilians.
They should fire the responsible party(ies). I don't care one hoot about any diversity crime. This behavior is beneath the level of maturity that the taxpayers require in their employees.
"any guy, white or not, who does this type of thing, needs to be punished -it is a wonder that people who are charged with saving lives could be so disgusting and immature"
...listen, brownsugar, I lived in Austin for 8 years, was a talk radio host there, and it is, without a doubt, one of the biggest "I hate whitey" liberal toilets in the country! This article says it all when it says "firefighters are historically white males" yada, yada. Smearing feces on a locker is uncalled for and is unprofessional, but who are we to say that this woman didn't get her promotion simply by being a woman. She IS the ONLY woman there! Brave and patriotic! Much braver than the white guys I'm sure! I'm also sure that they've been helping to carry her load during her tenure there and are probably a bit tired of it. Women aren't "historically" as strong, physically, as men. This is the basis for earlier arguments against allowing women into this line of work in the 1st place. Frustration can go a long way and cause the most even tempered to lose it!
In the last ten years or so: Many,many, many times.
Besides reviewing and discussing the sexual harassment policy twice a year with your supervisor, what else should be done, in your opinion?
I'm also sure that they've been helping to carry her load during her tenure there and are probably a bit tired of it.
How in the hell do you know that? She might be 5'11'' and 185 lbs and can bench 300 lbs. If you are a real man, you would not be threatened because she gets to drive the damn truck. If you claim to be a man, be a man and treat all women with chilvalry and respect. I don't see how anyone could excuse this type of behavior. AND human feces can be full of very dangerous microbes that spread and cause disease. If someone did this to your wife, mother or sister, I dare say you'd be very disturbed by it. If someone did this to me, I'd slash his tires, key his paintjob and put sugar in his gas tank.(but that's between us)
Can DNA prove shit? We may be about to have an answer.
And all those issues are usually brought to the forefront on a case by case basis in the probationary period or the first couple of years. From the article:
Farris, who joined the department in 1993, declined to comment.
She has been there over 13 years, I'd say she earned her place in the department. This was a personal and childish attack.
IF her LOCKer was locked, how did someone get the shampoo bottle to replace the contents? (however gross that is).
From a validity/chain of evidence standpoint, does this polluted bottle of shampoo actually exist, or was it claimed to exist? What test was applied to prove it was urine? (however seemingly obvious that might be)
Ya have to remember that Tawana Brawley smeared excrement on herself to make her claims.
But clearly, someone in that station IS a dipsh!t ;-)
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