Imagine a firefighter being the first on a motor vehicle crash scene and discovering drugs and open liquor in the car. Imagine that firefighter interrogating the driver, searching the car and zip-tying the driver’s hands together.
It’s not a huge stretch. There’s the odd story once or twice a year of firefighters stepping well over the line into law enforcement territory.
And Thursday’s story out of southern Indiana is a reminder that this can swing the other way.
Briefly, a fire chief at a working structure fire was led off in handcuffs for allegedly shoving and hurling profanities at a police officer. The officer was attempting to break a window to search a room for victims — the chief was stopping that action.
This story has more questions than answers, and hopefully this incident will be thoroughly examined and shared. However, there are some conclusions we can reach.
1. We’re on the same team
Chief Rob Wylie’s video does a great job of laying out how to work with police who arrive first on scene at a working fire. We can’t lose sight of the shared objective between police and fire — to protect the civilian population.
These departments may not have had the best relationship going into this fire; that is unclear. What is clear is that the road to a good relationship just got harder, but it is one they must travel to prevent future flare-ups that may compromise civilian and responder lives.
2. Fire commands a fire
Fire and EMS officers have no business taking the lead on a bank robbery. And police need to be in a supporting role on all fires, vehicle crashes, rescues and medical emergencies. That’s simply non-negotiable.
It is understandable that people get excited during emergencies and behave in ways that may be completely out of character. That aside, if the officer was trying to make entry after being told by the fire chief to desist, he needs to be strongly reprimanded.
It is fair to assume the fire chief fully understood fire dynamics and the potential harm popping that window could have brought upon any victims or interior crews. It’s also fair to assume the officer was ignorant of these dynamics. But regardless of the officer’s understanding, that’s the chief’s area of expertise and it needs to be respected in the heat of battle.
3. Staying on task
The prime objective on any fire scene is the preservation of life, then property. The homeowner where this fire occurred told a local media outlet that he overheard police say they were in control of the scene after the chief was led away in cuffs.
The homeowner also reported that some of the firefighters said it was time to pack up the gear and go home. To his credit, the assistant chief stepped up, at what must have been an emotionally charged moment, and kept the crew on scene.
And it’s a good thing he did, as the house rekindled.
It’s unclear if the fracas delayed firefighting efforts or contributed to the fire’s resurgence. But interrupting firefighting activities for an argument and an arrest is both dangerous and unprofessional — that much is clear.
Leaving the chief on scene until the fire was out and following up with the arrest later would have been the better option. Removing him in that manner likely did more harm than good and it smacks of hubris and wounded pride.
We’ve certainly not heard the last of this situation and we’ll keep you posted as new information comes available.
In the meantime, examine your department’s relationship with police and look for ways to educate them on how to help (and not cause harm) on scene. Work with police leadership to iron out who is in charge and when. Work through how conflicts will be resolved when they arise.
These incidents are rare, but in most cases they are preventable with better cross-department communication.
