By David Gambino
The Decatur Daily
DECATUR, Ala. — Training resumed at Decatur Fire & Rescue’s recruit school on Wednesday after an investigation by the Alabama Fire College found no major violations, according to DFR Chief Tracy Thornton.
Firefighters-in-training were abruptly sent home on Friday, and the Alabama Fire College began investigating the school over unspecified allegations on Monday with one-on-one interviews.
“The results of the in-depth investigation by the Alabama Fire College found no major violations by Decatur Fire/Rescue,” Thornton said in a statement. “A few minor changes were discovered that needed to be made and these were addressed immediately by DFR.”
During the investigation, a video of a training scenario from a previous class began circulating. The video depicts firefighters role-playing a medical call, wherein a man lays on the floor with his pants down around his thighs and the handle of a plunger seemingly (but not actually) protruding from his backside. Some in the video joke and struggle to contain their laughter.
DFR and the Fire College agreed that the video and the allegations against the school are two separate issues, according to Thornton. He said DFR and the City of Decatur will investigate “the issues surrounding the video” to determine what steps to take.
“I would like to thank the Alabama Fire College for their timely and detailed response and investigation into the alleged allegations,” Thornton said. “The ultimate goal for both the AFC and DFR is to safely produce the highest quality firefighters for the fire service as possible. I feel that Decatur Fire has some of the best recruit school instructors in the state and they consistently produce an incredible product for both Decatur Fire and other departments.”
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