I will give BobRussell credit for speaking outside the whiteboard and not using the disgronoficator to alter his voice here, but I will have to take issue with your message here, and with tonight's TV news interview. As an outsider myself (having made Knoxville my home for only a few years), I have a fairly objective point of view. I do not believe this current controversy is all about GOB's and 'old guard politics'.

jgoehring I would like to start out by saying that I have been with the Knoxville Fire Department for almost four years. My rank is Senior. Therefore, I don’t think that this qualifies me as one of the “good ol’ boys” or the “old guard”. I am still too new for that.

I have learned several valuable things in these four years though. I have learned that the majority of the men and women of this department are honest, hard working people who will go into a burning building for someone they don’t know and risk their life saving them.

These same people will work their hardest giving the best EMS to those who are sick or been injured. The same people who will get up several times in the middle of the night to answer false alarms or just help grandma or grandpa get back in bed (it is nights like these that I would like to call some members of city council and the mayor and wake them up out of a sound sleep to let them know we are working).

And I know what many people say to this, “it’s our job”. YES IT IS and the guys I work with and I love it! Unfortunately, this is not the message in the media.

And before I go any further, let me say this. It is not my job to speak on behalf of the department like Captain Russell did. My thoughts and opinions are mine and I am not going to pretend to represent the department with comments that are positive or negative.

So in saying that, I would like to share some of my thoughts.

I feel that we look really bad right now in the public’s eyes. Many people are writing that we are acting like children and being crybabies and that we are trying to stir a hornet’s nest. This may be true. However, if done correctly, I believe that I have that right afforded too me.

For example, morale does not seem to me to be the greatest in our department. One of the statements Chief Perez made in the paper about firefighters just “taking naps and watching tv” was a bothersome statement for me. As a matter of fact, in our last chief’s advisory meeting, I brought this up and Chief Perez stated that he was “misquoted” in the paper. Fine, I will buy that. However, as the head and leader of this department, a public apology or interdepartmental email/fax should have been sent out that explained the misquoting.

Anyway, on to the juicy stuff. And mind you, I am speaking on what I feel and see. My opinion represents myself. It is no secret that there are people who like and dislike Chief Perez. As the news reported, our budget is not in the best shape either. Station 3 is not closing, but it is going to be a rescue hall. And on this topic, when Engine 3 and Ladder 3 are in the hall, they are only going to repond on calls in their immediate territory unless one or both of the trucks are called out as a safety company for a fire or pulled out on a second or third alarm. When a rescue company occupies station 3, they will be called out on car wrecks and fires that could be as far as straw plains. Thus the answer to the comments about seeing empty bays more often.

Anyway, on to more rumors. It is no secret that there are people in this department who just like to stir trouble, those who are the biggest suck ups I have ever seen, and those who only care about their personnal gain. I would like to believe that I don’t fall in to any of these categories. There are those who will complain about our firefighters union but will never go to a single meeting. There are those who will complain about the department but once again, will not get involved in fixing anything in a positive manner.

And then there are my favorites. Those who will complain, gripe, write letters and make statements but refer to remain anonymous. If you are going to bitch, be a real man/woman and step up. Get involved if you are going to. And please, don’t make statements representing what you think I feel or believe unless it has been voted on and represented by my union!

Anyway, another issue that has been covered up was a witch hunt that occurred at Heaquarters. Several months ago, we had a wife of a firefighter that was so concerned about my safety, she called than union president Mike Brown to report that there may be explosives in an unassigned A shift locker (13A). As a result, a bomb dog was brought in and an EOD team with it. Guess what, nothing was found but some fireworks (sad to say that they were mine and I was reprimanded). Now, lockers were searched that the bomb dog didn’t hit on and all of us on duty felt a little violated and upset that it wasn’t handled inhouse. Granted, the lockers are the property of the city and can be searched at any time.

This is not the issue though. After the smoke cleared (no pun intended), many of us wanted to know who the low life was that made such a ridiculous call. Still waiting for that answer. My problem is if for example, I don’t like someone at station 9, it is now obvious that I can make a call and say that someone has something in their locker or car and get it searched and not get in trouble because I am “so concerned for others safety”. Bullcrap. It is my opinion, and I told Chief Perez in person, that I feel that this was a witch hunt and I still feel that way.

On to a different subject. I find it laughable when people say they are trying to take the politics out of the department. Now lets be honest, is there any job in the United States that doesn’t have politics in it? It is hear to stay. And for that matter, if politics are so bad, why do council members show up at the firehalls bringing goodies trying to garner our support. Why did we walk the streets with the mayor and put signs out for him and have fundraisers. Not because we didn’t have anything better to do. It was because I believe in the system and I felt that Mayor Haslam was the best candidate.

So for my own hard work I ask this, Mr. Mayor, please listen to our Firefighter’s Union when they meet with you. Listen to those who have helped you in the past from this department when they speak to you. Please put pride aside and realize that we are not all bad and that most of us are good people. But there is a problem, and it needs delt with immediately. Just because you and members of city council that we supported are in office now, it doesn’t mean that you can’t stop by the firehalls and get the feelings and opinions of us all.

I apologize for dragging on. So I will wrap it up with this. I believe that we are one of the best and most aggressive departments around. We are taking a black eye in the media right now and I find this very sad. Our firefighters and our community are too good for this. But the taxpayers of this city need to know the truth and right now, there are too many sides of the story being played out. Chief Perez has done some good things for this department. However, there are things that I and others feel are not so good. Honesty, integrity, and loyalty are what makes a great leader. Not a gold badge.

So in saying that I give this challenge, Chief Perez, if there are things that the union and members of this department feel are wrong or are not in the best interest, listen to us or at least hear us out. As for the citizens of Knoxville, and that includes you Councilwoman Pelot, make no mistake, if you are hurt or you house is on fire, our differences will be put aside and this department will do anything to protect and save your property or life.

Everyones got an opinion and heres mine. Like Justin, I havent been on that long (10 years), but there are some things that we all learn early. All the polititians want politics out of the firehall unless its an election year and then THEY are in the firehall looking for help and or money.

The boys at Station 3 have never seemed to me like they thought they were special. I have some good friends over there and they have always treated me as their equal.

Someone getting on the news or a website and giving their opinion is fine, but dont give mine or the departments unless we have voted on it and then give the majority opinion. 

The firehall is a unique blend of people with varied backgrounds. You never know if the guy answering your call to service has a Masters degree, is a printed author, a former rodeo cowboy, a decorated war veteran, an ordained minister or some of the many other personalities out in the halls. The one constant to our crew is that we treat the prince or the pauper the same way: with compassion and the best care we can give. 

There are lots of folks always eager to jump to the front with new ideas and methods when a new Chief is hired. You have to wonder if its for the good of the department or for personal gain. I didnt know some of the "new guard" had all this knowledge and ability. they did a good job of hiding it all these years.

The longer I work at the firehall the more I admire Bruce Cureton. How did he survive a Mayor from both political parties and stay out of the news all those years. One thing he did, was if there was a problem, he sought out the source and made it quite clear that the problem would go away. Speaking of Bruce, he started requiring all recruits to be Haz-Mat technitians over 10 years before the so called elite departments did. Score one for us. We way not have been in the dark ages after all.

We may have a black eye right now and our dirty shorts are hanging on the line for all to see. Some of the guys that are referring to the "good old boys" are just wishing they had ever been one of the boys. Rest assured Knoxvillians, when you need us we will be there, even though your neighbors are blocking the driveways at Stations 18 and 14, and some are trying to run us over on the side of the interstate, and parking in the fire lane at every store in town.

These are my opinions and not the folks I work with. Thanks for your time.  Robert Roche