Firefighter Krapf's locker from WCAU-TV.
See our previous coverage of this story here and here.
Chester City, Pennsylvania Firefighter James Krapf is getting quite a bit of publicity about his refusal to remove an American flag sticker from his locker. He was suspended for a second day after refusing to follow the directive from Fire Commissioner James Johnson to remove the flag.
Now the firefighter whose locker art brought the order to remove all decorations has started wearing a hat with a flag patch stitched upside-down. The flag is normally only flown in that fashion to symbol distress, but it has also been used as a form of protest. Here are excerpts from Joelle Farrell’s latest article at Philly.com.
Over the summer, Chester Fire Commissioner James Johnson banned all decorations on locker doors after firefighters argued over the posting of a cartoon at Fire Station No. 2 that some found offensive. Robert Butler, a black firefighter who posted the cartoon on his locker as a protest, was suspended without pay for a day when he replaced the cartoon with a sign that read, “Black man has no free speech.”
The directive to clear the lockers took effect Aug. 29 but was not enforced until last week. Firefighter James Krapf was suspended without pay Thursday and Friday after he refused to remove the flag decal from his locker. He is scheduled to meet with Johnson tomorrow.
Butler wore a knit cap with an upside-down flag yesterday. He said he was not protesting the federal government but wore it “as the common meaning” of distress.
Firefighters who complained to the commissioner were told that no departmental rule barred Butler from wearing the flag upside down, said Stacy Landrum, president of the Chester firefighters union.
Also on STATter911 …
- How not to respond to the press: A Long Island fire department deals with a reporter asking questions about the Confederate flag. – January 21, 2011
- Raw video: Multi-alarm apartment fire in Chester, Pennsylvania. – February 8, 2012
- American flag that had been on WWII vets coffin saved from burning home. Family is grateful to Colorado Springs firefighters. – February 18, 2011
- Handling the bad news: Estero, Florida firefighters say chief ordered them to leave fire engine & serve alcohol, topless at private fundraiser. Fire commission extends stories life with vague answers. – December 20, 2011
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Rally is being planned in support of James Krapf, on Monday the 19th at 9am outfront of fire HQ at 14th and Providence ave. Please come out and support Jim!! Bring flags and signs supporting our brother
Is there a place to make donations to help cover the lost wages?
Can you say BS
Many a U.S. Navy ship — with many U.S. sailors aboard — have gone down fighting, with their flag flying proudly (right side up!) at the mast. If this firefighter feels he is in greater distress than than that, then he might have a case. Based on what has been reported, this doesn’t seem to be the case. There is no excuse for anyone using the flag of the United States as any kind of expression other than an expression of patriotism. To do otherwise is un-American. I sympathize with his grievance, but I do not sympathize with using our flag for what is, in essence, a personal matter.
He needs to get over it and take off the flage it’s not a proper way to display it anyway. Or the hat.
ONE THING STANDS OUT ABOVE ALL ELSE THE BOSS SAID” IT GOES RIGHT WRONG OR OTHERWISE HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN DOWN THE FLAG AND THEN FILE ALL KINDS OF PAPER WORK ,CIVIL RIGHTS SUITS ETC .HOWEVER ORDERS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED 24/.7 AND MY THOUGHTS ARE SIMPLE IF THE FF CAN NOT FOLLOW A DIRECT ORDER THEN HE MAY NOT BELONG ON MY FIRE GROUND , SIMPLE RULE IN THE MILITARY DO AS ORDED, IF NOT HAPPY TALK ABOUT IT LATER.. I REALIZED THERE COULD BE A RACIAL PROBLEM,ETC RULES ARE RULES PERIOD .. . ,
George Hobb if this were the military, Mr.Krapf would probably be allowed to sport his american flag wherever he pleases. Its toolbags like you in the fire service, who live by the book & die by the book, that noone wants to be around people like YOU on the fireground.
I could hear it now, “who’s that guy with the American Flag sticker on his helmet”, “get him the heck off my fireground”. “says who”, “says Hobbs”….
Would like to know more about the cartoons. What were they of, what did they say…. Me thinks there is more going on here than meets the eye. Is the Chief protecting someone?
The station is gladly taking calls of support, they stand behind Jim Krapf totally. 610-447-7842
Fire Commissioner James Johnson can be reached at 610-477-7765, x103. Mayor of Chester is Wendell Butler – 610-447-7700.
Went to far, The station Capt should have put a stop to it all.
Lost wages, bad press just soils the imaqe of what we do.
The whole thing should not have passed the door of the station.
We get enough bad press as it is. The union, Keep it in house.
The people read this in the papers, then you ask for more money in the next contract? Think about it… Somebody stepped on their tongue. We do so much for the community, then something like this
happens. It will take years to get rid of that dark cloud!
Oh Hookman, you sound like you are of the generation Y age range. For years the Fire service has been a semi-military institution. In war, on the battle field, orders are given by experienced leaders and it was not an option to “not” follow those orders. Lives depended on that discipline. To ensure consistency, the same discipline was exercised in non battle conditions.
The Fire service is no different. Discipline on the fire ground as well as in the station is important. I agree with Mr. Hobbs, orders are orders. In the case with the locker room flag, a more mature action would have been to comply and then use “proper” resources to disagree (grievance, administrative appeals, etc) to present your case. Pick your battles and be smart.
I personally believe that the American Flag should proudly be displayed everywhere. There’s one in front of every fire station. One flies on my fire truck and an American Flag pin is on my daily uniform.
More and more in this country, I see people challenging and trying to change standards that have stood the test of time and have a traditional value. Sadly, usually that standard is lowered. Sometimes change is good but tradition has its place in the how and why we do things the way we do.
Be Safe
The firefighter is insubordinate He is using the U.S.Flag as a means to defy authority. I would not want someone that cannot obey basic rules to be on my crew.
The American flag is not the same as a CARTOON. The American flag is a symbol of freedom and virtue. The American flag is far beyond anything else. The evil left is trying very hard to abolish anything that is American and good. Why are this people trying so hard to destroy America? The doors are opened for them to start a new life somewhere else. The suspension of the firefighters who placed the American flag emblem is justified to do so against all dept policy, for the simple fact that is proud to be an American…go for it, boy! and, he should be reinstated with HONORS….!
Please Statter don’t encourage Hookman by posting his comments.
Pain and simple this FF is hiding behind the American flag to be insubordinate. The property belongs to the Fire Dept. and the leader of that dept is the chief. It is not a democracy.Thier are far better fights to fight and spend time on. This has turned us away from our primary purpose as fire fighters to savelives and protect property. I served in the US army and I am not on the Evil Left I fly the flag in front of my house every day, not in front of my neighbors house.
Just another case of a Chief taking a blanket approach, disciplining and punishing everyone, for something that should be handled on a case by case basis. 26 years ago, when Firemen were men and not whiney “victims”, the Chief would have taken the guys aside and tore them a new Butt Hole for being stupid, and sent them on their way to carry out whatever he directed them to do…and THAT WOULD BE THAT. Unfortunatly, what is shown in this article this is the way the world is going. A soon as race is involved, people in positions of authority are almost forced to punish everyone because if they dont, someone, or their Lawyer, or their Community Organizer, will cry foul and the costly litigation begins. My opinion is that EVERY FF LOCKER should be decorated with the American Flag (first and foremost), PLUS reminders of our brothers past. Sometime real soon, we need to stand together as Brither and Sister Firefighters and talk things out without Lawyers,a nd without the fear of the dreaded “RACE CARD” being pulled. Our profession is dangerous enough without having to worry about being IED’ed by the people we are supposed to be standing arm in arm with. Stay safe and respect and enjoy your Brothers and Sisters regardless of RACE.
What ever happend to sitting down with the Chief to discuss the issue before it is blown out of proportion?
Not saying either side is right or wrong but more harm to the fire service is being done by this being in the public spotlight.
Find a neutral Chief from another county or City and all sit down and work out a way to make everyone happy.
Before it is asked I am a career FF who belongs to a union and I have over 25 years in the fire service. I have seen where sitting down and discussing the problem has resolved this type of issue.
Another example of the lack of management skills that some (most) of our chiefs and commissioners have. Punish all instead of dealing with the true problem.
I think the issue is that if you display any item (flag,cartoon etc) on a piece of property that does not belong to you (in this case a locker that is Fire Dept./City property)then the Chief has the right to tell you to take it down. If you don’t like it you can get a job somewhere else or you can go through the process of filing a grievance.
Seems some of you have missed the point. The Fire Chief gave a directive that “all” decorations, stickers, etc. be removed from the locker doors. Yes the American Flag is sacred to all americans, but it was still in violation of the Fire Chief’s directive. The proper thing would have been to remove it. Period! FF Krapf violated/disobeyed orders to remove “all” not “some” stickers from his locker. We can’t have partial compliance with directives based on the “I don’t think it is fair” mentality. I have been in the military and am in the fire service. Decisions are made and have to be adhered to. Non-compliance is not an issue. There are proper channels to address these matters of disagreements. Simply defying a directive is not an option. FF Krapf was suspended for disobeying a directive by not removing “ALL” stickers. It just so happend to be the the US Flag. The US FLAG subject has taken the subject in a different direction and has red-blooded americans in arms. The sole subject here is “DISOBEDIENCE” on the part of FF Krapf.
For years now it seems like folks have lost their ever-lovin’ minds. Example: -Taking prayer out of schools.
-Removing “One nation Under God”.
-Doing away with “I solemnly swear”.
If Americans do not stand up for what they believe in, they will fall for anything. “He who kneels before God can stand up to any man”. Firefighter Krapf stood for what he believed to be right. This is the character that a lot of Americans are lacking. If Firefighter Krapf followed the Chief’s directive and removed the U.S. flag decal from his locker, he would have to live with the dissatisfaction of going against what he believed in. But guess what? He did not remove the U.S. flag and sure he got a few days suspension, but he has been reinstated (with back-pay) and an agreement has been reached to allow the Firefighters of Chester, Pa to proudly display the U.S. flag decal on the OUTSIDE of their gearlockers. So who was wrong and who was right now? I would also like to add that Firefighter Krapf could join my Engine Company any day, this job not only requires common sense and smarts, but huge gonads as well. Good job Krapf!!!
ITS NOT ABOUT HIS PATRIOTISM! IT IS ABOUT BLATANTLY VIOLATING A DIRECTIVE SET FORTH BY THE FIRE COMMISSIONER! He was told to remove all stickers! HE DID NOT! So his punishment is just! NOW if he was the stand-up guy that everyone is wanting he would have used the proper channels AFTER this incident, without going to the media, and discussed having Flag stickers on the outside of your locker. The locker is city property. LIKE IT OR NOT! If its not yours, you have to comply! They did not remove the flags from their uniforms or tear down the flag poles in front of all the stations; so lets leave the god and prayer thing alone. This is a seperate matter in and of itself.
HOOKMAN! I fought for our country under the very flag that he is wanting to display, my father and his father and his father also did! I wear the very same flag on the right breast of my uniform shirt. I have the very same flag on display (properly) on my mailbox post. That FF violated a directive…period.
That’s the spirit…Let’s punish the good guys and not the idiot that started the whole mess to begin with. What was his punishment for displaying a stupid sticker (on the outside of his gearlocker) of a black cartoon that said “A black man has no voice” – Oh yeah, and wearing a hat with the U.S. Flag upside down on it. C’mon E’Rbody, let’s not take care of the real problem, let’s punish everyone else for a slacker’s actions (Even though we are taught differently in Company Officer’s class, that is exactly how Fire Departments around the nation handle “problem children”, they punish everybody but the real problem). This kind of crap makes me sick. Directive or a bad judgement call? I’ll go with the latter on the Fire Commissioner’s part…
CORRECTION…the cartoon sticker that started all of this said “Black man has no free speech”, not “A black man has no voice”.