Brilliant

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's missing?":

I am a city firefighter and would like to share some thoughts on the continual downsizing of the fire department.The citizens of Roanoke need to know this.

To Mason, Trinkle, Harris, Fitzpatrick, Nash and others so unaware yet in a position of influence:
The chief is senior management by assignment. The chief is not a senior fire officer, not hoback, not grigsby. Neither of them have firefighter views or concerns. They were given the job to do whatever Burcham says. Things will never be better for us until Burcham, Grigsby and Hoback leave. Then it will take a long time to clean up the mess they made. (Read the firefighter blog) The chief is an appointed position. You do not have to come up thru the ranks. You need never ride or drive a fire truck; you are not required to have any fireground experience. They were not with us on the street with ice covering our turnout gear, hands and feet numb from the cold; they were not there when we crawled thru the basements or attics with zero visibility and intense heat. They did not pull their lungs out to get the hose to the seat of the fire. They have not gone home with aching body and burning eyes. They never stood in a situation so dangerous that the mind very quickly and quietly thought of family. They were not there to hear the gasps of tortured agony. They did not help dig the remains of a body from the rubble. They weren’t there to hear the cries of the family members at the loss of a loved one. They haven’t seen what I’ve seen nor done what I’ve done.
Yet they pretend to be one of us and speak for us.
They don’t know who I am or what I’m about; and the fact of the matter is, I really don’t care.
I don’t need or want them to know me. But then they risk my safety and the safety of the public.

A chief needs not have loyalty to the citizens or to the firefighters. He must only follow instructions from downtown. The office serves at the pleasure of downtown. Do you really think he speaks for us? Are you that naive? Or are you the same as he?

We didn’t come to council about our poor salaries, our ever decreasing benefits or the way we are mismanaged and mistreated. Our department is full of problems and the sad thing is that they come from the top down. Most of our people question why they stay here considering the way we are treated, even the young people. Look how many are leaving.

We came to you about SAFETY, and you could not see and were led. We will face even more cuts soon.
Where will you stand?

We write anonymously because of the retaliation, but if you squint your eyes in the twilight you will see me.
Blue ghost