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Read about Water-Gate I here, here & here.
As we reported on Thursday, DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Kenneth Ellerbe told CNN that the city’s firefighters would not be filling any more swimming pools after an almost week-long controversy erupted over a busy engine company being taken out of service for such a detail on an extremely busy day. But apparently someone in the department doesn’t watch CNN, local TV news, or read The Washington Times and STATter911.com.
Just two days after Chief Ellerbe clearly stated his position, and exactly one week after the incident I dubbed “Water-Gate” occurred, another busy engine company went out of service to fill a pool.
Paul Wagner at Fox5/WTTG-TV broke the story of “Water-Gate II, The Sequel”:
One week after the D.C. fire department was criticized for filling a private pool in the hours after a devastating storm, it has happened again. Firefighters filled a large inflatable pool on Saturday for a Columbia Heights block party using water from a nearby hydrant.
The pool was filled after residents hosting the block party walked into the station house Saturday morning and asked for help. They told the official on duty it would take hours if they just used hoses from their homes. By 11 a.m., the pool was filled and now the fire chief wants to know why.
A photograph, obtained by FOX 5, shows firefighters from Engine 11 running a hose down the 1300 block of Newton Street to fill the pool in the middle of the block.
A second photo from the fire department’s computer-aided dispatch shows Engine 11 out of service at 10:15 a.m.
“The chief involved determined that it wasn’t a private pool and how he came to that conclusion is beyond me,” said Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe. “It’s not a municipal pool so it must be a private pool, and when he gets to work, we will have a conversation with him at least.”
Engine 11 is stationed at the fire house at 14th and Newton Street in Northwest D.C., just steps from where the block party was being held.
Neighbors said the fire department had performed the service before and they didn’t see a problem with it.
“I don’t see any reason why they can’t,” said neighbor Michael Norman. “They went right off the fire hydrant and within 15 or 20 minutes, the pool was full.”
But a week ago Saturday, firefighters from Engine 30 filled a private pool as other units responded to a heavy volume of storm-related calls.
Chief Ellerbe said it wouldn’t happen again.
“I think that our citizens look at it as an expedient way to get a pool filled because of the gallons per minute that we can discharge,” said the Chief. “But they have to understand that it’s not our purpose, so we will have a conversation with the chief. We’re looking at it right now.”
But the residents on Newton Street defended their request, seeing nothing wrong with getting a little help.
“I don’t see a problem with it personally, but I just think that we’ve been doing this, a little tradition for the past seven years, and if they can help out, I think it’s fine,” said a man identified only as Butch.
“They didn’t even [get] here for 15, 20 minutes,” said Norman. “And as fast as they can wind the hose back up, if they got a call, they could have left.”
But as the firefighters union pointed out, water costs money and firefighters are paid to save lives and property, not carry out favors by filling private pools.
Chief Ellerbe says the filling of the private pool after the storm is still under investigation, but says it was not done as a favor to anyone with connections within the fire department.
In fact, the chief says, the request was initially turned down at the highest levels, but never communicated to the officials in charge of Engine 30.
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Also on STATter911 …
- Watergate goes national. CNN gets to the bottom of the swimming pool scandal in the Nation’s Capital. – July 6, 2012
- Watergate update: DC Chief Kenneth Ellerbe launches investigation. Says he didn’t approve pool filling but wants to find out who did. – July 3, 2012
- Busy DC fire engine placed out of service to fill pool. Order came as firefighters scrambled to handle major storm workload. – July 3, 2012
- Chief Kenneth Ellerbe responds: Live interview this morning discussing sexual harassment claims when chief was in Florida. – March 8, 2012
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Come on Dave, you really are pulling our finger, now. Everybody knows it’s way past April Fools…
Are you saying Ellerbe (gasp) LIED to the media?!?!?
Much to do about nothing. I just can’t figure out why reality tv hasn’t picked these DCFEMS tales up. I know they could squeeze it in between Housewives of DC and Gator Boys! Seriously though, at a time when some places are cutting, laying off, closing stations, reducing pay( ask Scranton ) we are gonna make an issue out of 1 company and 30 minutes of a 24 hr tour to do a PR gig. With this heat wave I’m sure the kids at the block party enjoyed cooling off AND seeing the fire truck. Get a life “civil servants” !
Oh so now it is 30E boss’s fault and not a BFC? Who authorized 11E to do this? It had to come from higher up. Come on stupid B. which is it?
Oh so this has been going on for years but it only makes the news because certain members don’t like the current Fire Chief. Um seems like whoever keeps running to the press needs to grow a set.
The pool filling trophy goes to…..11E, with a time of 20min. They bumped the previous champs, 30E who had an approx 60min fill time, out of the running this year. The pool filling Season is half over folks, will their be a new champ? Will LRB lie and avoid blame? Will there be any transfers? See tuned and see on TOTAL DRAMA “WATER-GATE”!
A ONCE proud department eating its own. Now, the laughing stock of the East Coast.
Would someone please… for Christs sake, control this department!
Dear T!tts McGee, I will agree with you that some of the stories that hit the news about our Dept. or Fire Chief may be entertaining to some around the country. However, one thing that has not changed is the way we operate on the fireground and I can assure you that noone else on the East Coast puts handlines to the seat of the fire as aggressively and efficiently as we do.
Do you mean those 2 recent fires that were all over the news were fought aggressively? Oh wait you burned down BOTH buildings! Stop over-playing your “aggressive” tactics. DC barely sees any fire anymore and when it comes around, sure anyone can “aggressively” put out a pot-on-stove fire.
I suppose you would use a different tactic on a house that’s fully involved upon arrival?
‘So what ‘ troll is trolling.
Until you can come from under your hood please don’t start anything that you can’t back up.
So, are you saying that you support all of the current buffoonery?
Im saying things are no worst than they have been except for discipline which has been fair. Certain people like it when everything are in there favor and scream murder when its not. So far he isn’t close to any of the bs that went on with the last administration.
so what says
“Im saying things are no worst than they have been…”
Things keep getting worse every day since LRB took over. He has definitely set us back about 20 years. Back then things were worse in many ways, though at the rate he is going we will be worse than even back then in just a short time.
‘So what’ you are racist. And I can back that up from all your stupid comments on here lately. Just because I am white and I do not like the FC does not mean Im in the KKK and wear a hood.
You can’t back anything up and you are racist. Its easy to see that the majority of people who post to these types of blogs and hide behind screen names are white firefighters who like the rules slanted in there favor. If you have a sack come from behind your screen names. Clownshow your name says it all. Your name describes exactly what you are a hood wearing racist. Where were your comments when Schultz and those same battalion chiefs you praise were letting white firefighters off and punishing and firing black firefighters. I come on this blog to let people who don’t know what’s really going on. And to let people know that all the firefighters don’t agree with what the union and most white Firefighters think. I would be so happy to come from behind my screen name what about you
Hey so what, you are 100% on target these clowns didn’t have nothing to say about shultz and rubin.Your right only the white firefighters are doing 95% of the complaining on here.Shultz wasn’t no hero,yeah only in your eyes he barely had a high school diploma.This union is some sh@t, and soon as we can get them out of here the better.The fact of the matter is where is the brother that you speak of.When your man was in power not only did you respect him we did as well.But let someone come along that don’t play ball as you do than there’s a problem.You know why you keep saying what someone does on the fireground?. Because thats all you care about nothing more.How about how a FF conducts himself on medicals,locals,public service or in and around the firehouse.Do you obey and follow the rules of your department that’s what you should be asking.(So What) we know the real deal with these pretenders on the job.you call yourselves professionals than stand up and act like one.We aint brothers in arms thats some ole fantasy shit, not here in good ol DC.I’m here with you my brother(So what) we going to hold it down and give it to them straight
It seems like Ellerbe is as qualified as a NJ Volunteer Fire Chief
On the subject of growing a set…
Of all the lies and “trickery” during the petty tyrants reign, this is what gets on the news?
Here’s a primer on investigative journalism: check “the watchdesk,” “twitter,” “Facebook” and “Youtube” to get the news. No sense going to Grimke or the Wilson bldg. to confront the mismanagers.
Did anyone report on the “Presumptive Bill” hearing; has any news gatherer pursued the claims made by the ACLU? What happened to the big file burning story?
Stop feeding the trolls, get to work.
How come I can’t get my 20 thousand gallon pool filled in the rich part of NW. I was told it is only done in the less fortunate areas….FC is out of control with accountability of himself.stop blaming the firefighters that serve us.your whole upper mgmt. team seems il prepared for any task….I’m disgusted !
Hey Palisades, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, If you truly are a City resident then contact your Ward 3 Council member and report, complain, anything, just voice your opposition to this fool and what he has done to Your Fire Department. If you can get rid of him I am sure the fella’s would be happy to come out and fill up your pool for ya.
this is the story that just keeps on getting better
(sure you dont think this is a a few good good men courtroom type match?)
re “handlines to the seat of the fire” – phhhht – the Colorado Governor proclaimed that the best firefighters in the world were in Colorado Springs
OK, That is enough of these shameless incidents. First of all,the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Dept. doesnot, and must not be contacted to provide such issues as filling citizens pools. The comments about “They (DC Fire and EMS) has been doing this for last seven years” one finds that statement quite wrong. If this is True perhaps a review of Chief Rubin, and say the previous Chief before him should be undertaken. The bottom Line here some citizens believe in their own mind the Firefighters are more or less obligated to carryout these
stupid requests. Now then Ellerbee, you have spoken with words “This will never happen again”. Your words are coming back to confront and haunt you. The Officer in Charge at Engine 30,I recall was a Sergeant. Do you really believe any Sergeant would make such a Decision without Proper authorization and approval from the Battalion Chief, and/or someone in the Higher Echolon Chain of Command? Come on now, stop making excuses as to who is at fault. You already know. The incident with Engine 11, you know as well as everyone else
that Officer didnot make any such ignorant decision. Same Dept SOP’s and Policy reflects both incidents. Ellerbee you need to come out in the Public and State without reservation and hesitation “DC FIRE and EMS” is not in service to provide such an outrageous request. So far you have failed to do so. What in the world is wrong with you? “Public safety is Defined as In Service to Provide Life Safety Measures in Fire Fighting and EMS. Everyone must realize any unforseen 911 Emergency request is what DC Fire and EMS does for the Taxpayers, in the Highest Professional Standards. Ellerbee, come on now, you know better than to keep hiding the Truth and finally speak out in a Public Forum with the Media. Ellerbee The Truth is what is at stake now, who is and will be disciplined. Tis entire situation is “ACCOUNTABILITY”
Hey “so what” how are things “no worse’ then when the Rube was here?? Do I need to remind you that there haven’t been any promotions lately, leave is next to impossible to get and there hasn’t been any in service training since he’s been here. The TA has a new flashover can and class A burn building, have you gotten a chance to use it?? I sure the hell haven’t!!! How about helping us with a new contract??
What a ridiculous and unmerited attack. We have soaring temperatures and a kids pool in the middle of the street for a block party. This to me is one of the reasons we love our public firefighters. Its no different from the the often embraced media-loved images of hydrants fully released for kids and dogs to dance in the streets on sultry summer days. The pool is clearly public – I’m not aware of any private pools set up in the middle of any streets – be they DC urban or Okie rural. To me, whoever authorized filling a little tiny kids pool in these soaring temperatures – with no loss of service protection in the case of a emergency should be commended for serving and protecting. That’s what America is all about! Kudos to whoever made this decision. Shame on sensationalist journalists who strive to promote their agendas despite who gets hurt!
Kershner,
As a recovering sensationalistic jounalist who strived to promote his own agenda despite who gets hurt, let me reply to you.
First of all, a firefighters who take water from a hydrant to fill a swimming pool are taking part in a theft of water. WASA has pretty clear regulations on this that I recall.
It was the fire chief who, after evaluating the outcry over the swimming pool filling the previous Saturday that involved preventing an engine company from responding to emergency calls for an hour on the busiest day of the year, made it pretty clear on a national news broadcast that this would not be done again in this department. You may not like his decision, but that was the decision of Chief Kenneth Ellerbe. There was no wiggle room in his reply.
But despite the chief’s emphatic declaration that it wouldn’t happen again, it did. A busy engine company stopped responding to emergency calls to fill a swimming pool.
Seems like news to me. Why is this the reporter’s fault? What did the reporter do wrong? How did Paul Wagner make this sensationalistic? Seems like his was a pretty clear telling of the facts.
Look forward to your response.
Statter
But Dave you have to admit its kind of like the Iraqi defense minister in the first gulf way standing on the podium saying “there are no americans in bagdad” and in the backround a bunch of soldijers raising an american flag.
“this will never happen again…priceless”
there should be a photo shopped picture of an engine filling the fountain of the white house
“A busy engine company stopped responding to emergency calls to fill a swimming pool.”
What emergency calls did the fire engine not respond to? Can you prove there was one? What were the details of it?
I imagine an “out of service” engine perhaps won’t piggy back on an ambulance run, but the procedure that was in effect would surely have responded to an actual fire emergency in a more than timely manner.. Your implication that there was failure to respond to fire emergency is irresponsible, clearly you have never fully recovered from your sensationalist tendencies.
It is still my assertion that an inflatable kiddie pool in the middle of the street for a block party -during a time of soaring temperatures – constitutes a public pool and therefore a public concern. The photographer was very careful to avoid giving the picture of so trivial a vessel – the size of which is laughable. Pennies were exhausted in the line of public service. What we have here is the difference between bureaucracy and good neighbors. But maybe we are spending more time on certain details and not enough on others.
Is the real story here the obvious desire to skewer Chief Kenneth Ellerbe?
kershner,
Seems to me you are the person who has a problem with what Chief Ellerbe finally made very clear to both CNN and Channel 5. He was emphatic that neither pool should have been filled. How would reporting this be undermining the chief? Seems to me it supports his policy.
Also, it’s not a news story unless you can prove there was an emergency missed for it to be wrong? You need to wait for someone’s house to burn with a fire engine delayed or for someone in cardiac arrest to have the fire engine respond that’s further away for this to be a story?
If the department decides to fill pools (and some do), shouldn’t there be a protocol for doing so that makes it fair and even across the city and that takes into account the various factors (including theft of water)? If Kenneth Ellerbe believes that’s the way to go isn’t it up to him to set a clear policy that doesn’t rely on the whim of a fire company officer, battalion chief or customer service type rep? Isn’t that good management?
By not making this clear to the firefighters and the public you end up with the stories that emerged over the last two weekends.
If filling those pools was good policy (as you seem to believe) wouldn’t the fire chief or director of communications have been available explaining such a policy to the reporters asking questions? That’s not what I saw, did you?
Statter
statter,
I believe that the decision to fill any private pool is wrong.
I believe the decision to fill a private pool during a declared state of emergency was reckless, unless – of course – it served to protect its users during unprecedented and dangerously high temperatures.
I believe the editorial decision to unite the first incident with this neighborhood/community service is irresponsible – as was the previous and admittedly, unsubstantiated charge that “a busy engine company stopped responding to emergency calls to fill a swimming pool.”
I realize in the new day of journalism, some stories that would otherwise be understood as authentic and objective news are actually only editorials.
I guess in the new digital age, credibility is in the eye of the beholder and its for the reader to beware.
But these two incidents are not alike and shouldn’t be pandered as such. Private Pool vs. Public Pool, State of Emergency vs Block Party. No emergency calls. No lack of response to emergency.
Pennies spent for the public. Service for the neighborhood. Yes, I do believe that is good policy.
Kershner,
I actually encourage and teach building reputation equity for fire departments by connecting with the community in ways other than responding to emergencies. It is not a foreign concept for me. If a department can handle such duties as filling pools where it doesn’t impact responses and is legal to do (no theft issues), then it is up to a fire chief to articulate and be able to defend such a policy.
Again, after what happened the weekend before (which we both seem to agree should not have occurred), shouldn’t management have made clear to both the public and the employees what the policy is?
If that had been done as soon as Andrea Noble asked questions on July 2, would there have even been an incident for Paul Wagner to cover yesterday? If that had neen done on July 3 when other reporters began asking questions, would there have even been an incident for Paul Wagner to cover yesterday? If that had been done on July 4 when CNN began asking questions, would there have even been an incident for Paul Wagner to cover yesterday?
I think we all know the answers to those questions.
You can make it about sensationlistic reporting all you want, but that’s a smokescreen. This is really about effective communication and management and, as we speak, it is being added to the PowerPoint for my class at Firehouse Expo in Baltimore.
Statter
What if one of the kids drowned in this pool. Would the DCFD be held responsible. Im sure they did not provide a lifegaurd as they would at a public pool. Just saying.
Hey Kershner, I am pretty sure those hydrants were opened illegally. Just saying.
ok (O Cool) its obvious you are not from washington,DC.And for those who are can remember when the mayor allowed hydrants to be open back in the day.Why are we making such a big deal about the engine being out of service during the aftermath of the storm.Most of the calls during the night and especially the next day were for wires and trees down.Which isn’t at the top of the food chain in the order of things.Not saying that wires aren’t an emergency,but watch how fast the guys put down the dinner plate for that call.As far as a unit being out of service temporary, its like your unit is on a run than another one is dispatched.It’s called redundancy it happens everyday all day.Members complain about running some else area all the time.Now I would expect that engine 30 if a call came for CPR they would have taken that call.One engine co. temporary out of service isnt that big of a deal from the grand scheme of things.Was that the right time to place a company out of service I say bad timing.Did anyone in the community suffer as a result of the pool being filled?.Same people crying foul on here have you allways done the right thing on this job?.Have you printed things for personal use at the expense of the DC govt?.What about when fires were set by members on this job in the name of training oh we forget to soon.(by the way that was arson,setting fire to ones property that doesn’t belong to you).Filling the pool was good PR but probably bad timing.News worthy I say no there should have been more sensational stories to air than that.
By your definition, you would be hard pressed to find a more sensational news story. Sensationalist stories are ones which are not rooted in deep problems or hard facts, but rather grab the attention of it’s viewers, listeners, or readers by trying to get a knee-jerk reaction through “surface reporting”. But that’s alright there, Kool-aid.
you my friend are a perfect example of one of those who set back and said nothing about the last regime. All of you are guilty because i went back and checked the blogs.oh i forgot except when it pertain to the ambulance.I kno everythang was ok because you were able to get transferred and get out of sh@t with uncle shultz. Where was the brotherhood when discipline was lopsided.Where was it when members were overlooked for promotion for lesser candidates.Where was it when members were transferred for retaliation,did they go to the press? So apparently your KOOLAIDE tasted sweeter than anyone’s.Did you have yours with ice or just plain out of the fridge.Or maybe at room temperature,oh yeah thats how you like.
@Kershner
You are missing two key points. First, it is illegal in DC to use the water in that manner if you are not paying for it. Second, if the DCFD is to start filling public pools, then the fire chief needs to inform the department’s members of that new policy.
This is a story because it piggybacked off of the first pool filling story after the fire chief said it would not happen again, along with it reporting possible theft and mismanagement by a fire chief who has been under fire for many things since he took office.
Dave, you seemed consumed with the “Theft of water” by the DCFD and the public they serve.
Where was your outrage when the FD set up a mist spray for the GirlScouts on the mall to combat the heat?
How about the theft of tax dollars gor gas and maintenance and of cource “Out of service” for any and all “Special occasions” ans parades–local citzens don’t count?
Enev you must have had a loving mother who tried to teach sharing and community service. A private back yard pool-agreed, absolutely not! But a community affair-block party, fill a kiddie pool or a dunck tank-that IS TAX DOLLARS AT WORK as well as Good Community Relations!
Terry Byrne,
I am really consumed by policy, communications and good management when it comes to this (and many other things and not just at this department). While I don’t think WASA is going to worry about prosecuting this it is bad policy to let firefighters decide who they are going to take the water for and who they aren’t. As for your example with the Girl Scouts, I think when you have people dropping because of the heat, it’s a health hazard you have to address and I believe that would be a legitimate use of water by the FD under WASA’s regs (but please correct me if I am wrong). No one has made that claim in either of these pool cases, including Chief Ellerbe.
Again, if the department thinks they should be filling pools and there is a justifiable reason and POLICY that can be PUBLICLY defended or chanpioned by the fire chief, then I am all for it. The problems begin when you fail to address the issue as soon as it is brought to your attention by the public or a member of the press and then fail to provide clear answers and direction. Then when you do finally make it clear to the national press, you should have already addressed this with your most important stakeholders, the people who work for you.
And BTW, for me, this has nothing to do with Chief Ellerbe. Anyone who has attended any of my classes or sessions over the last couple years will find that consistent message in all of them.
Statter
Dave, you sound as if you have lead a very sheltered life or have a political axe to grind.(Or do you have stock in the water works???)
Perhaps those of you living on the east coast have different values than us in the midwest.
Having been in the fire service all of my adult life-well over 30-years, we have a community spirit and ARE part of our overall community.
We DO NOT fill private, backyard pools-BUT we have and will be part of “The community” and, yes, take an engine or truck, or both out of service at block parties (By the way that’s an event sanctioned by a municipality, usually by permit, to close off streets and disrupt traffic-also at the expense of taxpayers, fill dunk tanks and even little kidde pools or set up a spray for young children and grateful parents—it also has a long term effect showing friendship and helps aleviate the rocks and bottles.Little jingle “The firman is your friend—etc.” By the way whose side are you on-local citizens, polititions, beaurcrats? Try the fire guys and girls and also research all the facts and seperate them from fiction before grandstanding This is COMMUNITY SERVICE a tax funded event NOT theft of water or services. You need to cut back on the caffine pardner. TTFN-Terry
Terry Byrne
A sheltered life I do not live. And there is no political axe for me.
Again, I am looking at good management and communications, none of which were evident in this case. When a fire chief goes on TV and says emphatically we will not be filling any more swimming pools and it happens two days later, there is a breakdown. The right hand apparently has not been introduced to the left.
The chief, not just this one, but any chief, should have communicated that policy to the firefighters before he talked to the reporter. If you put your neck out and say such things so publicly as a leader you better make sure your people are on board. Apparently they weren’t.
Come see one of my classes and you will understand what I am talking about. I strongly encourage firefighters to build reputation equity in the community. The large majority of the people in your community don’t call 911 and certainly don’t believe they will need you for a fire. They can control fire. That’s something that happens to everyone else. So, in many ways you aren’t relevant in their lives. By being part of the community in many other ways, you connect with the people you serve. Firefighters are can-do people and that spirit is what can bond them to the citizens.
A while back, this chief, rightly or wrongly, wanted his firefighters to do soft posts where they show up in dangerous parts of the community as a crime deterrent. As controversial as it was, and as disliked as it was by many of his firefighters and many fire service leaders, he was able to stand up for it publicly and made sure it was done.
With this swimming pool situation nothing very clear came out of the chief’s office or the PIO until five days after the first incident. Then when it did, somehow the message he delivered on national TV did not make it to the people who implement his policies. This chief then followed up after the second incident saying on local TV that one shouldn’t have happened either. The question I would have is that now in writing for all the troops to see?
If Chief Ellerbe wants his firefighters filling public pools he can make that happen just as he did with the soft posts. Instead this whole situation was a failure in external and internal communications.
That’s how I see it. Tell me where I am wrong.
Statter