The Spook Who Sits by the Door Turns the Spotlight on the Training Academy

The DCFD Training Academy - Where our young people's hopes are dashed; large sums of money are spent on worthless training programs and tests; where monies are being spent more out of state than in the past; where cronyism is allowed to flourish; where leadership can only be seen as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee; where one of the only persons with training credentials is being and has been harassed for the last four years... Where these education geniuses have used as a training mode separating white trainees from black trainees, claiming that Black trainees were intellectually inferior; where Black trainees with no experience are put in the same class with volunteer firefighters from New York, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia, with a minimum level of firefighter experience; where there's little to no remedial training for trainees who are mostly from DC and mostly African American to assist them in passing the test; AND where the people who are teaching them have absolutely NO training or are not certified as teachers - except for one. Where money is being wasted on a new test brought in after the Rosenbaum tragedy, the National Registry Exam, costing the city $70 each time it is delivered, while the DOH test for EMT certification, which has been used for decades, costs only $30 each time. Trainees are given three times to pass this National Registry Exam, which is nearly breaking the Department's budget; nearly 28 applicants have not yet passed it. Disciplinary actions for minor violations at the school have been levied mostly against Blacks. Racism and white supremacy are the rule, with a white Deputy Chief, Paul Jones, and a Black Battalion Fire Chief, Mark Wynn, described as "a Clarence Thomas wannabe". Trainees have a union where they must pay the same fees as the firefighters while EMT's pay more.

We'd like to state here that the Training Academy has two basic sections: one is Firefighting, and one is EMS. There are still remaining equity and administrative problems that stand in the way of making a marriage between the Firefighters and EMS workers fair. In this relationship, where EMS worker training is more in depth and calls for a greater skill level by some, according to our reporters, they are treated in the Department as second class citizens. EMS workers in the past have been mostly Black and firefighters mostly white. Most firefighters do not want to work on ambulances or in EMS capacities; and their attitudes toward EMS workers is documented in the firefighters' website, DCFD.com. It was documented again at a recent Public Safety hearing called by Councilmember Phil Mendelson, which can be viewed online at http://octt.dc.gov/services/on_demand_video/on_demand_may_2008_week_3.shtm. It has been further reported to The Spook (and was earlier noted on the blog by E.R.AS.E.) about some of the elements of testimony by Mr. Chinua Walker of Medic #4, at 1:45:55 into the video, when he speaks about misdeeds (unethical behavior, citizens dying for failure to properly evaluate), names firefighters who are on a blacklist by the head of internal affairs at 1:49:44 into the video, firefighters on the Fire Boat who cannot swim and members assigned to rescue squads who do not have EMT cards.

It was alleged to The Spook Who Sits By the Door, that Sergeant Theresa Shanklin, reportedly one of the only Certified DOH Instructors, also certified in ACLS and CPR, at the Training Academy, has been experiencing harassment since she testified about the Department's deficiencies in training before then-Councilmember Kathy Patterson's committee in 2004. She warned the committee that she would be retaliated against. Nearly a year-and-a-half later, her words came true when she was called into her supervisor's office, Chief Willis who has since been transferred, and told that in three days she would be put back into operations, removing her from her training position. She fought this removal and used her rights to FOIA - Freedom of Information Act - the cause for her removal. When she found that the excuse for transferring her out of her job was being charged with "refusing to teach ALS (Advanced Life Support)", Sgt. Shanklin filed an EEO claim through DCFD. Their EEO officer, Ms. Hutchinson, found that Sgt. Shanklin had no claim and advised her to go to the Office of Human Rights. Human Rights then gave Shanklin a letter stating the Agency didn't mean to discriminate against her, therefore she had no right to sue. Sgt. Shanklin then obtained an attorney and filed an appeal which goes to court on September 12, 2008, where she and E.R.A.S.E. expect her to be victorious.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Shanklin continues to hold her head high and stand up against the nearly daily harassment she experiences at the hands of paramedic Training Coordinator Dave Stamey, a former Flight Medic at Washington Hospital Center, which are the only qualifications known to the Spook - a FOIA will soon help us to know more - who was brought in on the heels of the Rosenbaum case. [It has been alleged that Stamey, who lives in Virginia, comes to work late EVERY DAY, stating that he does not want to deal with the traffic were he to arrive on time!] While Stamey holds the title of Training coordinator, he does not teach and demonstrates that he believes his principle job is to run things, it has been alleged.

Stamey stole Sgt. Shanklin's notes where she had been documenting the persistent disrespect she had been experiencing at his hands. When a firerfighter, Natalie Overton, was later brought in to assist with CPR training and requested supplies, she received them shortly thereafter when Shanklin had yet to receive hers. When Sgt. Shanklin then asked why her request for supplies pertaining to EMS training had not yet been met and wanted to also get them, she was put on charges for failing to follow the chain of command - The Spook repeats, Captain Ford put Sgt. Shanklin on charges for asking Captain Schaefer, who was in charge of equipment, about getting her equipment!

It has been alleged that Sgt. Shanklin had initiated a remedial training class that had realized some success in improving the passing rate of trainees for EMT Certification, an initiative that was supported by Deputy Fire Chief Paul Jones. Her former supervisor Deputy Fire Chief Jeffries, who is now at Grimke, had been non-supportive of the remedial class, stating that the trainees could "just read on their own". It has been further alleged that Dr. Williams, Medical Director of the Fire and EMS Department, who is also full-time at Howard University Hospital and was on duty when Rosenbaum was brought in to the Emergency Room to be seen, has never been to the Training Academy to review or observe the training program.

The Spook further plans to deal with the exploits of Training Instructors Dickey and Murphy, who have been alleged to have patted a female instructor on her rear in front of the class, walked into the classroom in underwear and tee shirt, and referred to a class of mostly Black trainees as "monkeys". As you can see, the Spook has been verrrrry busy.

Members of class 355, 356 and 357 met with Councilmember Mendelson, as arranged by Union 36 boss Dan Dugan, where the outrageous and unlawful escapades of the training academy were discussed. It was suggested at that meeting that if the instructors were not certified to teach, they are also not certified to flunk, and therefore, more money, more money and more money of the DC taxpayers will be drained by lawsuits to come. One question that the Spook has asked is With all of these problems in the Fire Department, the Schools, Child and Family Services, the Health Department, Chief Financial Officer (remember the missing $40 million) and others, Who is in Charge of the City? and Who Should Be Responsible? The Spook has already said that he /she does NOT want to hear The Devil Made me Do It!

E.R.A.S.E. recognizes that the problems that have been discussed on this blog are class-based, and that racism, sexism, homophobism, cronyism and other isms are ideas and deeds that have been used to divide and conquer workers, making it difficult for them to get a handle on the fact that the struggle is truly between the haves and the have nots. E.R.A.S.E. only wants the services that we pay for and work very hard to deliver and have delivered, to be shared with the community with the love, care, compassion, empathy, efficiency, thoroughness, etcetera; with the vision that we want to make this a better world than the one we have found ourselves. This will take all of us - white, black, brown, red, yellow, blue and green; men and women; short and tall; thin or thick; straight, curly or kinky hair; gay or straight; old or young; foreign or native-born; of all religions - to make this a better world.