Comments on: DC Fire & EMS accuser on the other side. A look at when the department’s former lawyer was named in a complaint.

By: D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin Deposition Video Showcases Questionable Statements, Behavior « EHS & Safety News America

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:47:52 +0000

[...] DC Fire & EMS accuser on the other side. A look at when the department’s former lawyer was nam… – December 4, 2009 [...]

By: ANONYMOUS

ANONYMOUS — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:04:28 +0000

Hey DC TAXPAYER:
Read the papers. Remember how I said the only people benefiting from Rubin’s presence is himself and all of his cronies??? He lied to the media and gave a high ranking officer who resigned a free pass to take $600,000 of the cities pension by keeping him on the books. Starting to see the big picture yet???

By: Rubin Needs to Go.

Rubin Needs to Go. — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:56:00 +0000

DC Firefighter: AMEN BROTHER!! Well said my friend.
DC Taxpayer: How can you state what kind of apple I am? Do you know me, my qualifications, or level of dedication to this city? Are you a fire dept. employee? If not how can you speak from a more educated view point if you don’t even work under the man’s direction? Remember the Fire Chief is no less of a politician than Fenty. Just because he likes to stand in front of a camera and make our residents feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn’t mean you should believe it. He tries to be a master public speaker and as long as he sounds good people buy into it. If you take anything from this situation just know that he has created extremely deep rooted issues within this organization that would take years to fix. And that’s only if the city actually hires a person that’s qualified to do it. The only people that are benefiting by his presence is himself and all of the other cool aid drinkers that have been given high ranking promotions by him.

By: DC Firefighter

DC Firefighter — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:15:27 +0000

DC Taxpayer, You seem only concerned with the plight of one person, Daniels. The Daniels case while peripherally relevant to the dealings of Cusick before Rubin came into office is still not relevant to the case that is before the city today. And to think that Fenty, Rubin, or any member of the current City Administration has anything but their own vested interests at heart is sorely mistaken. I will stop short of calling Mayor Fenty a criminal, however unless you feel the effects of his decisions first hand as an employee of the city you are really removed from viewing this man through anything but your rose colored glasses. He has directed his department heads to violate policy, and rule arbitrarily on disciplinary cases without following City or Departmental policy. He has personally obstructed the re-establishment of the PERB Board which deals with these very issues. Why do you think that so many people are getting their jobs back after violating city or department regulations. It is not because they were innocent, it is because this man and his appointed officials have decided that the established rules that govern civil service employees are too cumbersome for them to deal with. So they have decided to implement their own brand of justice. That brand is subsequently overruled when it goes before a court. I can understand that you may think that these men are doing a fabulous job, however I have been a DC resident over twenty years and an employee of the fire department for half of that time. Rubin is not doing a good job, believe me. Fenty is doing an even worse job than Rubin, and that is very difficult to do. While I agree that there are bad apples in the Fire Department (as in any other DC Agency) there are established rules to deal with these individuals, and when those rules are abandoned no one benefits from that sort of leadership.

By: DC TAXPAYER

DC TAXPAYER — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:54:13 +0000

So isn’t it just amazing how a whole bunch of people start posting stuff when it’s suggested Fire Chief Rubin is telling the truth, like I’m sure he is?

I love the quote from the Blade article referring to Cusick: “She was outright abusive and uncivil,” Daniels said. “It was the most unprofessional thing I’ve experienced in over 20 years of practice.” Oh, and let’s not forget: “Daniels said Kirby has since amended her complaint against the department to charge Cusick with a count of retaliation for Cusick’s behavior at the Feb. 9 OHR meeting.” All this while Cusick was supposed to be representing the TAXPAYERS of DC against Kirby’s lawsuit.

What’s Cusick say in response to this? “However, you will note that even though I was described as being really really angry, I did not curse.” Well, obviously that’s good justification for her behavior, huh? And what’s the GAP say about it? “It simply is, and never has been, in any way, relevant to the DCFD’s reason for the removal of Theresa from the General Counsel role.” Oh, well that explains it too. Let’s see, “not relevant.” Chief Rubin probably didn’t know about Cusick’s run in with Kirby because it happened before he became chief in DC. Coincidentally, Rubin happened to use almost the exact words to describe Cusick’s behavior in the video that Kendra Kirby’s lawyer used two years earlier.

I wonder how much the TAXPAYERS of DC paid out for that little bit (sorry, I mean “nearly five minutes” of bits) of “abusive and uncivil” behavior? Anyone know how much the case settled for? And this is the same lawyer who is now suing the District while she still works here? I wonder if the GAP would have represented Kendra Kirby against Cusick and the District back in 2005? Doesn’t it seem like Cusick’s trying to make the same case against Rubin that Kirby was making against her as reported by the Blade back in 2005?

I’m thinking Cusick and all her friends are only looking for one thing from all of us. More money, plain and simple. The fact is the GAP and Cusick don’t have a case against Fire Chief Rubin or the District and they know it. Otherwise, they’d do their talking in court. That’s why they did this video. They want the TAXPAYERS to shut them up by paying them off.

Well, here’s a DC TAXPAYER that says to heck with that. Chief Rubin is doing a good job of weeding out bad apples in the Fire Department like the ones posting here who have always been a drain on the District. Are you listening Mayor Fenty?

By: Rube needs to go

Rube needs to go — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:51:58 +0000

I think it’s funny how every month I read “Rube’s Rules of Leadership” in Firehouse Magazine. How can a man write articles on how to be a good leader when he is the most hated man in his 2000+ employee fire department? It has made me realize how much of a joke that magazine is and how disconnected it is from the front lines of today’s fire service. I just hope the younger generation of firemen have enough sense to question the articles Rubin and all of the other ignorant editors of Firehouse Magazine. He’s a joke and the only person that thinks he has created a “world class” dual role fire department is him. Unfortunately he has somehow managed to convince the other ignorant editors at Fireouse of the same and now they’ve begun to write articles about him too. The biggest mistake Fenty has made in his tenure is bring this moron on board. As someone else stated, had Fenty stayed his original corse and made EMS a true 3rd service none of this crap would ever have happened. We would have the BEST fire department in the country and actually have the time to train to become it. What a waste of taxpayers money.

By: concerned Citizen

concerned Citizen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:49:23 +0000

Chief DENNIS RUB IN is a joke. He has dividied this great department so much that the members don’t know who they can trust. If anyone goes against the grain it seems that they are terminated or trumped up charges are brought against the. Where is the Union and why doesn’t the union help the members after they have been terminated like the teachers union did????

By: HOOKMAN

HOOKMAN — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:02:58 +0000

ffjoe..Dennis Rubin is very safety oriented!!
Apparently you didn’t see the video of his sprinkler demo, that sent 1 fireman to the hospital.

By: DC Paramedic-FF

DC Paramedic-FF — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:45:01 +0000

So tell me FFJoe, how often did you ride the ambulance down there in ATL while Rubin was at your helm? Or were you one of those special Paramedics that got to ride an Engine everyday while you bumped out the rest of the members of your company to ride the ambulance. Oh wait that’s right ATL is a thrid service hospital based transport system so you don’t ride a box. There is nothing wrong with incorporating EMS into the fire service, however to have Medics on multi-role companies such as Engines and Trucks is absurd. They were hired to provide a higher level of EMS care through the use of the ALS skills, they should be on an Amulance. Oh and by the way I am one of these FF/Paramedics here in DC who is bumping guys from my company out everyday and I believe that we should at the very least be taking our turn riding a box if not riding it more than the FF/EMT’s are. After all I am getting extra pay to provide EMS care right?. Too many guys are using that card to get on the job and they don’t want to provide EMS care anymore than the FF/EMT’s they bump out everyday. Rubin and his minions are not running the show up here the way that would serve the citizens and visitors of the city the best. He’s been here for three years how much time does he need to begin to make some progress? Traveling the country and telling everyone that pays to come listen to you speak what a great job your doing doesn’t mean that your doing a great job!

By: ffjoe

ffjoe — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:31:13 +0000

On another note…..he’s very safety minded,& ems oriented.He brought Dr.Augustine with him to fix ems.He will fix your ems system even if some don’t care or want it fixed.

He jumped Atlanta from a 1980′s style bls ems delivery system into a 2005 paramedic engine Co.system in 1 year.It will be harder to change the culture of fire vs ems but he’s the guy who can do it,if all the other BS doesn’t keep getting in the way