![]() Goldfeder highlighted the complexity of the issue and proposed another approach: “While I get really bothered when someone writes a single letter and then everyone at any city hall instantly loses their minds (think: the sky is falling!) and everything has to be totally changed, I certainly get the sentiment over the issue in supporting a member of the fire or police service. Nearly 80% reported that they believe their departments to be demographically representative of the community, while 10% reported that do not believe their departments to be demographically representative of the community. It should be noted that we also asked respondents whether they believe their fire department is demographically representative of the community it serves, as one of the biggest sticking points of this issue is the belief that some in public safety don’t understand the political or social undertones of the flags. This is just the tip of the iceberg for the discussion. It is not your vehicle it belongs to the public.” David had a different perspective, writing: “That flag pushes an illegitimate narrative and should not be on any official vehicle.Now, if you took an American flag and physically altered it, that would be a problem.” It is its own flag that takes design cues from the American flag. Bill wrote: “In no way does a thin line flag disrespect our American flag.Community commentsĪs you can imagine, this issue generated a lot of conversation on our Facebook page: The policy issue is a complex one, as the policy may prohibit display of political messages, yet many firefighters do not see the flags as political in nature. We certainly don't need any more unnecessary and predictable headlines.” Goldfeder was not surprised: “Once again, we learn about an issue that should be addressed by policy well ahead of the issue,” adding, “How does a chief know what policies to have? Can everything be ‘policied’? Of course not, but if you read about a national headline-making event impacting another fire department or chief, consider that a ‘tap on the shoulder’ to determine if your organization has (or needs) a policy addressing that specific issue. Most of the departments that do have policies are career departments. Our survey revealed that only 35% of respondents said their department has a policy that relates to the display of flags, decals and emblems, while 50% said they do NOT have a policy in place and 15% were unsure. They note that the flags violate policies that forbid displaying political messages on government property. In many of the news reports we’ve seen about this issue, departments and cities that have ordered the removal of the thin line flags have done so citing the policy piece. If you want to show support with a thin red line on a black or other color background to show support for our fallen and our solidarity, I could get behind that, but not the United States flag.”ĭeputy Chief Billy Goldfeder underscored the need to remember that these are not “our” fire trucks: “They were paid for by, and essentially belong to, everyone in the community, so if there is a chance that our good intentions of support could be perceived as a negative action or statement, (especially these days) why not avoid that?” Policies and procedures The symbolism of the original 13 colonies made by those 13 red and white stripes is a powerful connection to our nation’s founding. A staunch constitutional and code supporter, Bashoor found himself agreeing with the 68% of respondents, underscoring that, to him, the flag code is clear in that no other colors should adorn the flag: “If you’re going to allow any alteration, then you’d have to allow all of them.
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