A Salisbury Firefighter's Comment With My Reply

"Joe,

I'd like to respond to your challenge below. First, I apologize to Mr. Disharoon if he felt threatened by one of our members when he responded passionately to being insulted. The polite thing would have been for our member to merely walk away, which is the tact our leadership has been taking regarding the insults levied on this blog. Unfortunately, the lies, overt and suggested, continue.

We in the SFD are proud of the work we do, and the accomplishments we've made under the leadership of those you continue to bash. Further, you cannot trash our leaders without trashing our organization and its members. The smartest among us know to steer clear of this blog, but so many different charges are being levied, and necessarily followed up by city administration, that it is becoming a drain on the organization merely to respond.

Like any group of people, we are almost never in complete agreement regarding every decision that comes down from SFD administration, but those members who are working for its betterment know how to become involved in the work committees that made most of the decisions that you blame on the chiefs. Apparently, not every member shares this sense of team, as you are obviously receiving information from within our organization, but those disgruntled members, by such actions, are demonstrating that they have personal agendas that are not in concert with the mission of the SFD.

The poor "reputation" you ascribe to See and Gordy is only in your minds and those who choose not to seek the truth themselves. The SFD has progressed more under their leadership, and the majority of members who are working in concert with them, resulting in adequate facilities, apparatus, and equipment; defined and enforced training requirements; and thoughtful strategic planning to ensure we are better able to stay ahead of the challenges we face.

Are we perfect? No. In fact, we have a lot of work to do, in a lot of areas, and will continue to do so despite these constant attacks. But our leaders are neither idiots nor crooks, and those of you who believe the slurs directed their way by this blog are the ones with questionable intelligence. It's apparently way too easy for some people to fire off a question about someone's integrity, then sit back and watch the damage from the comfort of their computer screen.

If you truly want the facts, stop by a station and ask your questions. If you don't like what you see and hear (or if you do), go to the City Council or the Chief's office and state your case. This forum is not the place for truth, and is not the place to effect change.


Further, you cannot trash our leaders without trashing our organization and its members.

I will NOT stand still and not say what I feel simply to please SOME of the Firefighters that will kiss See & Gordy's a$$, sorry. As I stated in my comment, learn to respect your elders and if you cannot do so, get out of the business.

The smartest among us know to steer clear of this blog, but so many different charges are being levied, and necessarily followed up by city administration, that it is becoming a drain on the organization merely to respond.

I disagree, again. Some of you follow your leaders like puppets because they have instructed you NOT to come to this Blog. That is your choice,. However, some are very upset that Comrade See & Gordy TELL you what to do and brainwash you or you are retaliated against like several of the people we have already seen. So I say to you, act like a man and tell them you'll do what you so choose on your own time. Clearly you are on this Blog anyway, not listening to them anyway, so why not just tell them you disagree? Oh, that's right, because you're a big bad Fireman that is only a man when he is following directions, I forgot. Man, that Fire Department should send ALL OF THEIR VEHICLES OUT TO BE PAINTED PINK.

"but those disgruntled members"

Let me wake you up to something you're clearly not aware of. First of all you sound like you were directed by the Mayor herself with that disgruntled crap. Nevertheless, you need to realize just how many alleged disgruntled Firefighters there are within the SFD!!!!!! You are clearly clueless, just like the Mayor believing there are only a "Dirty Dozen" people who disagree with her.

"The poor "reputation" you ascribe to See and Gordy is only in your minds and those who choose not to seek the truth themselves."

Let me ask you something. Have YOU ever been on a business trip with Bill Gordy? Oh, let's take for example, Hooters. Were you on the scene with David See on the side of Rt. 13 when he allegedly tripped over a coffee table?

"Are we perfect? No."

Neither are we, I'll admit that as well.

"But our leaders are neither idiots nor crooks, and those of you who believe the slurs directed their way by this blog are the ones with questionable intelligence."

Well, let's see here. Some of this has yet to be determined. Have there been other Fire Trucks sold as surplus items and delivered with the equipment that was NOT surplussed? Has there been other equipment that went to Deale Island, Virginia and other locations OUT of this County that were given away, without being surplussed by the City/County? We'll again see about that in due time. We'll see just who's more intelligent soon enough.

"If you truly want the facts, stop by a station and ask your questions. If you don't like what you see and hear (or if you do), go to the City Council or the Chief's office and state your case. This forum is not the place for truth, and is not the place to effect change."

Here was my question on PAC14 Feb. 23rd, 2009.

"How many homes are on the Wicomico River in the city limits of Salisbury that cannot be accessed by a fire truck whether it's a business or residential?"

The City's reply.......

"We do not have specific data on the number of homes on the river that have access issues. It is noted that there may be several homes that, due to their location and size of driveways pose a limited access problem to the fire department."

OK, I went to the horses mouth, I asked the proper question and I got no answer. You are asking us, the taxpayers, to put up $860,000.00 for a Fire Boat, yet the two top people were NOT able to provide the answer to what I would consider the very first step in selling the taxpayers on why this fire boat is such a necessity.

You can play with words, you can act like your intentions are all well and good. You can even go so far as act as if you're doing us all a favor but the reality is, you're out of control and you simply do not like being challenged. If the majority of you went into business you would fail miserably, seriously!

Salisbury News is an OUTLET for not only my opinion, it' an outlet to educate the public/taxpayer and if we're wrong we give you every opportunity to speak up yourselves, even anonymously. The sad part is, God Forbid someone inside the fire department disagrees, now they're a disgruntled employee simply because they feel differently about certain matters.

The change needs to come from individuals like YOU. Every day that passes, more and more gets exposed. Now it truly saddens me that this reflects on the entire Department because none of us here are stupid. We do not believe 95% of you have anything to do with the major issues at hand. The hand full that do will be challenged until the taxpayers are satisfied.

I'll close with this. You encourage Firefighters not to come here. You have pulled Salisbury News from any access at the Fire Department. Clearly you have a lot to hide because we deliver facts that you simply do not like to face, yet YOU are here now making a comment? Please don't throw out the word intelligent on this Blog any more.