We Take A Small Step Closer To Fahrenheit 451
The book Fahrenheit 451 was originally a novella called The Fireman. It was written by Ray Bradbury and was meant as a critique of American society. In the book, critical thinking is suppressed and firemen are actually book burners. Bradbury explained what the book was about.
Fahrenheit 451 is a story about how television destroys interest in reading literature, which ultimately leads to ignorance of total facts.
Sounds pretty on target as far as where we are today, except for the role of firemen in our society. They are regarded as heroes, who sacrifice their lives to save what we hold dear. Firemen are the ultimate example of good in our society. But the Bush administration loves to ruin everything and they now have their sights set on firemen.
Firefighters in major cities are being trained to take on a new role as lookouts for terrorism, raising concerns of eroding their standing as American icons and infringing on people's privacy.
Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.
Uh, what? What the fuck is happening? The government is already monitoring our phone calls, our emails, where we fly, our purchases and can turn our cell phones into a listening device whenever they want and now they want to turn our firemen in spies and narcs. Fuck off.
The Homeland Security Department is now testing their new fireman as narcs program in New York City. Firemen are being taught how to identify material or behavior of terrorists. If things go well, it will be expanded across the United States of Creepy.
"They're really doing technical inspections, and if perchance they find something like, you know, a bunch of RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rounds in somebody's basement, I think it's a no-brainer," said Jack Tomarchio, a senior official in Homeland Security's intelligence division.
Yeah, no shit, asshole. Now, why do I think that firemen dont actually need to be trained to turn someone in if they find RPGs in a basement? Nice try with the spin, but Im not a fucking moron. This program is about snooping and getting around warrants; using men who should be doing no such thing.
Even before the federal program began, New York firefighters and inspectors had been training to recognize materials and behavior the government identifies as "signs of planning and support for terrorism."
When going to private residences, for example, they are told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States; unusual chemicals or other materials that seem out of place; ammunition, firearms or weapons boxes; surveillance equipment; still and video cameras; night-vision goggles; maps, photos, blueprints; police manuals, training manuals, flight manuals; and little or no furniture other than a bed or mattress.
Huh, so they already do all that. What a surprise. Now, what exactly are firemen not doing that Homeland Security wants them to do? Heres a scenario: There is a call to 911 of a fire in a home. On there way there, firemen get a call over the radio telling them it is a possible terrorist home and to search the property. The firemen get there and tear the place up looking for information. Turns out the poor guy is not a terrorist, but his house has been ransacked. And hey, who made the 911 call in the first place? Because the guy who lives there didn't.
911 calls have been abused for years by police trying to get into a home, bringing firemen into the equation is bad fucking news. Although, some firemen seem to be okay with the idea.
D.C. firefighters and EMS providers are in 170,000 homes and businesses each year on routine calls, Schultz said.
"So we see things and observe things that may be useful to law enforcement," he said. "We can walk into your house. We don't need a search warrant." If an ambulance team shows up at a house and sees detailed maps of the District's public transit system on the wall, that's something the EMS provider would pass along, he said.
"It's the evolution of the fire service," said Bob Khan, the fire chief in Phoenix, which has created an information-sharing arrangement between the fire service and law enforcement through terrorism liaison officers.
Oh, good. Then dont be too upset if a dislike of firemen follows.
It's of particular concern for communities already under law enforcement scrutiny. "Do we want them to fear the fire department as well as the police?" German asked.
Yes, you do. And hopefully after this program is in place, we can get the cable guys going next.
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Tinyhobo
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December 2006
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