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Boston Fire Department disses West Roxbury
By adamg on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 8:38am
Cancels cookout planned for Friday; West Roxbury firefighters wanted to thank the community for its support after the Tai Ho fire.
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Comments
From the firefighters themselves
The Transcript talks to some of the guys at the station, along with John Tobin, who says he'd do anything to help them set up some sort of cookout at a local park. The Bulletin, meanwhile, talked to their captain, gets more details.
Somebody might want to tell Roche Bros.
They still had a flyer up on their main entrance 30 minutes ago.
is it me?
Am I the only one who thinks a cookout may not be the best way to commemorate the deaths of two men in a fire?
The firefighters are not
The firefighters are not having a cookout to commemorate the deaths of their two fallen members. A plaque is being dedicated at the firehouse in honor of the fallen men, and then the firefighters are holding the cookout for the COMMUNITY as a thanks for their show of support after the fire.
There is no reason why this cookout should have been canceled, and in fact it would have been a great way to promote community relations between the fire department and the citizens of West Roxbury.
But alas, no. This is positive, and wouldn't make as great a news story....
You're right
I'm changing my post to reflect this: The idea of the cookout was to thank the neighborhood.
The "lighting a fire" aspect could be the turn-off...
Subs and chips would have been looked upon more favorably than firing up grills.
I'm not sure I understand
I'm not sure I understand why lighting a grill would constitute something negative. It is simply a way to cook food...
Either way, burgers and dogs or subs and chips, fire department headquarters wrongly canceled this event.
It's the fire
I'd rather celebrate the accomplishments of firefighters (or alternatively, mourn their deaths) by doing something other than lighting a fire.
Sometimes a barbecue is just a barbecue
Outside of the late firefighters' families, I really doubt anybody felt the pain of their loss more than the guys who worked with them. And they're the ones who came up with the idea to begin with. If it's OK with them ...
revised opinion
West Roxbury firemen wanted to have an event
A cookout was their choice and who should be able to decide how to do this if not them? They checked with family and didn't ask for department funds. Their plans should not be obstructed without good reason... and I haven't heard a good reason yet.
The issue about the firefighters autopsies and whether their state of mind contributed to their demise should not interfere with this event but I do wish the press would not confuse the issue by printing stuff like this:
The board that studied the fire specifically did not consider their autopsy reports and information contained therein such as alcohol blood levels and positive test for cocaine use. They cannot make any conclusions about whether drugs or alcohol played a role in their death if they did not consider that as evidence. My understanding about the status is department brass want the investigation reopened and redone and firemen have refused to do so. This may be an insight into why the brass squashed the memorial event or at least postponed it.
The questions about substance use as a potential contributing causes of death should be shelved for the day, while the firemen, families and community take the day to remember two men who lost their lives serving the public. I firmly believe their apparent substance use was not a criminal act but a health problem. We see that in our society.
Perhaps Fire Commissioner Roderick will divine some inspiration from Commissioner Davis who has found a path to accountability in how BPD handles mob control.