Title: Fire Chief Arrested For Preventing A Cop From Making A Fire Worse — House Burns as a Result Source:
Free Thought Project/Law Officer/WEHT-7 URL Source:http://thefreethoughtproject.com/fi ... ire-worse/#fDjgLsEhyEPwAcyC.99 Published:Dec 30, 2016 Author:Matt Agorist Post Date:2016-12-30 19:39:35 by Deckard Keywords:None Views:16883 Comments:140
Cannelton, IN – Volunteer Fire Chief Christopher Herzog was recently arrested for attempting to prevent a police officer from making a fire worse. However, the police version of the story makes it sound like Herzog was some crazed assailant attacking heroes. Now, the firefighter is facing a felony.
When kindergartners are taught to “stop drop and roll,” they are also taught that fire feeds on oxygen and that sometimes a suddenly opened door or window could cause a fire. Unfortunately, Cannelton police officer Ryen Foertsch did not get the memo.
Foertsch was at the location of the fire and in plain clothes, not dressed as an officer and was attempting to smash in one of the windows of the house, a move that could have obviously made the fire far worse. Herzog arrived on the scene to witness the blunder, and attempted to prevent the officer from literally adding fuel to the fire, and tried to get him away from the house.
Sensing that his authority was being threatened, Foertsch arrested the fire chief as the house continued to burn.
To make matters worse, as the house burned, the police ordered the remaining fire crew off of the property, preventing them from doing their jobs and putting lives and property at risk. Officer Foertsch claims that Herzog was shouting obscenities at him and shoving him. However, Herzog says that he was simply attempted to diffuse a dangerous situation, and even if he was shouting at the officer, he had every right to considering the circumstances.
Chris Zukeschwerdt, the man who owns the house that was burning, was horrified by the encounter that he witnessed.
“I was in shock. When I saw the faces of those firefighters – to see their leader being pulled out of here while he was fighting a fire was just unreal,” Zukeschwerdt said.
Zukeschwerdt said that he heard the chief yell to the other firefighters to stay and make sure the fire was put out, as he was dragged away in handcuffs. However, he says that next the police officers took over the scene and ordered the firefighters to leave.
“We’re in charge of this scene now,” Zukeschwerdt says he heard an officer say. Zukeschwerdt said at that point, “a lot of the fire department guys started saying let’s grab out gear and go.”
Sadly, after the chief was arrested and the other firefighters sent away, the police officers did nothing and allowed the fire to completely destroy the house. Herzog was taken into custody and lodged in the Perry County Jail on a charge of battery against a public safety official, a level 6 felony.
Soon after the arrest, Herzog was bailed out of jail by Cannelton Mayor Mary Snyder.
It is important to note that the National Incident Management System, which sets national standards for first responders in emergencies such as this, states that the first fire unit arriving on the scene of a house fire are the ones to take command of the incident, which means that Herzog was within his rights to take charge of the situation when he arrived on the scene.
It seems that officer Foertsch was more concerned with his own ego and perceived authority than he was with saving lives, which is a dangerous consequence of giving a person unlimited power.
Strange. Be interesting to hear " the rest of the story "
I found it interesting that the comments from the linked "Law Officer" site were opposed to what officer Ryen Foertsch did at the scene.
And these guys are cops.
Here's one - Breaking windows and letting more oxygen into a fire is a no no. It sounds like the chief might have gotten carried away but he is the supervisor and the highest Authority on the scene and everyone else needs to follow his commands.
I find it absolutely wildly bizarre for you to post something from LawOfficer.com, a website whose Editorial Team consists of law enforcement officers with a combined experience of over a century in the profession….from street cops to supervisors to upper management.
Breaking windows and letting more oxygen into a fire is a no no. It sounds like the chief might have gotten carried away but he is the supervisor and the highest Authority on the scene and everyone else needs to follow his commands.
A cop said this and you believe it? How striking unique of you to believe ”anything” a cop says.
Have you set a precedent here that we all may regard as an example and guide to be considered in your future posts?
We can only vaguely hope so and that this is a prelude to you becoming truthfully objective …
Breaking windows and letting more oxygen into a fire is a no no. It sounds like the chief might have gotten carried away but he is the supervisor and the highest Authority on the scene and everyone else needs to follow his commands.
Breaking windows and letting more oxygen into a fire is a no no. It sounds like the chief might have gotten carried away but he is the supervisor and the highest Authority on the scene and everyone else needs to follow his commands.
Common sense tells anyone that this is a fact.
First Responders don’t operate on “common sense” [as you so ignorantly suggest] when arriving at the scene of a fire. They are trained to operate by follow procedures.
Each PD, FD and EMS has published procedures to follow….or definitely should have….and each department coordinates with the other departments in establishing those procedures. There are a number of these procedures posted on the internet. All are basically the same, especially when relating to task priority. I randomly picked one to quote for you, it is from Phoenix:
Procedure
The first-arriving company officer at the scene of a multi-patient or mass casualty incident shall establish Command. The initial Incident Commander (IC) shall remain in Command until Command is transferred or the incident is stabilized and Command is terminated. Command is responsible for the completion of the tactical objectives. The general tactical objectives, listed in order of priority, are:
1. Remove endangered occupants and treat the injured.
[….]
As the IC, the volunteer fire chief was not following the tactical objectives.
The cops arrived on the scene, recognized that, and the were following the procedure accepted as the published norm….they were checking for endangered occupants.
Something the volunteer fire chief should already have done….but obviously had not since he violently tried to stop the cops from performing the correct task.
The volunteer fire chief was apparently too shot in the ass with his authority and position to follow standard procedures and he got belligerent…..like might be “expected from an uncompromising drunkard.”
Breaking windows and letting more oxygen into a fire is a no no.
Screw that! “Breaking windows” might cause the house burn faster but a house can be replaced. The life of an unconscious person who may be in the room the officer was breaking the glass for entry….cannot be replaced.
It sounds like the chief might have gotten carried away but he is the supervisor and the highest Authority on the scene and everyone else needs to follow his commands.
He definitely got carried away!
And the rest of the statement is pure BULLSHIT for you don’t blindly follow orders [as you have said numerous times] when you know those orders are totally incorrect, completely asinine and lives may be endangered.
The fire chief was wrong….and the fire chief was arrested
The cops were not wrong and the cops were not arrested.
Something the volunteer fire chief should already have done….but obviously had not since he violently tried to stop the cops from performing the correct task.
Oh, so that's your rationale now?
There is no evidence to show that the Fire Department failed to search the house. It makes sense to me that experienced and highly trained firefighters would know to do that first.
To make matters worse, as the house burned, the police ordered the remaining fire crew off of the property, preventing them from doing their jobs and putting lives and property at risk.
Apparently the cops were not really interested public safety.
It was just another example of an arrogant cop flexing his authoritah when he should have been directing traffic or fetching donuts and coffee for the real heroes.
To make matters worse, as the house burned, the police ordered the remaining fire crew off of the property, preventing them from doing their jobs and putting lives and property at risk.
It was reported that the fire was out when the handcuffed volunteer fire chief departed the scene and that was when the police ordered the remaining fire crew off the property.
It was reported that the fire was out when the handcuffed volunteer fire chief departed the scene and that was when the police ordered the remaining fire crew off the property.
You and your darn facts! Don't you know that mansplaining triggers the SJWs.
