On June 29, 2004 ABC, Channel 7 aired the show NYPD 24/7 to a national audience. Highlighted was an NYPD Emergency Services Lieutenant who in an unprovoked attack demeaned, slandered and belittled all New York City Firefighters. This show was sanctioned and filmed with the permission of Police Commissioner Kelly. The aggressive and egregious behavior displayed by this Emergency Service Lieutenant and Commissioner Kelly’s failure to admonish it sets a tone where cooperation is difficult. Not a day goes by when our firefighters are not working shoulder-to-shoulder with the rank and file police officers. Both police officers and firefighters put their lives on the line every day for the citizens of New York.
Police Commissioner Kelly’s unwillingness to repudiate the unconscionable behavior of this ESU Lieutenant leads us to believe this and other negative stories may have been orchestrated by 1 Police Plaza to the media for the purposes of deliberately smearing NYC firefighters. During the past few months a public battle has existed between the Police Department and the Fire Department over who will be the lead agency at various incidents. A recent major change in interagency protocols was the loss of primary control of Haz-Mat incidents to the Police Department. We hope the hierarchy of the Police Department and Commissioner Kelly would not deliberately portray firefighters negatively in a power grab to expand their responsibilities.
This ESU lieutenant was hand picked by the Police Department and the show’s producers to be their poster boy knowing that he has a long and documented history of inciting incidents with firefighters in the field and during lifesaving operations. The Police Commissioner certainly owes the members of the Fire Department of the City of New York an explanation of how this lieutenant under his command was allowed this national stage to defame New York’s Bravest.
