Amen on that one! I had a similar discussion with Mr. Statter in another thread last year, and it's the same b.s. with him. He has time during his busy schedule to check the watchdesk and see what others are saying about him though!
Like I said before Statter, let us know when you get your head out of Brady's ass! Man, I don't know what bothers me more. A reporter who only reports what he or she thinks is newsworthy, or a reporter that still thinks he is a firefighter half of the time, while still only telling half the stories!
Keep up your good service to the volunteers. I bet you can't wait until the next time you can drag some vollie companies name through the mud again! We are not going to see articles by you about the career side that are detrimental to your relationship with Brady are we? That would mean no more reach arounds from your fat little buddy. Maybe that was the distraction about Ritchie you were speaking of?
Yes it appears Mr. Statter has simply decided to remain quiet on this subject. As you have stated Bofa he will only report what he thinks is newsworthy and if it doesn't drag the volunteers through the mud then it isn't newsworthy. Well I have said my peace on a subject that has gone very quiet lately. Remember if we do not stand up for ourselves then don't expect then association, commission or the news media to come to our cause.
I know for a fact that the Volunteers had a prepared
statement and that they have made it available to ALL
who were in the "news media".
As 'engco51' said, STATter only reports what is good
for the County and not the volunteers. You NEVER see
a critcism of Scumwick & Co.
When STATter is called on any of his MANY mistakes, he
simply uses the excuse that he is "busy" or he is silent.
On the other hand...why in hell don't the Volunteers get
a PIO of their own? There's enough mouth-running going
on here, why doesn't anybody take up being the PIO for
the Volunteers so we don't have to suffer with 'fat boy'
or 'used-to-be' STATter pretending to represent our views?
Some of this is brought on ourselves. 'engco51' this would
be a good job for you as you are right there in Marlboro
and are around most of the parties involved.
If the Volunteers call a meeting with the press and the Counties fat boy (Brady) tries to block it then the press should know theres a coverup somewhere.
The simple answer to this reporter is do not speak with him or give him any info. He would rather just rip a fax from the PIO off the machine and treat it as gospel. If he were truely an investigative reporter or had any intrest in the fire service the effort to cover all the good and bad would be clear. What we have all seen should cast doubt in regard to any subject he reports on. I would offer him the same advice we all need to live by, if your heart ain't in it don't do the job.
I know some of the shift guys that work at 27 and they didn't know anything about beeing reassigned until the vollies told them about this. Is this info even legit.
I see my fan club is having its quarterly meeting and no one invited me. Bofa and Twig, I have really missed you guys. It is good to see you are still reading STATter 911. I appreciate your business and, as always, your criticism.
Before I get to your issues let me address the most recent message by Stoker. Maybe I was writing something in my sleep again and don't recall what I sent out, but please show me anywhere that I said the removal of career personnel from a station is not newsworthy. In the past I have covered many such stories in Prince George’s County for TV. Since May I have dealt with related issues on STATter 911.
As for Morningside, the only reason I am even aware of the possibility of removing the career staff is by reading TWD and then checking out 27's website. Since the passing of Gerry Glaubitz, to my knowledge, no one from Morningside has called me with any story in Morningside except an event they were having a few years ago. Also, no one from the association has called me about the issue. In fact, no one has called me off the record or anonymously about this potential story. If my memory is correct, and it may not be, there could have been a comment to STATter 911 that lead me to checking out this issue on TWD.
Still, I have made phone calls asking questions about this plan. I am told by volunteer and county sources it is one of the options on the table. I will probably hold off on the story until it is more concrete.
Tracing backwards on this long thread, let's get to the social halls. I believe it is one of the issues that may have prompted Bofa and Twig to invoke my name (I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong).
Again, I believe I am the only reporter who has written anything about the social hall issue (no good deed goes unpunished). To my knowledge, no one has questioned the facts of what I have written. I even showed the correction order issued to the volunteers at 55. I believe I am also the only TV reporter to cover the occupancy issues before the firehouse opened.
I have never written that the countywide fire department social hall story is not newsworthy. In fact, considering its long community history, it is very newsworthy. But when taken into the larger context of deciding news for the day the press conference was held, my bosses decided it wasn't as newsworthy as other stories on the agenda. While I am the editor of STATter 911, I am not the editor of 9NEWS NOW or wusa9.com.
This past weekend, at a training seminar in Montgomery County, I had a brief conversation with Bob Russell about the next step in this dispute. When there is a significant new development I will likely write about it. Whether it will make the cut for TV, I can't say.
Bofa, as I have said before, I am not here to serve the volunteers. I am also not here to serve the career firefighters. I am here as a reporter who covers fire and EMS news. I hope firefighters find what I write interesting. If they don't, they will stop reading STATter 911 and I will find something else to do with my free time.
As I have said in many talks to those in the fire service and in conversations with numerous PIOs, you are not going to get far with your complaints to a news organization if you are only complaining because your ego has been bruised. Make sure your complaints are based on facts and not feelings and you will have an audience that is willing to listen.
We do make mistakes and I am open to hearing any specifics you have. Please list them and I will respond.
As for the volunteers in Prince George’s County, the only PIO I ever hear from is Doug Walton at Laurel. I am not aware of others.
While I don’t go around training people how they should deal with the news media, I will give you an example how some of the PIOs who have a good relationship with the media work. They make themselves available on breaking news and are out most days pitching stories about their departments. I am guessing 75% of what they pitch is probably not acted on by most media, but they get the air time or newspaper coverage on the other 25%. To my knowledge they don’t write things to TWD bad mouthing the news media when they didn't get coverage. Instead they try to figure out why the previous message didn’t get through and try again.
Now to the claim that I am anti-volunteer and only doing stories that make Chief Sedgwick and Mark Brady happy. How happy do you think everyone on Basil Court was with the training academy coverage?
Have you looked at my coverage as a whole on the Kentland and Ritchie issues?
I would suggest you contact the leadership at 33 and 37 to see how I have been unfair to them. Did you happen to attend the association meeting where Ritchie’s VP thanked me for telling the truth about the story? In case you missed it, here’s a link to what they said and wrote (BTW, there is more to this story that I will likely publish soon).
My goal each day isn’t to make Larry Lee, Larry Sedgwick, Mark Brady, Jim Brinkley, Bob Russell or anyone else from PGFD happy. What I am interested in is trying to get to as close to the truth as I possibly can with a story, while being fair to all of those involved. Some days I am more successful than others.
If you recall, in an attempt to be fair during our last round on TWD, I even published the call for firefighters to boycott my site.
The only reason I bother to write this is because I feel it is my obligation to explain what I do and why I do it. I am also interested in responding to any specific complaints about what I report.
It is always a pleasure to respond to our readers, even if they don’t like me or what I do. Fire away.
Found this link from STATter911… and we think we have it bad around here. Read this story and then check out the comments after the story… does this shit sound familiar?
"It is very upsetting if statter does not think this is news worthy. Lets just say 27 does not have a volunteer driver one day, and a 1st due house comes in. God forbid a child dies in that fire."
Sorry Stroker, but this is the line I read and what I wrote about. It certainly gives me the impression that you believe I either don't, or might not, think it is newsworthy. I believed it was important to correct that impression.
You make some good points for an argument, but let me give the newsperson's perspective, whether that reporter is me or someone else. The unusual makes news. I know it may not be fair, but just doing your job everyday has the possibility of being a feature story (if someone pitches a good angle), but it is not a hard news story. The routine doesn't usually fit the definition of news.
When there is a convicted arsonist running as a firefighter, I don't look at it as career or volunteer. I see a news story about someone who probably shouldn't be a firefighter.
When someone is number two in a department and has a past that includes cheating and there is a current cheating scandal under their command, I don't see career or volunteer. I see news.
Is it positive news to write about the social hall issue? No, but it is a story that is clearly important to the volunteers. When I wote that story, and mentioned there had been violence at some of these events and strippers at other events, is that being negative, or just telling the truth?
My experience of having been in the middle of career and volunteer battles when the Journal newspapers were writing about then in the 70s, and covering it myself since the 80s, is that passions are high on each side. As a reporter, you often get criticized for giving the other viewpoint. Not attempting to give both sides for a reporter is like firefighters handling a kitchen fire that got into the cabinets of a garden apartment and no one bothered to checked for extension.
As I have mentioned many times, the problem with these stories involving volunteers in Prince George's County is often no one is willing to give the volunteer perspective. The leadership of Ritchie made sure they talked to me on numerous occasions. Because of that, from my point of view, the story is much better balanced.
You can take the attitude that Statter is all bad and you shouldn't talk to him. Some people have done that and then complained on TWD that I only tell one side of the story. My people have an expression for that, "chutzpah". The classic definition of the Yiddish term is a boy, having just been convicted of murdering his parents, begs the judge for leniency because he is an orphan.
While I may not change the "story" Bofa, Twig and others have written about me, I have made sure my side is also heard in this debate. Some people may be swayed by what I have to say. Others may still think I am a jerk and look at my writings on this topic as further proof. Either way, you are now getting at least two sides to this story and hopefully you are better informed on the issue.
BTW, maybe I am stupid (now don't all chime in at once on that thought), but I don't look at what Bofa and Twig have written as being "negative" or anti-Statter. I see it as their legitimate opinion and reaction to my work. It helps keep a reporter honest.
I appreciate your thoughts. Let me leave you with this question: In all of these so-called "negative" stories that add up to me being "anti-volunteer", was the substance of what I reported wrong or is it that people's feelings were hurt because I reported it?
A reporter honest??? That's like saying a politician is honest. Ever heard the phrase "Lying by Omission"??
That's what reporters are good at. Leaving out little bits of info that WOULD NOT sensationalize the story,but NOT leave a bad impression of a "subject/story line".
You are not the ONLY one guilty of the offense. Happens all over!!
[QUOTE=STATter 911 Is it positive news to write about the social hall issue? No, but it is a story that is clearly important to the volunteers. When I wote that story, and mentioned there had been violence at some of these events and strippers at other events, is that being negative, or just telling the truth?QUOTE]
It was NEGATIVE, because for one YOU didn't bother coming to ask what the TRUTH was with that story! As you can see after the County did there Lil interviews and investigations, they found it to be some CAREER Firemen trying to start some Shit with the VOLUNTEER Organization, so they swept it under the rug and it went away after the ONE/TWO days they BLASTED it on the news! Did you bother to report that, NO! Did you bother to let the PUBLIC know that The Station had not had those things going on there after all, NO! But, now the PUBLIC and others look at the COMPANY in a NEGATIVE way because YOU and your CO-Workers (from other news stations) BLASTED The Station on T.V. with False Accusations and never bothered getting the TRUTH and clearing things up! SoMr. Statter, don't come on here with your big words and sarcastic comments trying to make it like you and your co-workers (from other news stations) really care about the VOLUNTEERS and know what WE go through and the BULLSHIT we put up with (for FREE!!) cause you/ya'll don't! Learn the TRUTH before you report things and make others look BAD next time, BUDDY!
Oh yeah, Thats my 1st, Last and ONLY comment I'm making on that, so don't bother for a rebuttle! Have a WONDERFUL day, C'ya on the 5 O'clock news.
Here is my take on this and my bona fides. I am a vol and have been for about 19yrs. I work for the county govt. I have been blasted in the media and was targeted by the county and media for over 2yrs. (Non fire related, but county related and on a national level).
I tell you that to let you know that most of the time I am not a fan of the media either, and as a matter of fact wouldn't pay a quarter for a Washington Post to wipe my ass. BUT.....I do believe that we as vol's do not have an avenue for releasing information in a positive or user friendly form that the media can use. Example: "Why don't you (Statter) go talk to the guys at Morningside".....My suggestion would be to make it easy on Dave, send a press release from Morningside (Ritchie/55/etc.) to Dave and every other news agency in the area. Do all their homework for them, have as many documents as possible for them to reference (proof of whatever your trying to prove/insinuate) and give them a story on a platter to report.
More examples of stories that should be out: 1. My understanding is that right now the County is playing with Vol funds(stealing). 2. That vol funds were "appropriated" to purchase a canteen unit that will be titled in the County's name (see #1). 3. The County does not have the money or the staffing to adequately cover the stations now and is consolidating and essentially "closing" stations. 4. The County has asked the Vol Association to assist as much as possible with staffing to cut instances of overtime as much as possible, while reducing (see #1) funding. 5. The County failed to obtain a Use and Occupancy permit for their own County Building and then dumped it off on the Vol's. If there is no U and O, why has DER not closed the place down? Why has the Fire Chief not been cited for allowing/continuing the occupancy?
I believe there are a number of stories that should get attention but do not because they are not presented in a fashion that would entice a reporter or whoever decides on what is news-worthy that day to report on it. I think a story in ref to the number of vol's working daily in this county, on vol bought apparatus, with funds from hall rental's, at no cost to the taxpayer other than maybe from a transport from a co that bills for ambo service might make it on tv or in a paper, IF it was a slow enough day. I think if a headline read "Prince Georges County Fire Dept left with only 14 Fire Engines if Volunteers Pull Out" would attract considerable attention too.
What I am trying to say is there is a way to get your message across and just saying "go talk to someone else", ain't it. Use your heads and pens instead of your mouths and the results hopefully will be better.
I don't believe I have done any other reporting on this. I based what I did report on email and phone conversations with a number of volunteer presidents. The input from Mark Brady is essentially a no comment.
Brks_R_4_Puz's, you are correct I didn't show up at the press conference. But don't feel so special, there are a lot of press conferences where I don't show my ugly face. I did get the tip about the problem and a large majority of the information for this little report from the volunteers who you say I don't talk to. I would like for you or anyone else who feels I have wronged them or the volunteers by reporting on the social hall issue to dissect this report below and tell me how I screwed it up.
And fd141, while I admit this is a very short summary of a very complex issue, please tell me how any omission on my part made the volunteers look bad.
And I didn't even mention the strippers. Don't I even get a little something for that?
Social halls are latest battleground between PGFD and volunteers
Tensions seem to be running high these days between volunteers and the administration of the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. It isn't just the issue of the convicted arsonist who was running calls at the Ritchie VFD. The document above is leading to a press conference planned for tonight by volunteer fire departments in Prince George's County.
This piece of paper, signed by a PGFD fire inspector, is a correction order to shut down a birthday party held at the social hall/meeting room at Station 855 on Saturday. It is the latest in a series of correction orders issued at stations across the county preventing certain functions from being held.
It is a bit of a complicated issue that also involves the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources. But what it boils down to is this. The volunteers believe the county is stopping its ability to raise money. The PGFD has expressed concern about safety at the fire stations. There have been some violent incidents at some of the functions held inside the social halls.
The issue at Station 855 is more complicated because it has operated for years under a temporary Use and Occupancy Permit. This revolves around a years long dispute between Prince George's County and the contractor who built the station. The U and O was cited in the above correction order as one reason for shutting down the birthday party.
We have contacted PGFD for comments on this issue. Chief Spokesman Mark Brady says they will consider responding when they know details of specific allegations from the press conference.
I went back and did some research and checking (something apparently STATter doesn't seem to have the time or resources for...since he is "only a one man shop")and he "justifies" his "reporting" as such. He stated in the "Social Hall" thread that he didn't have any information from the Volunteers, yet there is a copy of the press release from the Volunteer "Association" right here on TWD! (it's interesting that he uses a "gossip forum" as a "hard news source"),(STATter, you can find it in the thread and it is post #2 no less. Right at the top, easy to find, hard to miss. Can't answer as to why it isn't included on the "Association" website as I don't have anything to do with them. I DO know that Co.s 2,3,4 DID make that announcement to all of the "news media".
He goes on elsewhere saying that he doesn't "hear" from the Volunteers, yet I wonder just HOW HARD he was "listening"? He DID however say that HE contacted Brady when he didn't "hear" anything from HIM.
To my untrained eye this DOESN'T look very 'fair or balanced'. It also doesn't look like that "investigative jounalist" did a whole lot of "investigating".
STATter talks of checking "FACTS" and how the "unusual" is what is truly newsworthy. (If it bleeds...it leads.) Well here are a few FACTS. FACTS...No hall usage, no fundraising abilities for the Volunteers, no funds, no equipment purchased, no delivery of critical services to the PUBLIC. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NEWSWORTHY AND THAT IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE PUBLIC, AND THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW! It's CERTAINLY more important than an extended weather report where several minutes are devoted to weather reports in CALIFORNIA! Or that endless air time is devoted to the antics of a bunch of spoiled Hollywood children, now THERE'S "hard news"!(all the news that fits, we print)
STATter talks about how the "unusual makes the news", well, I would think this would be pretty "unusual"! Several CITIZENS attended that meeting that the "fair and balanced media" felt was unimportant and THEY asked questions and expressed fear, confusion and dismay over the situation. (You missed some of those great "man-in-the-street" scenes of YOU getting the 'scoop' from 'joe citizen') There WAS human interest and involvement! YOU chose to "pass" on this and cover the same "weather-event" (when I was a child we just called them storms, and after almost 6 decades I can ASSURE you that it does, indeed, get cold, snow and sleet EVERY YEAR at this time in the DC area, as it has for tens of thousands of years) that EVERY OTHER "JOURNALIST" chose to carbon-copy! Apparently YOU didn't see this as very important or YOU, with all of your 'tenure' at 9News could have 'pitched' the story and got at least a sound-bite out of it. Or you could have gotten it on a later newscast on a following day. (after all, this IS an on-going thing) Oh, and with all of your "reporting" I don't see you getting the 'face time' on camera like in the past.
You talk about "reporting" on "scandal", well along with the crisis involving delivery of vital services to the public, what about the SCANDAL involving, malfeasance by public officials, abuse of power, harassment, reprisals and deceit??? ARE THEY NOT "UNUSUAL" ENOUGH???
You speak of fair and balanced reporting, well, as other posters here have said...you ALWAYS seem to "spin" a story to denegrate the Volunteers, yet leaving the Public Officials untouched (or at least barely noticed). I think someone on your BLOG called it "yellow journalism". He was being kind in my estimation.
And finally while I'm on the subject of research, facts, etc. STATter made some comments regarding the situation with Mr. Queen and his publishing that man's health information. He says that "HIPAA doesn't trump the 1st Amendment"., Well I got news for you! Yes it does! And so does the Privacy Act of 1974! Both are found in the "Code of Federal Regulations" which happen to be PUBLIC FEDERAL LAWS! Ah, but the "fourth estate" LOVES to wrap themselves in the Constitution when it benefits THEM! But they IGNORE the citizen's rights under law!
STATter. It's people like YOU that are the reason why people in our profession DESPISE the "media". We run the other way rather than speak to you because we KNOW that whatever we say or do will NOT be portrayed honestly or accurately.
And it's not just us in the Public Safety occupations such as Police, Fire, EMS... it's even the PUBLIC itself!
Survey after survey after survey shows nothing but distrust, disbelief and contempt for the "news media" based on their "reporting". Oh and don't call me out on that one, because you can start with the Brookings Institute and Rand and then work your way on down. The info is in the public domain, try Google.
Oh, and STATter, you are correct. I KNOW for a FACT that fewer and fewer are reading your site, so you might want to take up another interest like fishing or writing poetry.
"vini, vidi, vici"
__________________ Never tell a F/F "you can't do this".
What are you talking about? If you are referring to the announcement about the Bunker Hill press conference, there was no dispute about that. I received it from a number of people and because of a scheduling conflict for me, passed it on to our assignment desk, the assistant news director and executive producer of the 11:00 PM broadcast. As I have stated, I did so with a fairly lengthy background urging them to cover the story. I wish it were true that I had the influence you think I should have with my tenure.
I knew about this issue well before the press conference. As I have said, I have been and remain in contact with a number of volunteer officials about the issue. When there is a new development I hope to write it.
I didn't say I don't talk to volunteers. I am in touch with volunteers from PGFD and elsewhere every day. I just got off the phone with one about an article I am writing updating the Ritchie situation. What I was talking about specifically is PIOs. There is no one out there, to my knowledge, pitching stories and responding to the media who represents the volunteers. I said the only volunteer PIO I am aware of is Doug Walton at Laurel VFD. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Read a little closer, the "news is the unusual" line had nothing to do with the social hall situation. I have said from the start and continue to believe the social hall situation is a very newsworthy story. You are complaining to the wrong person about that. You need to contact the news directors of the various TV stations about why no one except STATter 911 has covered it.
I will stand by the various high-priced lawyers who have instructed us about the patient privacy laws and how they impact reporting. After all they are the ones who will have to defend me if I screw up.
You are not going to get an argument from me on what the public thinks of reporters. It is what it is. I only have control over one reporter.
Again, find fault with the facts. There are a total of five paragraphs I have written on the issue of social halls which seems to have prompted these latest complaints about what I am or am not doing. Look at it. Tell me how, in any way, it was anti-volunteer or misrepresented the volunteer position.
Finally, there is something we agree on. If you can convince my bosses to never send me out on a snow live shot, I would be a very happy man. BTW, while it may have been the conflict for the various TV stations, the weather was not the conflict I had with the press conference scheduling. I believe that had to with needing to handle something with my son after work.
PS As for this line: Oh, and STATter, you are correct. I KNOW for a FACT that fewer and fewer are reading your site, so you might want to take up another interest like fishing or writing poetry.. I appreciate your ideas, but I have never been much on poetry. Fishing is okay. I will consider it. So you know for a fact that fewer and fewer are reading the site. I'd love to see those facts and how they stack up against the numbers my station sends me each day. I am sure my bosses inflate it just to feed my massive ego. Send me the real numbers to I can come down to earth. Seriously, it ain't Firehouse.com, but it does all right. When it doesn't or I get burned out, I will move on.
the problem with releasing press statements is that (Dave Statter please correct me if I am wrong) when the press receives a statement from the PGCVFRA, Company 33, Company 27 or whomever, they (THE PRESS) contacts the PG County PIO for commment, and/or input, and/or correction. So no matter what is written by someone other than the PGFD PIO (Brady) it is still filtered through the PIO for a "blessing".
The volunteers have a voice, but unfortuantley it seems to be falling on deaf ears.
__________________
First Name: Bubba
Middle Initial: B.
Last Name: Bubba
Pretty Simple.
Oh yeah, these opinions in the above aforementioned post do not necessarily represent the opinions of my chief, department, friends or anybody else. Plain and simple; they are MINE. And I thank you for your support.
Maybe that was the distraction about Ritchie you were speaking of?
Re: The Hits Just Keep Coming
, because for one YOU didn't bother coming to ask what the TRUTH was with that story! As you can see after the County did there Lil interviews and investigations, they found it to be some CAREER Firemen trying to start some Shit with the VOLUNTEER Organization, so they swept it under the rug and it went away after the ONE/TWO days they BLASTED it on the news! Did you bother to report that, NO!
And I thank you for your support.
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