Should these firemen have been disciplined?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=485404&in_page_i d=1770

Should these Firemen have been disciplined in such a way?

And should the money raised from the fines imposed on these firemen, be given to a gay rights charity? Such as the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians All-Sexuals and Gays?

Or is this once again PC gone mad?

[redcrx]

if the firemen had gone out in the fire engine for the sole purpose of spying on the couples in the woods (was it a haunt for gay couples only?) then yes, they deserved to be disciplined.

If they were driving past on their way to a fire call and slowed down for a look then yes they deserve to be disciplined.

If they were passing on the way back from a call which took them past the area and they had a peek then no, i think it was just curiosity on their part and they should not be dragged through all this so that the Fire service can be publicly seen to be PC. I find it silly.

People who have sex in public places surely must expect that at some point they will be seen by someone, whether it be an engine full of fire fighters or a pensioner walking a dog.

Itd be different had the fire crew taken the turntable ladder and peered into someones bedroom window to watch them having sex.

[Ethel]

They were misusing their equipment - the fire engine - and not where they were supposed to be.

Not professional. It is right they were disciplined.

[Gromit]

Already discussed today, here

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question46 3760.html

[anotheoldgit]

Cannot disagree with either answer, but should the fines money be paid into a Gay Rights charity?

I think it is this that makes the whole affair ridiculous, and pandering to the gay community.

[naomi24]

I listened to a debate on BBC radio on this today. The firemen weren't supposed to be in that area, so yes, they should have been dsciplined - but the four naked men who were having sex should have been prosecuted - as should anyone else - gay or not - who behaves in such a way in a public place.

No, the money should not go to a Gay Rights charity. It should go to the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund.

[laurence2]

Totally agree with naomi post.

Nothing more to add

[sandbach99]

I read the article yesterday and from what I remember both the firemen and their families were told not bring this matter into the public domain under the threat of further disiplinary action, and that these men have been suspended for several months.

The area is not only known for homosexual behaviour but also for doggers.

Some 12 months ago my area was subject to this type of behaviour, it isn't only at night, it's a 24 hour a day problem.
It came to light when I had a phone call asking for advice from a neighbour who had just seen 2 men at 9am having sex in full view of the road, then another neighbour mentioned going for a family walk, her husband had gone ahead with the dog and came running back after being confronted by 4 half-naked men [not topless].
We got the local council wardens [was their land] and the police involved and the problem disappeared.


It appears that the council and police would have known about the area the firemen went to and have done nothing but some members of the public would have been afraid to go there, we don't know if anybody had been threatened in the area they could have been.

If these men had gone in a car nothing would have been said or done, I understood they were on the way back from a shout and deviated off the route a bit.

Certain jobs like the emergency sevices and medical profession cope with the incidents they attend by having a different osense of humour, otherwise most would have to leave with stress etc.

I'd rather these men waste a couple of pounds driving to a wrong place and having a laugh than having to leave the service and more money be wasted having to train raw recruits.

[weeal]

oh I read that today and couldnt stop laughing at the situation they found themselves in, but, they were all in the wrong as Naomi says, I deff dont agree with the money going where it went

what is this planet coming to eh

[Reverandfunk]

Never mind disciplined, if they went out solely with the purpose of getting up to mischief they should have been sacked.

The majority of firemen do a fine job but dont forget when they are on nights they are allowed to sleep, so loads have day jobs when they are on the night shift.

Surely if you are at work you should be working not kipping/playing about.

[redcrx]

they didnt go out soley for mischief Rev.

Firefighters are the same as everyone else, human, as as such they will try and have a laugh at work. some days they get no calls and after doing a drill, a bit of gardening, cooking lunch etc they will have a laugh like you and I.

If their little jaunt put lives at risk then yes, they should be sacked but their job is not a nice one at times so allow them a bit of a giggle.

[jake-the-peg]

I read the original article in the Bristol local paper on the first link.

There was no metion of the fine being paid the a gay rights charity.

The Mail says " It is believed that the fines will be paid to a gay rights charity"

Believed by who? the journalist? where the heck did that come from that he can't name the source.

Smells like a piece of gutter journalism to me.

That paper really treats it's readers like gullible fools sometimes

[Reverandfunk]

Red if you were meant to be a work, but popped out in a company car got up to mischief what would you expect your employer to do?

[redcrx]

they were on their way back from a call though, they took a slight detour i think i read

Crikey, the firefighters here went through a drive through McDs on their way back from a fire once. the fire was a fatal but they werent aware until they entered the building and found the guy burnt to death. He'd blown himself up in his garage deliberately.

As long as the appliance was ready to respond to an incident then i dont see a problem. Im more concerned that people publicly expose themselves and have sex in public places and then complain when someone sees them? I though that was the whole idea of dogging?

[andy-hughes]

It's interesting, when you delve a little deeper into what seems like a 'PC gone mad' story, that the facts are somewhat different from what has been reported.

The Fire Service take a seriously dim view of breaches of practice - one civillian worker was sacked for putting the siren on in a FS saloon car he was driving, " ,,,just to see what it was like ...".

The fact of the individuals not being proscuted does seem galling, but bear in mind, there would be no evidential proof to convict them - knowing someone has committed a crime is one thing - proving it is entirely another.

[sandbach99]

Rev.

What do you want the firemen to do overnight whilst waiting for a shout?

You seem to have a problem with the firemen sleeping but you never, or at least I have never seen, a post on here telling someone to get back to work instead of answering posts on here.

As long as the firemen are ready to answer a shout I don't give a **** what they are doing.

[Reverandfunk]

So at night if the Police are having a quiet night they go to bed do they?

I have targets to reach at work i come on here and still achieve them.

As a public service do you not think it is wasteful to pay members of our emergency services to sleep????

[redcrx]

well sandbach, there was the case a few years back of some firefighters who'd have kinky fun whilst high on entonox from the fire engine :)

Id drawn the line at that i think lol

[redcrx]

Rev, I can see what you are getting at re: the sleeping on the job but thats the way its always been with night crews.

My fella is paid to be on call 24/7 365 days a year, luckily they allow him to sleep :)

[Reverandfunk]

Red but what do they have the further 16 hours in the day to do?

paint and decorate probably lol

Surely they could be doing something else instead of sleeping.

Does the nightshift at Nissan Sleep? Do the police or ambulance crews?

[redcrx]

i have a neighbour whos a paramedic (3 firefighters and a paramedic in my road, lucky me) and he will use home as base for night shifts so i presume that he will be asleep as well.

Firefighters have awful shift rotas from what i know (ours is only manned during day so i cant be specific) but i think the hours may mean they just want to rest when not on call.

And yes, some are painters and decorators lol, my grandad was in the 50s when he was a full time fireman working in the cities where fires and safety were horrendous in factories. I think it may just have been a bit of normality in his life after the horrific things he saw.

i doubt we shall agree on this, but at least we can agree to disagree. (ya git) xx