- UPDATE- The firefighter’s picture and the story have nothing to do with each other. Efforts by firefighters and FireEngineering.com have since had this image removed from the Australian blog.
Watch interview with Kristen Curry
UPDATE: Fire service online community gets image removed
Regular STATter911.com readers will likely recognize the man in the picture above. We have run the picture a number of times. He was John Curry, a Volusia County, Florida firefighter who was killed when a tree fell on him during a training accident in 2007.
A blogger in Australia apparently thinks it is okay to use this firefighter’s image to illustrate an unrelated news story that was posted on September 13. Not just any story mind you, but a story about an Australian firefighter who was sent to jail for 20 years after selling naked photos of his daughter and granddaughter.
Kristen Curry told WFTV-TV, “To link such a good man, honorable man, to pornography and rape is just awful.” I doubt there are many people who would disagree with her.
The blog is called Velociraptor on Zebra. It isn’t like the person running the blog doesn’t know that the person in the picture has nothing to do with the news story. The blogger wrote under the picture: “General picture of a fire-fighter not of the man himself. ”
Okay, nice disclaimer, but did you ever think about the person in the photo and how they might feel about their image illustrating a story about a sexual predator? Or in this case, how the relatives and friends of a fallen firefighter might feel?
The name of the person associated with the website is David Harris. If any of you know David Harris, you might want to contact him. Please let Harris know there’s a woman in Florida who is desperately trying to find him. She is also trying to hold on to an image that is dear to her.
Read more about this story at WFTV.com.
Also on STATter911 …
- Quick Takes – November 13, 2009
- The fireground audio to go with the picture of the day. Rescues in the Bronx. – February 16, 2010
- A look at the death of Detroit’s Walter Harris. Read NIOSH report. – February 20, 2010
- Quick Takes – March 10, 2010
well i left my comment expressing my displeasure to say the least. Let’s see if this POS posts my comment. Or is going to delete it. Or he may be doing it for the publicity. After seeing the story he is bound to have a few more hits on his site.
this blogger is a douche bag and should pay dearly for slander of a fallen brother!!
Well, I put a comment in also. If I was the family I would be furious that his picture was being defiled in such a manner.
I just don’t know what to say. The person that used the fallen heroes picture should be ashamed. There just isn’t words to say what is going through my head. WOW
As a firefighter/paramedic myself, this makes me sick. How can anyone post something so sick about a fallen brother. That SOB needs to be punished. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family.
One word Asshole! Take it off…….
same here. says that there are no comments.
We have 2 problems!
1st- there is the scum bag who sold his own family. You are not a Brother, infact you are a disgrace to all of us who put on the uniform.
2nd- If your in the business of publishing a crap story at least get the facts (and of course photo) correct.
Looks like Fire Engineering (where the picture was linked from) pulled the picture from their site, so it won’t show up anymore! Good Job, FE! Hope the guy doesn’t put it back up…
I put in a comment and never got a reply. I noticed just a little bit ago that the picture is no longer on the site. It appears he linked the picture from Pennwell and Penwell must have removed the picture.
Perhaps the person/department who has the copyright of that picture should start legal action for infringement? If the guy doesn’t pull it because of a devastated family’s reaction, maybe he will pull it if his wallet is threatened?
The photo has been removed.
Now that the photo is off the blog, can we remove the copy on Dave’s site? If you click on the small phone above the disclaimer, you still see an offensive misuse of this image.
Point very well taken. I have adjusted the image in two places so that the disclaimer goes with it.
Thanks for the reminder,
Statter