Article

2014-02-07 -Land of the Free

CHP Officer Arrests Firefighter At Accident Scene

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Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-02-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 Firefighters are trained to extricate, triage, and use equipment stored on thier units in protected ways. including how to position their emergency vehicles at the scene in ways that the police officer has no idea how to use. It is the police officer's responsibility to direct traffic accordingly as a member of the emergency services. Not to act like a totally ignorant, tyrannical jackass endangering the crews, victims, and others like this screw ball did.

Posted by Omavising Ebbemp9815 2014-02-07 00:30|| 2014-02-07 00:30|| Front Page Top

#2 "Not to act like a totally ignorant, tyrannical jackass" is one of the basic themes in "Land of the Free"

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-02-07 01:07|| 2014-02-07 01:07|| Front Page Top

#3 "That CHP officer should be written up on charges by the Captain on site, and fired." Even if that happened, and it probably won't, he'll be reinstated if there is an arbitration clause in the union contract. The police can do no wrong.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-02-07 01:31|| 2014-02-07 01:31|| Front Page Top

#4 Any bets the CHP station gets slapped with lots of fines for fire code violations?

Posted by Silentbrick 2014-02-07 06:31|| 2014-02-07 06:31|| Front Page Top

#5 The two chiefs have met to diffuse this. The CHP need to be publicly reprimanded or fired. Too much power has gone to his head. I can only imagine how he treats civilians....

Posted by 49 Pan 2014-02-07 10:34|| 2014-02-07 10:34|| Front Page Top

#6 the publicity (especially locally) has done a LOT to make this jerk's superiors and peers uncomfortable. Even if he's not disciplined (and I doubt he will be) his career just hit a ceiling. He'll always be "that jerk who embarrassed us"

Posted by Frank G 2014-02-07 10:37|| 2014-02-07 10:37|| Front Page Top

#7 Frank I think your right on this one. He is an embarrassment to the CHP. I can see the jokes by the fire departments across California at every crash scene. The teasing and chiding will be relentless.

Posted by 49 Pan 2014-02-07 11:40|| 2014-02-07 11:40|| Front Page Top

#8 Can somebody please explain what was wrong with the way the fire truck was parked? I've seen several reports on this incident and it is still not clear (not the first time that San Diego journalists have been unclear).

Was there a particular section of the state vehicle code that was violated? And, if so, wouldn't it be more prudent for the CHP officer to quietly issue a citation so the dispute could be settled after the victims had been safely removed from the scene instead of distracting the paramedics and firemen while they're trying to deal with an emergency?

Because it seems to me, untrained as I am, that the truck was parked in such a way as to protect firemen, paramedics and accident victims from oncoming traffic.

As for the traffic, well, that's life in San Diego. When you build more houses than the local infrastructure can safely bear you shouldn't be surprised at freeway congestion, overcrowded schools, overcrowded hospital emergency rooms, water rationing, natural gas shortages, etc., etc.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2014-02-07 12:07|| 2014-02-07 12:07|| Front Page Top

#9 Police officers like that need to be made into civilians after public reprimands.

Posted by DarthVader 2014-02-07 12:44|| 2014-02-07 12:44|| Front Page Top

#10 EU6305 I have not seen an official diagram, but I will say out here our procedure is like how you described with layers of vehicular protection. Ideally the chip cruiser should be protecting the rescue rig and/or the lane of traffic which most exposes the rescue/treatment effort.

The incident commander should be the highest ranking fire/rescue responder, as they are supposed to secure the wreck - stability and fire - and begin efforts to extricate patients so then EMTs can begin their efforts. At the same time, deploy the engine in a manner which is as close as possible to the wreck while both not interfering with future EMT work and shielding the scene as best possible from unaware drivers. If this firefighter went to jail because the chip told him to open the lane of traffic or be arrested, then he is a GD hero. I saw a safety video of half of a vol department wiped out because an errant truck driver drove through their rescue effort.

The question, is it the official policy of the California Highway Patrol to prioritize traffic flow over the safety and well being of accident patients, medical staff, and extrication efforts, as well as the equipment used for such efforts including fire apparatus and tools? Cuz that stuff is a helluva lot more expensive than a cruiser and an asshole chp.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-02-07 12:53|| 2014-02-07 12:53|| Front Page Top

#11 Police officers like that need to be made into civilians after public reprimands.

As long as they don't put him where his natural tendency to be a little tin god can get in anybody's way, that sounds good to me.

Posted by gorb 2014-02-07 14:31|| 2014-02-07 14:31|| Front Page Top

#12 Something is weird about this entire story. Did the CHP radically drop their standards to let this guy in? Has he been there long?

It doesn't matter if the truck blocked a couple of lanes, folks are gonna rubberneck and slow everything down and if this hassle cost a life the guy would be drawn and quartered. no common sense at all.

Posted by rjschwarz 2014-02-07 14:49|| 2014-02-07 14:49|| Front Page Top

#13 I think it's in response to recent criticism of police/CHP closing entire freeways when a LEO shooting or accident occurs in San Diego. Over-reaction perhaps

Posted by Frank G 2014-02-07 16:21|| 2014-02-07 16:21|| Front Page Top

#14 It's sorta like this:

Do not the glass on the street.

Posted by Shipman 2014-02-07 17:16|| 2014-02-07 17:16|| Front Page Top

#15 And you know the Firemen did that to make a point. LOL, a slightly less efficient run over the trunk might have worked almost as well. Still heh, I'd have broken every piece of glass on that sucker just for practice.

Posted by Shipman 2014-02-07 17:17|| 2014-02-07 17:17|| Front Page Top

#16 I can imagine the conversation:
chip: "Hail brethren servant of the public! May I cultivate your time at the moment. I do understand the young maiden's clavical is angled right, which is of course not right, but as an expert in my field, I emplore you to remaneuver your carriage as to allow for a greater opening upon this route of travel."

fire: "And a good evening to you as well, fine cousin. Let me begin by introducing myself of somebody who knows that good humor can quell a bad day. However, the timing of both you wit and request are quite off, as my comrades must mummify the young maiden to stave further grief. Nay."

chip: "Nay, you say? Sir, you must bow to my knowledge of travel and the wishes of tired souls ready for rest. I stand before you as an agent of the State of California, approved by Duke Brown, Lord of Moonbeam, the authority of fine courts and judges, and great rider of the highway. I ask you again, with the great weight and burdon of said authority, to reposition your carriage as requested, under penalty of detainment!"

fire: "Then you must give that these worn toilers returning to their chambers are certainly witnessing their first true excitement, the natural struggle between life and death, at the end of their labor. My carriage is no carriage, it is a rampart by which my comrades and fellow healers shelter from the cannonballs of mechinazation. It is I who shelter these souls from our God-enemies Mercury and Saturn. I can no more remove their armor than Jean Parisot de Valette could surrender Fort St. Elmo, and history will prove that both will have been taken by force!"

chip: "Yes! Yes! Thou nomex has been thrown! I find your stubboness insulting to the grand viziers of these routes of trade and to me. An insult upon a Patrolmen of the Highways in the land of California..is an insult upon the pride and lore of California itself! Stay yourself, and I shall not draw my weapons. The Lord Moonbeam is merciful and shall hear your case and weigh your innocence by his agents de court. Presently, advance yourself upon yon bench of locks with the grace and pride of your position."

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-02-07 19:09|| 2014-02-07 19:09|| Front Page Top

#17 Thou nomex has been thrown!

I'm rolling! A masterpiece.

Posted by SteveS 2014-02-07 19:17|| 2014-02-07 19:17|| Front Page Top

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