Web/Tech

Three Ohio firefighters who posted videos of themselves using vulgar language and discussing the fire chief’s medical condition while playing videogames have been terminated. Kyler Dille, Tyler Furry, and Christopher East were terminated from the Crestline Fire Department Monday evening by the Village Council.

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The US Supreme Court has denied the request of Howard County Battalion Chief Kevin Buker to consider an appeal of his termination in 2013. Chief Buker was fired following a series of Facebook posts that began over the gun-control debate

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A Facebook post about an area Mosque has led to the suspension of a firefighter who is also an elected fire commissioner. Last week, a Facebook user named Jerry Omara responded to Newsday coverage about plans to add a second story to a mosque in East Meadow with an inflammatory post.

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Today’s burning question: Can I block someone from posting on our FD Facebook page, or at least hide the comments from public view, because they have been posting derogatory comments ? Answer: yes and no. Government cannot censor members of the public. Government censorship violates the 1st Amendment.

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A Facebook posting about a fatal dirt bike accident in June is continuing to raise troubling questions for a Long Island firefighter and his fire department. Jon-Paul Brechter was suspended from the Holbrook Fire Department, one day after he posted insensitive remarks on Facebook about an accident that killed two young men on a stolen dirt bike.

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An Iowa firefighter who was reprimanded for posting a sarcastic comment on social media last September, has lost his appeal to the city council. Cedar Falls firefighter Shane Farmer claims he was “unjustly disciplined” for his post that encouraged residents to heed evacuation warnings during near-record floods.

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In this episode Curt and retired Battalion Chief John Cagno discuss cyberbullying in the fire service. The discussion ranges from legal considerations to leadership responsibilities.

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The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down an important decision on social media and the First Amendment, and in the process upheld the termination of Howard County Battalion Chief Kevin Buker over his social media postings.

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An Oregon fire chief who filed a wrongful termination suit has agreed to accept a $55,000 settlement. Chief Mike Balzer claims he was terminated by Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District because his wife posted comments on social media that were critical of the district’s board.

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A Nashville district chief is under investigation over Facebook posts he made that the department leadership characterized as “racial, stereotypical, and threatening toward members of the public.”

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The past few weeks have seen an unusually high number of fire and EMS personnel get themselves into disciplinary trouble for their social media activities. Whether we use the acronym SMACS, SMACSS, or my favorite – Cybercasualty - no state has seen more of this than South Carolina following a BLM protest last week in Columbia.

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The DC firefighter at the center of an investigation into an anti-cop Facebook rant had a chance to explain himself to reporters. Tuesday, DC Firefighter Norman Brooks posted some harsh comments toward Baton Rouge police who shot and killed a black man, Alton Sterling.

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Today’s burning question: Can we delete comments that we find offensive on our fire department’s Facebook page? Answer: That question is actually a heck of a lot more complicated than you might imagine… just ask the City of Beech Grove, Indiana.

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Embattled Valencia County Fire Chief Stephen Gonzales is facing criminal charges of impersonating a police officer and false imprisonment for using his emergency lights to stop a motorist earlier this month.

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