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PETA bikini ad for firefighter helmets rejected by W.Va. chief

The chief said he had not even heard of the offer until local media reports began surfacing, saying the ads would ‘offend people’

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Photo PETA
PETA is offering donations to the burned Sissonville volunteer fire station if bikini-clad women promoting PETA’s website are on firefighters’ helmets.

By Paul Fallon
The Charleston Daily Mail

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — Sissonville Fire Chief Thomas K. Johnson said his department won’t accept an offer of money from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA offered an unspecified donation to help the department rebuild after a devastating fire destroyed the station — if its firefighters would wear a helmet decal featuring a bikini-clad woman.

The decal, which is of one of PETA’s “Chili Chicks,” also sports the slogan “Vegans are Hot! Free Smokin’ recipes: PETA.org.”

“I think the sticker would offend people,” Johnson said. “This is a very rural bedroom community.”

Johnson said he has not been in touch with the animal rights organization and has no idea how much money would have been donated if the firefighters agreed to wear the decals. He added that he had not even heard of the offer until local media reports began surfacing.

“But I thought the offer was stupid,” he added. “It was without any kind of merit.”

Ashley Gonzalez, a media specialist with PETA, said the organization both faxed and e-mailed a letter to Johnson on Tuesday, and said the group’s e-mail servers confirmed the message had been sent and received. When officials called to follow up with the fire department, Gonzalez said there was no answer, and no voicemail or answering machine picked up.

Gonzalez said PETA officials were working on a donation amount that they would have offered Johnson during the follow-up call, but haven’t heard from anyone with the fire department.

“We’re disappointed that they turned down the offer,” she said Wednesday evening.

“We thought it was a win-win for both sides. We thought we could help them with some funding and that they could help us promote a vegan lifestyle.”

Gonzalez said veganism — avoiding consumption or use of all animal products — can help reduce obesity, a continuing problem both nationwide and in Charleston.

She added that the helmet decal wasn’t created for its shock value or meant to offend people.

“It may seem provocative and making light of an issue, but we thought it was a lighthearted way to get across a serious message,” she said.

Though Johnson was concerned with how residents would perceive the decal, he said he was not offended that PETA attached conditions to its offer.

But he pointed out that many individuals and agencies from as far away as Alaska and Florida have given money to help the department rebuild without any strings attached.

“We’ve had people that are really tight-fisted give us money,” he said. “If we hadn’t worn a half-naked lady on our helmets before, why would we want to do it now?”

And this is not the first time helmet decals have been discussed by department officials, either. A few years ago, firefighters requested permission to place personal decals — such as a skull and crossbones or a Jolly Roger flag - on their helmets to give uniforms more personality.

These requests were also turned down, Johnson said.

“We chose at that time not to add any decals or stickers to our helmets except those designating rank and area of expertise,” he said.

Johnson said it would be unprofessional to add helmet decals of any kind.

“I wonder how someone would feel if we responded to a car accident on the interstate and they saw a Jolly Roger or a half-naked lady on our helmets?” he asked.

The department’s main station and most of its equipment was destroyed in an electrical fire Oct. 1. About $250,000 has been raised to help replace the station and equipment lost in the blaze, Thompson said.

The department also received about $1 million from the insurance company for the damages, but is still about $300,000 short of the amount needed to rebuild, he said.

Gonzalez said PETA’s offer would stay on the table for now.

“If they are open to changing their mind, they should get a hold of us”

Officials with PETA said they would give a donation to Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department’s rebuilding fund if its first responders agreed to wear this helmet decal, featuring a scantily clad “Chili Chick” and a slogan directing people to the group’s vegan recipes online.

Copyright 2010 Charleston Newspapers

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