Poll: Apology Issued For Firefighter’s 1-Fingered Salute to TV
A volunteer Paoli firefighter was seen on WPVI-TV/6ABC (and later nationally on CNN) flipping the camera the bird during Philadelphia’s July 4th celebrations.
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A Main Line fire company is grappling with a PR firestorm after a volunteer firefighter made an obscene gesture during a live TV broadcast on the Fourth of July.
The volunteer firefighter, riding in a rear-facing seat in the back of a Paoli Fire engine cab, flipped the TV camera - and the world- the bird in a live broadcast originally aired on Philadelphia's WPVI-TV/6ABC and then rebroadcast around the globe on CNN. The video now also lives in infamy and (most likely) perpetuity on the internet.
The gesture and the way the fire company first responded touched off a flurry of bad publicity and angry comments on websites across the internet. Click here to read more about the controversy on TE Patch.
The fire company has since issued an apology. Click here to read it on TE Patch.
Do you think an apology is enough? What do you think about a firefighter flipping the camera the bird? Is it disrespectful or just harmless fun?
Nabob
4:12 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
low class grunt
pat daly
8:33 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Proud to be an american in Sept 2001 ! Now we are just sad......
Cement Mixer
9:41 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Stupidity should result in some type of pain,always.
Linda G
8:56 am on Sunday, July 8, 2012
i guess it depends on his age. not sure; but would be very disburbing to learn he is older. If he is young, an apology. But not hidden, let him go on and post it. If he is older - O U T. Proud to be an American - he is not.
P-ville-resident
9:21 am on Sunday, July 8, 2012
He should be relieved of his duty. Even though he is a volunteer, he has disgraced the company and should be disciplined.
Rob Cywinski
12:02 pm on Sunday, July 8, 2012
Harmless fun?...No. Volunteer or paid, the fire service does not need this low caliber of moral character. Regardless of age it should result in dismissal or suspension. Paoli's excuse the morning after followed by a legitimate apology was a PR nightmare. That parade was the most action they have seen all year, and they couldn't even pull that off. Time to turn the station into a Museum, make it fun and let the kid who flipped the bird be the tour guide.
cast4
11:43 pm on Sunday, July 8, 2012
Gotta love the Upper Main Line Fire Museum.
Robert Banner
2:40 pm on Sunday, July 8, 2012
I really miss Patch. It used to be real hyper local news that was only about Havertown. But now from what I have read about Patch the freelance budgets are completely gone and all Patch care about is getting the most UVs and comments. WHich probably explains why I see the same stories appearing in so many Patches. How sad.
Frank Holmes
11:02 am on Monday, July 9, 2012
Robert -- I'm tempted to flag your comment as inappropriate if only to get the Patch people to pay attention to it. Actually I'm in complete agreement with what you say. If Patch is aiming for maximum comment bloat at least they should re-do their comment section to accommodate it. I am increasingly seeing the comments on local issues overwhelmed by general political bs ranting and raving and the usual internet tough guy talk. Sorry, Patch, there are plenty of other places find that stuff on the web. The local stuff, not so much. You had a good thing going.
MPorchik
7:29 am on Monday, July 9, 2012
When is the Wawa "Lighten Up" America parade. Much to do about nothing.
kurt gutzler
9:49 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
Wow! such righteous indignation! The kid made a mistake. The kid just had poor timing. No one here on this stream has made a gesture and swore at some inappropriate time to embarass themselves or others? Admonish the kid and move the heck on!