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Previous coverage of Chief Ellerbe
Watch testimony of Chief Ellerbe at Wednesday's City Council hearing (Fire department portion of hearing begins at 1:23)
Did former DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Dennis Rubin or his administration resort to trickery when 1700 polo shirts made of 100 percent cotton were ordered for firefighters at a cost of $70,000 to taxpayers? Current Chief Kenneth Ellerbe raised that possibility in an interview with WRC-TV's Darcy Spencer as he explained why those shirts have never been used by firefighters. The report gave no specifics on what kind of trickery Chief Ellerbe was referring to.
Chief Ellerbe banned the use of the shirts because they came with a patch introduced under the Rubin administration that Ellerbe has now banned. The shirts are in a warehouse where they have been for many months. According to news reports, firefighters will continue to wear uniforms made of polyester and blends that can contribute to burns instead of the new shirts.
The very existence of the shirts, until recently, was a mystery or secret. So much so that DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson indicated at a hearing that he had not been getting the straight scoop from Chief Ellerbe when he previously asked about the shirts.
Here's more from Darcy Spencer's report:
“I don’t want to waste anything, but I don't want to be responsible for something somebody else ordered that they know we’re not going to use, either,” he said. “Sometimes there's trickery in terms of one administration to another, as well.”
"It's been a huge push for my membership for fire-resistive station wear, and we’re not backing off of that,” union President Ed Smith said. “As long as it’s provided – these shirts have been paid for by the taxpayers, and they should be in use.”
Chairman Phil Mendelson was obviously frustrated over getting the runaround about the polo shirts, which he had been told didn’t exist.
“This has been a big rumor, and there have been a lot of complaints about it,” he said.
Fire officials said they've received inquiries from D.C.'s Inspector General's Office about the shirts.
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Also on STATter911 …
- DC still in the news: Burned firefighter speaks out about shirts sitting in storage. – March 9, 2012
- The latest from your Nation’s Capital: Mayor backs fire chief after article on sexual harassment claims. $70,000 in shirts that are safer for firefighters but have the wrong logo sit in warehouse. – March 8, 2012
- UPDATED: A new week & DC fire is still in the news. Chief Kenneth Ellerbe says media stories are sensationalistic & unfair. – March 12, 2012
- President Obama gets DCFD T-shirt at ACFD firehouse. Firefighter hands it over at veterans’ job initiative announcement. – February 4, 2012
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Hey DCFD I know where you can possibly find a great replacement for a Chief.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx0NUZLdmeY&feature=share
What a douche. Maye we should refuse to send our tax money t the DC Government until he's gone.
“I don’t want to waste anything, but I don't want to be responsible for something somebody else ordered that they know we’re not going to use, either,” he said. “Sometimes there's trickery in terms of one administration to another, as well.” lrb
WHAT!!!!!! These shirts were ordered in October! At the time the mayor election was still a couple of weeks away (and yes in DC once the dem primary picks it's candidate the November election is just a formality) Until the Gray notified Rubin he would not be staying on in his admin, the rube still had a department to run and how the heck did he know or could he know that lrb was going to change the patch??? Moreover, the comment about "trickery" what about all of lrb's trickery when he (lrb)was at Fire prevention???????????
Ah yes lets lie to the judiciary committee….they'll never find out!
How much more lying and embarassment do the members of DCFD need to endure before S*** hits the fan with this clown!!! Looks as if he is just riding on Gray's coat tail like he is invincible!
I think "Chief" Ellerbe speaks because he just likes to hear himself talk. Typical politician, not looking out for the brotherhood, more concerned with his own ego than the safety of individuals. If I were a tax-payer in DC, I'd be on the front step of Town Hall every morning.
DC needs a "Fire Chief", not a "Fire Politician"… +1 to Firefighthero comment
We can't use these shirts until everyone's names are embroiderd on the chest. Then the chief can continue to perform "uniform inspections" on the female members.
Comment of the day, maybe the week. LMAO
So it appears that this idiot is busier trying to cover his screwups than running a fire dept. Which means he needs to go. Faster the better. You can't manage or have respect when all you are trying to do is cover up and spin and insult anyone with half a brain, which is 100% more than what he obviously has.
Ellerbee, your continued lying bold face words of ignorance seem to never stop. Those Shirts were ordered by then Fire Chief Dennis Rubin. There was no Trickery between change in administrations. Again you hide behind the apron strings of the alledged Mayor Gray. He is your buddy. He's going to speak for you and cover up your stupidity. In a recent TV interview you stated "it is your job to check people out" That is beyond any Truthful meaning. As a Fire Chief (which you arenot) your job is to support and respect the men and women within the ranks of DC Fire and EMS. The issue at hand with that interview was allagations of sexual harrassment charges in Sarasota. How can you look yourself in the mirror and have any Human Decency. Your job is to delegate specific tasks such as background checks, etc in the recruiting effort. Your words clearly speak you have no confidence in your Staff. Ellerbee,Ellerbee,Ellerbee you seem to continue to speak Lies and out and out untruths which you have chosen to mislead your superiors such as Mayor and Council. The only ignorant individuals you impress are your merry band of Black Panther Racist Tattletales. Ellerbee donot wear the Class A Dress Uniform with insignia of DC Fire and EMS. Wear civilian suits. You havenor nor are you worthy of identifying with the Professional Pretige of the Time Honored DC Fire and EMS. Ellerbee you always seem to speak in racist terms of your inability to be a Manager. What and where are the "Priorities" Have you seen to it the 30 replacement Paramedics have been Hired and in training? If not whynot. Is the Reserve Apparatus in good readiness state for operations? If not whynot? Ellerbee you should be disgusted and ashamed of yourself. You seem to speak you simply cannot manage a Church Picnic, nor can you lead a group of ants to the picnic area. You miserable excuse for a Human Being. Your mere existence disgusts me.
Hey Dave, the rumor is that former Chief Rubin, has a patient on the 'Old" patch & the City is in litagation (IG's Office) about it. Maybe you can ask some of your old reporter buddies to look in to it. Also who leaked the story about the shirts. Had to be someone at Property (Logistics).
This is a serious game of chess…huh ?
The only trickery going on is with the current FD "administrator." He attempted to trick the DC taxpayers to pay him close to $600K in retirment compensation, while tricking Sarasota into thinking they chose a qualified candidate to run their FD. The pattern is taking shape and it's time for people to realize who the real trickster is. I think its time for OCCUPY GRIMKE.
Every firefighter who was burned/injured since those shirts came in should file a class action lawsuit. This wanton negligence by the administrator over his petty issues (patches, polo shirt vs buttton down, hatred of rubin) contributed to members injuries some which were almost killed. He willfully withheld safety equipment that would of helped to deter and lesson some of the injuries that our members had to endure.
Just out of curiosity, what does it say on the back of the turnout gear in DC? They didn't replace the department – issued bunker coats with DCFEMS did they? Are you still allowed to wear them if they say DCFD?
“Sometimes there's trickery in terms of one administration to another, as well.” I think the only trickery is the chief. I will keep praying for the DCFD firefighters and the people that work and live there. Strike Da Box ! What a joke all that money, fire resistive shirts and sitting in boxes. K
The guy becomes a bigger clown eeryday. It's becoming detracting…he needs to be promoted to citizen. Thank goodness I do not live in the DC area.
…wow I need to proofread my stuff before I post it.
Whether he's done right or wrong, LRB has lost confidence from the DC firefighters, and it seems at least some of the media. It's the American way that leaders, or workers, get replaced when they are no longer trusted. Rather than replace several thousand workers, I reckon it's time the mayor caved in and got himself (and all of you) a worthwhile, trustworthy fire boss!!
I believe AA County just voted no confidence for their idiot. And he wasnt half as dumb as ours. Why doesnt DC have the nuts to do the same?
All turnout gear that has DCFD on it still says "DCFD". Only items purchased by the membership cannot have DCFD on them. The oder specifying what is allowed and what is not allowed to be worn as cold weather coats and jackets has changed at least 5 times. The simple solution to this problem is for the department to purchase t-shirts and jackets for the membership like every other department in the area already does. The trickery that the administrator is talking about is that he does not consider polo shirts to be uniform shirts. Just issue the shirts dude, put in the order book that only these particular polo shirts may be worn and when they wear out, replacements will not be given. It's not really hard, honestly it's not.
Ok. I continue to be shocked at the incompetence of the DC administration. I can not for life of my understand why changing the patch has become such a huge scandal. Now, simply buying some shirts that are NFPA compliant is the next huge scandal. It is so so sad.
Ask yourself this. What kind of leader, or decent human being for that fact would take away winter coats from his employees in the dead of winter and not give them a replacement?
Enough said.
In reply to gonebutnotforgotten
The patent issue most likely started when Canadian Discovery Channel wanted to do a documentary and use the department logo in its video. protecting the property of the district was most likely the intention in trademarking the logo on behalf of the department. I doubt seriously that any Chief of the department could get a personal patent for a government logo – lets be real! So was Rubin trying to make personal gain on the logo or was he protecting the departments interests on the international market? What will OIG decide? I guess OIG is where rumor realy becomes reality
No one needed to leak the information about the shirts in the warehouse – i think there is council testimony from 2009/2010 that says the department was buying or going to buy more NFPA complient shirts…. the dc procurement process is SUPPOSED to be transparent so any anybody should be able to get that info from OCP. lets not get all conspiracy theory when there are perfectly reasonalble explanations.
If the chief wanted to be reasonable – he would do the same thing the former chief did -which was replace older items with the newer logo - Why would any one force members to throw away good clothing they paid for with thier own money, or squash their desire to express their pride in the department and their local fire houses – and then say its because of the task force or homeland security considerations -or that "other agencies" were complaining?
And for the press – The now "unauthorized" patch still MEETS the Rosenbaum recommendations by the way – it has the staff of asclepius and the words Fire and EMS in it. Forbidding members to wear the safer shirts in the warehouse bought with taxpayer $$$ is unconcienable. Saying they can continue to wear DCFD on the turn out gear but not on their TShirts is completey illogical. The press needs to understand that the leadership is not rational – the logic is flawed.
Now Polo Shirt Junkie at least has a reasonable suggestion!
This doesn't come down to the patch, because the patch can easily be remedied by sewing a new patch over the old one. The real story here is that Ellerbe is willing to throw away 70 thousand tax payer dollars because he thinks that polo shirts are unprofessional.
My 2 cents from California.
"W-T-F'? Polyester Uniform Shirts?
1st. This issue was discussed in the Routley Report, regarding the Station Uniforms used by
the Charleston, S.C. FD, four years ago.
2nd. Cotton Polo Shirts. They would have probably provided a better insulation from the burns. I know Cal Fire has a cotton liner in the sleeves of the wildland brush jackets as their burn injury stdies showed, that a single layer of fabric only provided minimial protection to the wearers arms. But they are being upgraded now.
Still, I find it amazing that Ellerbe would continue to have his personnel use a hazardous uniform as opposed to switching to a Nomex or other flame retardant shirt.
What is the liability he is incurring by this?
So, now maybe some of the "know it all's" who like to post on here how we do nothing but cry might just understand why we are taking the stance we are on the uniform changes.
I was told he made the comment that they will be give to the summer jobs program. Go figure…They get clothing items that came out of the fire dept. budget but the members of the fire dept. can't get the items they need?
Ellerbe is proof that Mayor Gray's "Jobs for Friends" program is a huge success.
Trickery. Really?! Trickery?! That’s ALL this most educated individual can come up with? mr. fems administrator, you sir need to go to all those institutions of higher learning you have attended and get your money back cuz none of that edjamacashun has made you any smarter or wiser.
As mentioned earlier LRB just has a d@mn pet peeve against polo shirts. The first (of the FIVE!!!) uniform changes he instituted BANNED polo shirts outright, while simultaneously ORDERING us to wear the NON NFPA COMPLIANT button down shirts instead… If he wanted to use the polo’s in storage he could have simply issued them with a separate copy of his ‘preferred’ patch to have sewn over the Rubin patch by Muscatello’s with a voucher.(Which was EXACTLY what he ordered us to do with the button downs that had the Rubin patch on them…)
Heck,under previous chiefs before and up to Rubin many members had ordered Polo shirts OUT OF POCKET because they were SAFER (100% cotton) and more comfortable, and those chiefs, including Rubin, had allowed it as part of the uniform. Not to mention it appears Rubin was going to PROVIDE the membership with an NFPA compliant Polo shirt that most members preferred anyway to the button down. In other words we had a Fire Chief who implemented a Rosenbaum recommendation compliant patch and a shirt the membership liked to wear… Go figure, a Fire Chief that actually WANTED to make his members happy…
Furthermore the NFPA compliant button down uniform shirt that LRB ordered us to wear were not ordered NOR DID they become readily or widely available until late last year. Until that time we were STILL wearing, BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, shirts that would melt to our skin if our gear failed…
So let the record stand that LRB had NFPA COMPLIANT shirts AVAILABLE, SITTING ON A SHELF AT PROPERTY, but chose to put the ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT at risk, INCLUDING the five brothers who were burned, in order to indulge his EGO-MANIACAL peeve against polo shirts…. I absolutely hope and pray that now that this has come to light the five men burned file a class action lawsuit against this disgrace of a Fire Chief and hold him accountable for his petty decisions that put OUR LIVES, BODIES, and CAREERS at needless risk…