I hate to post this online, but I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve been with a rescue team for nearly 10 years and I have witnessed an officer repeatedly showing up on calls with the stench of alcohol on him.
I was not a ranking officer until the last couple years and he still pulls the ”I’m the ____, and you’re only the ____” card when I question or try to advise on a safer way to handle a situation.
One particular call which has made me nervous to get in a car with him since was about 5 years ago. We were dispatched to the aid of a public saftey official who had hit a submerged log and was taking on water. We were told to put in at one landing 7 minutes from the station. When I arrived at the station I was going to drive the truck, but he insisted he was going to drive and demanded I get in on the passenger side. He runs L&S about 3 mins down the road and shuts them off to pick up two members at a parking lot then gets back on the road and passes the same cehicles with l&s once again. He runs 65-70mph on a hilly winding country road in the total darkness for about 30 minutes even after I asked if this was the right launch he was heading to. When we get there he realizes his mistake and runs back to the correct launch. The officer who had the trouble made it back to his own ramp before we got there. After this member dropped off the two members at their vehicles he says to me ”I’m not afraid to admit I had about 4 or 5 beers before we got the call”.
I’ve lost count of the times between, but situations are mismanagement, running l&s when not justified (for stuck boat calls, or if the distance is a 25 min drive and other agencies are there, skip a toll plaza) or not using l&s when justified such as a vehicle off a bridge, helicopter crash.
The most recent was last weekend, I drove past his house on my way to get groceries and he called me directly for a boat that sunk in 2-3’ of water and was on a sandbar.
I arrive at the station and he tells me to drive. I could smell beer on his breath, so I got in the truck and drove, planning on driving the boat and handling most the work. I felt he shouldn’t be on the call, but he may have a higher limit than I do.
We get to the ramp and this outranking officer decides he wants to drive the boat and makes it clear I’m not driving. We get on scene with the guy (2 miles south from where we launched and 4 miles where he launched from) and I find the guy on the sunk boat with a severe stench of the fancy alcohol. Rum or vodka, who knows. We got on scene right at sunset 4.45 or so and dispatch knew 2 members on the boat plus victim on his boat. No other agency knew aside from USCG and this officer decided to cancel the cg and send them home. This was dusk by that time. I advised the officer we should hand over to marine police and either anchor his boat or call sea tow, but I was told we were pulling the boat off the flat. Mind you it’s got water over the deck and it’s v hull has a 20 degree list to port and stuck in the soft mucky mud.
We spool out enough rope or to get into the channel about 2/10ths of a mile. We repeat that maybe 4 times and no change. I again tell him we should abort and hand over to appropriate agencies. Officer then demands I get in the victims boat and put on hip waders to help ”push” the boat. He uses this tactic with the ones who run aground. Have them hop off and then anchor their boat and pick them up a few mins later.
I refuse and tell him I’m not comfy doing that, that we shouldn’t be messing with the boat and to hand over to marine police. Again he pulls his ”I out rank you, and I say you do this” card.
I get in the water against my better judgement to avoid a confrontation and keep a somewhat professional look to the team rather than a power struggle. We get the boat moving maybe 45’ after we cut the bilge off our boat and put it in his. I then advice the officer that the boat is taking on water fast. 1.5’ in 10 mins. That we should leave it. He says get back in the water and push. I leave my cell phone on the victims boat thinking I would have time to get back before anything goes wrong.
We start pushing again while the officer is towing the rope and then he signals for us to let go. The victim didn’t. The turd was not pushing at all, just hanging on the back of his boat. I try to run to catch onto the boat, but I was not able to.
They pull it out the 2/10ths of a mile to the channel and sit for maybe 8 mins. Then both the rescue boat and his run up the river about 1 mile or so. I’m in the dark, middle of the bay with no traffic around, no signaling or comms device, no one knew I was out on the water, had seen 3 gators 2 hours earlier, had a 10-15’ channel on each side of the sand bar. He left me out there for 45 minutes before he started heading back trying to find me.
Thankfully he did get back to me only due to reflective lettering on my jacket. Got my phone back, but the boat ended up sinking.
No my question is. What should I do about this. He has endangered lives of his members, victims, and whomever else. He makes bad judgement calls in situations where we need a sound and safe decision.
I discussed with a leo friend of mine and he said he would come haul him off to jail next time. Yet a friend of mine said he should be reported.
Our bylaws don’t have any real coverage for situations like this. We are not technically affiliated with the city, but we do have to abide by their rules which prohibit dui. One is enough for most employees to get fired.
This officer works with the city as well and has many friends. I don’t want tl ruin his retirement or reputation, but he may get worse and either seriously injure or kill someone with his actions on a call. I have a family member who is an alcoholic and will forget everything after 2-4 mins. So I was thinking the officer could have left me and forgotten anyone else was on the boat. I could have easily been stuck out there all night before a passing boat would notice me or my family got worried. That or a gator may have decided to get a snack for keeping stashed later.
I could report it to the fire chief who handles some admin stuff for our department, but it would get cut there and then I would likely be removed from the team since they are friends. Captain of the team is out of the question. Other officers can’t really do much. City hall has the power, but then it would cost his job and what ever benefits he gets.
So now that you guys and gals know the whole story, suggestions or best advice.... thank you
I was not a ranking officer until the last couple years and he still pulls the ”I’m the ____, and you’re only the ____” card when I question or try to advise on a safer way to handle a situation.
One particular call which has made me nervous to get in a car with him since was about 5 years ago. We were dispatched to the aid of a public saftey official who had hit a submerged log and was taking on water. We were told to put in at one landing 7 minutes from the station. When I arrived at the station I was going to drive the truck, but he insisted he was going to drive and demanded I get in on the passenger side. He runs L&S about 3 mins down the road and shuts them off to pick up two members at a parking lot then gets back on the road and passes the same cehicles with l&s once again. He runs 65-70mph on a hilly winding country road in the total darkness for about 30 minutes even after I asked if this was the right launch he was heading to. When we get there he realizes his mistake and runs back to the correct launch. The officer who had the trouble made it back to his own ramp before we got there. After this member dropped off the two members at their vehicles he says to me ”I’m not afraid to admit I had about 4 or 5 beers before we got the call”.
I’ve lost count of the times between, but situations are mismanagement, running l&s when not justified (for stuck boat calls, or if the distance is a 25 min drive and other agencies are there, skip a toll plaza) or not using l&s when justified such as a vehicle off a bridge, helicopter crash.
The most recent was last weekend, I drove past his house on my way to get groceries and he called me directly for a boat that sunk in 2-3’ of water and was on a sandbar.
I arrive at the station and he tells me to drive. I could smell beer on his breath, so I got in the truck and drove, planning on driving the boat and handling most the work. I felt he shouldn’t be on the call, but he may have a higher limit than I do.
We get to the ramp and this outranking officer decides he wants to drive the boat and makes it clear I’m not driving. We get on scene with the guy (2 miles south from where we launched and 4 miles where he launched from) and I find the guy on the sunk boat with a severe stench of the fancy alcohol. Rum or vodka, who knows. We got on scene right at sunset 4.45 or so and dispatch knew 2 members on the boat plus victim on his boat. No other agency knew aside from USCG and this officer decided to cancel the cg and send them home. This was dusk by that time. I advised the officer we should hand over to marine police and either anchor his boat or call sea tow, but I was told we were pulling the boat off the flat. Mind you it’s got water over the deck and it’s v hull has a 20 degree list to port and stuck in the soft mucky mud.
We spool out enough rope or to get into the channel about 2/10ths of a mile. We repeat that maybe 4 times and no change. I again tell him we should abort and hand over to appropriate agencies. Officer then demands I get in the victims boat and put on hip waders to help ”push” the boat. He uses this tactic with the ones who run aground. Have them hop off and then anchor their boat and pick them up a few mins later.
I refuse and tell him I’m not comfy doing that, that we shouldn’t be messing with the boat and to hand over to marine police. Again he pulls his ”I out rank you, and I say you do this” card.
I get in the water against my better judgement to avoid a confrontation and keep a somewhat professional look to the team rather than a power struggle. We get the boat moving maybe 45’ after we cut the bilge off our boat and put it in his. I then advice the officer that the boat is taking on water fast. 1.5’ in 10 mins. That we should leave it. He says get back in the water and push. I leave my cell phone on the victims boat thinking I would have time to get back before anything goes wrong.
We start pushing again while the officer is towing the rope and then he signals for us to let go. The victim didn’t. The turd was not pushing at all, just hanging on the back of his boat. I try to run to catch onto the boat, but I was not able to.
They pull it out the 2/10ths of a mile to the channel and sit for maybe 8 mins. Then both the rescue boat and his run up the river about 1 mile or so. I’m in the dark, middle of the bay with no traffic around, no signaling or comms device, no one knew I was out on the water, had seen 3 gators 2 hours earlier, had a 10-15’ channel on each side of the sand bar. He left me out there for 45 minutes before he started heading back trying to find me.
Thankfully he did get back to me only due to reflective lettering on my jacket. Got my phone back, but the boat ended up sinking.
No my question is. What should I do about this. He has endangered lives of his members, victims, and whomever else. He makes bad judgement calls in situations where we need a sound and safe decision.
I discussed with a leo friend of mine and he said he would come haul him off to jail next time. Yet a friend of mine said he should be reported.
Our bylaws don’t have any real coverage for situations like this. We are not technically affiliated with the city, but we do have to abide by their rules which prohibit dui. One is enough for most employees to get fired.
This officer works with the city as well and has many friends. I don’t want tl ruin his retirement or reputation, but he may get worse and either seriously injure or kill someone with his actions on a call. I have a family member who is an alcoholic and will forget everything after 2-4 mins. So I was thinking the officer could have left me and forgotten anyone else was on the boat. I could have easily been stuck out there all night before a passing boat would notice me or my family got worried. That or a gator may have decided to get a snack for keeping stashed later.
I could report it to the fire chief who handles some admin stuff for our department, but it would get cut there and then I would likely be removed from the team since they are friends. Captain of the team is out of the question. Other officers can’t really do much. City hall has the power, but then it would cost his job and what ever benefits he gets.
So now that you guys and gals know the whole story, suggestions or best advice.... thank you
