DETROIT – A Detroit firefighter who was investigated after nude photos of him at work appeared on social media is back on the job.
One of the many photos shared on social media featured a Detroit firefighter posing naked inside a city firehall next to a firetruck. Another photo showed intimate body parts and his driver’s license. There is another photo that shows the firefighter in uniform with his pants down.
When Local 4 first broke the story in August, other firefighters said they were shocked to learn of the incident and called the photos disgraceful.
Back in August, Executive Fire Commissioner Charles Simms confirmed that the images were under investigation. The Detroit Fire Administration said the person in the photos is a 9-year veteran of the department who has had no other issues on his record working for the city.
The following statement was provided to Local 4 in August from Detroit Fire Department Chief James Harris, stating that the employee had been placed on unpaid leave.
“We were not made aware prior to Karen’s interview that the photos the member in question posted were taken in a firehouse,” said Harris. “With this new information, the member has been placed on unpaid leave pending a full investigation into these actions.”
The firefighter in the photos was investigated, suspended for 29 days without pay, and has since returned to work.
Detroit’s media relations director John Roach recently released this statement to Local 4:
“The firefighter has returned to work following a 29 day suspension without pay. Given he had no prior disciplinary issues, we are confident that losing a month’s pay will ensure he does not violate the city’s social media policy going forward.”
Sources inside the fire department and firefighters working in the city have expressed anger and frustration with the situation. They said they did not want to go on camera, but they are upset the city didn’t take this more seriously.
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