Click image to see original story by WDIV-TV.
Earlier coverage from Firefighter Close Calls
Article by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press:
A Harper Woods fire captain remains suspended while the city manager investigates two incidents, including one where the captain lost control of a fire hose that was being checked for trouble.
That incident caused a surge of water to break at least one window at the police station and glass to hit a police sergeant in the eye.
Capt. Michael Head was suspended this week. It was still being determined Friday how long he would be suspended and whether the suspension would be with or without pay, City Manager Jim Leidlein said.
The March 5 incident outside the police station and another alleged incident from that week in which Head had an altercation with police officers and others at a scene while on duty prompted the suspension. Leidlein said he is still gathering information and neither he nor Pat Rollison, president of the firefighters union, provided details about the second allegation.
In the fire hose matter, Rollison said, a pump on one of the engines was not working properly, and Head and other firefighters were testing it outside the fire/police station. He said a sudden unexpected surge of water knocked Head backward into another fire truck.
Leidlein said Head lost control of the hose, which caused the water to hit the police windows, which were slightly open. Broken glass from one window hit the eye of the sergeant, who was sitting nearby. The sergeant, who was not identified, was treated and has returned to work.
After the incident, Rollison said, the sergeant yelled and swore at Head, provoking a verbal exchange. Leidlein said no cops have been suspended.
Rollison said the union expects Head will be cleared of wrongdoing and return to work shortly.
Also on STATter911 …
- One Macon-Bibb County firefighter to be fired over gun prank against rookies. Captain & four others suspended. Sergeant demoted. – September 21, 2011
- UPDATE – Fireground audio & raw video: House fire in Reddick, Illinois. – October 29, 2011
- Getting Hosed? Not right now. An answer why. – March 15, 2011
- Facebook claims another firefighter’s job. Bourne Fire Department’s Richard Doherty fired over posting. – February 25, 2011
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Er… uh, I think you mean errant fire HOSE, Dave…
I am not accusing anyone of trying to hurt someone deliberately, and would not condone it, but there is a lot of bad blood going on there. Any incident, unintentional or minor, is going to be blown up.
Harper Woods is a small suburb of Detroit with a 12 man FD that also runs ambulance. The city has a history of treating its FD as the red-headed step child-I remember overnight “fire patrols” and hydrant maintenance back in the 1980s to keep the FFs from sleeping. They are now trying to go PSO and the cops are all for it so they can get the 10-20% pay increase. The FFs are against it for many reasons, not least of which is the PSO depts in the area are a joke when it comes to fires or EMS. The FD won a lawsuit preventing PSO because the city charter requires separate depts, and to change it requires a vote of the people. The city has turned up the pressure on the FD to try to make them quit, and at least one FF has jumped ship to PD.
The second incident is related to a fire. The IC was accused of refusing to work with PSO depts to the detriment of the citizens. The FD requested mutual aid from neighboring FDs, not PSO depts that may have been closer. Even if the PSO dept were be closer by distance, they can’t put a crew together and send a rig until the PSOs come in from patrol. The FDs who responded did so immediately with manned engine cos and knocked down the fire quickly.