about 20 years ago we hired several classes of economically disadvantaged firefighters as part of a federal program. after graduating from the academy one of these new members was assigned to a multi-company station. one morning this firefighter was tasked with buying that day's chow. he collected the money and his grocery list and left for the store in his personal vehicle. he never showed up to work again. the next shift the crew found out that he commited an armed robbery at the grocery store and was arrested by the police shortly thereafter. 

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Goin' to hell.

That is hysterical!

The story may be hard to believe but it was far from hysterical for the armered car driver he shot. He was eventually caught and sent to prison.

Lends an entire new meaning to "don't hire or promote losers"... sorry for the guy who got shot and for the lack of a good background check...

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Man has found no new ways to screw up...Archand Zeller, 1940
We must be constantly looking for new ways to do business...Chaytor Mason, 1975
Things that go wrong are predictable, and predictable is preventable... Gordon Graham, 1980

This may be off topic a little, but I worked at a paper mill during summers and holidays  off from college.  We had a new guy working a high sress job we called "clean-up man", driving a tow motor picking up paper that was coming off the line when it was flying all over the place.  It got so bad one day that he drove it outside to fill the propane tank and never came back. They found the tow motor down the road a couple miles away.  Talk about walking off the job!?!

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"Life is tough"
"Life is tougher when you're stupid"
---John Wayne

 I personally think anyone who shoots another human in a robbery should be shot in the melon with a 5 cent reload asap.

We had a firefighter leave to go grocery shopping in uniform, in marked department vehicle. Instead they went to a shoe store & shoplift a pair of shoes. clerk saw the uniformed FF take the shoes & leave in the dept veh. PD showed up later & arrested the FF. We later found out that they had done this before and it was discovered on background investigation. they were hired anyway "because everyone makes mistakes" & the person had gone to counseling. The department did get rid of this person, but they have had several other fire jobs since.

I am not going to give many details about this...but.

I know of a department whose chief, in uniform, proceeded to go to a shopping mall and casually carry things out to his car without paying for them. This was mostly camping / outdoor type items.

Store security watched him for a while in disbelief. Finally one of them followed him to his car and asked to see his receipts. Of course he had none.

The good news: He claimed to simply be mistaken about the fact that he hadn’t paid for these things. (I think his wife may have been shopping with him. He may have thought that she had purchased them.) No one, who knew him, had a problem believing this. (For several reasons.)

I could tell you exactly what department and the chief's name, etc. but I won't.

I remember reading that one. Anyway, I know several stories of fireguys shoplifting, or "badging" their way in someplace, or worse.

But here's a different spin on the Felony possibilities. As we're reminded these days to guard against our apparatus being stolen (still happens), I cringe when I see unmanned rigs in parking lots. I won't try and start that thread over here, but that's asking to write a Dear Chief letter, yikes! 

Some time back I noticed an engine crew at Wal Mart...well actually I noticed the engine out front running with no operator or crew member around. Being the Chief, I did the only thing I could.........I hid the engine.....and watched with amusement as they exited the store and couldn't find their engine. Word quickly spread...and I didn't have to send out one of those "let's all remember" memos. Stay safe