ANTI-FUR PROTESTERS PRESENT RESCUE CHALLENGE
BY MARK J. McLEES, CAPTAIN, SYRACUSE (NY) FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE COMPANY
On a daily basis, we are reminded of how truly lucky we are to have the fire service as our profession. Just when you think you have seen everything that your locality has to offer…WHAM…along comes another story for the memoirs.
We should have known from the original dispatch that something was up. “Rescue and Car 3…assist the police….”
When the cops need to get onto a roof for evidence or to look for a perpetrator, they usually send a truck and a chief. So why were we dispatched? En route, Car 3 asked the dispatcher, “What do we have?”
The dispatcher replied, “The police need you to get some handcuffs off.”
Well, we thought to ourselves, that`s no big deal. We always get called to do that…. But, they don`t usually send a chief.
Something was up. Very shortly, we were going to find out firsthand.
THE RESPONSE
At the time of the dispatch, all three pieces of the rescue company were out “on the air” checking the vacant buildings in their district. Consequently, the apparatus were responding from different directions. The heavy rescue arrived on the scene first and directed the remaining units to respond to an address directly behind (side 3) the original dispatch address. We all arrived within 30 seconds of each other.
Two police officers, one a supervisor, met us at the street. At this point, we were informed of the situation and the reason we were called.
Approximately 20 anti-fur demonstrators were picketing in front of a downtown fur retailer. Several of the more dissident individuals had managed to get into the space between the rolldown gate and the glass door entrance to the store–an area of about 14 feet across by four feet deep. They had chained and handcuffed themselves to the rolldown gate and each other.
The police officers led the members of the rescue company (six firefighters and the officer) along with the district chief into the occupancy through a rear door. Once inside, we cautiously approached the front of the store and the screaming protesters.
It was at this time that we realized the magnitude of this incident. Only Rescue 1 had seen the front of the store since the rest of us responded directly to the rear, as requested by the police.
The police had managed to secure a large area in front of the retail store, shutting down the main street. Through the rolldown gate, we saw at least 20 police officers; all three network television videographers; and a small, curious group of onlookers. Five protesters were yelling at the top of their lungs, obviously aware of the media attention they were receiving.
After a brief discussion with the police supervisor, it was determined that we would use our portable hydraulic cutter to separate the protesters from each other. Because the protesters also had chained themselves to the rolldown gate, their weight prohibited the police from raising this barrier to the sidewalk.
As we cut the cuffs and separated individuals from each other, the two police officers with us placed real handcuffs onto the individuals. One by one, the protectors were separated and removed from the rolldown gate. Once the gate was raised, the awaiting officers on the sidewalk quickly removed the demonstrators to a waiting police van.
LESSONS LEARNED AND REINFORCED
Never believe you have seen or done it all. In today`s socio-economic climate, more and more of these demonstrations are likely to occur in any size municipality. With events such as an upcoming national election; strained race relations; and the day-in, day-out arguments over abortion, there is no lack of topics to rally around. The so-called “Generation X” is disenchanted and looking for causes (attention).
Complacency kills. We asked the police officers a simple question prior to our entering the foyer: “Did you frisk them?” The response was that it would have been difficult to do, based on the contorted positions of the activists. We in the fire service, as outsiders, may look on this approach as complacency. The law enforcement community may well have considered these protesters simply as a bunch of mixed-up, spoiled college kids. And this is exactly how they treated them. I regrettably feel that had this occurred in a different neighborhood (read “poor”), the level of anticipation on the law enforcement side probably would have been much more heightened. The police, by their lack of frisking, obviously did not take these protesters too seriously. I am certain that each and every one of the protesters who was arrested did indeed take himself/herself very seriously.
In reality, however, the store owner actually had an order of protection against the leader of this protesters` group. Any one of these mixed-up kids easily could have had mace or a concealed weapon. No matter how harmless the protesters may seem to the police, insist that the law enforcement agency pat down all protesters who will be in close proximity to your firefighters before the firefighters come in close contact with them.
When dealing with activists such as these, don`t be fooled into thinking you are “just doing your job” and that they will not hold you in the same light as the police. If a bit of metal had flown off and struck a protester in the face after we cut the lock, the fire department could have found itself involved in a lawsuit. Remember, the protesters did not ask to be released from their self-induced bondage. Make sure that you properly (and possibly) overprotect them from your cutting tools.
Play it safe. All members of the rescue had their firefighting gloves on while working with the cutters. Those not directly involved in the tool work wore a minimum of latex gloves and eye protection to shield themselves from any bodily fluids the protesters may have chosen to heap on them.
While you cannot anticipate what you will be asked to do at the next alarm, you must be mentally prepared and properly trained for the unexpected. We may not often be called to cut bicycle locks and chains. In this incident, the new generation of “krypton” locks were easily handled by the hydraulic cutter. The bicycle coil was more difficult. It looked like a Slinky® but was made up of many strands of wire. The basic bolt cutter did a better job than the hydraulic cutter on this restraint device.
Do your business, and then get out of the way. With the rolldown gate still weighted down due to the protesters` attachment, the police on the sidewalk were of little help. They were filming the entire incident with their own video camera. The activists wore ski masks, which added to the hype and certainly frustrated the police, who could not reach them. On several occasions, the police commanders on the sidewalk told us to remove the masks. We did not, and this request never should have been made of the fire department. We do not need to do police work, nor should we perform any activity that compromises the existing relationship we currently have with the community. There has been recent discussion within the International Association of Fire Chiefs relative to clearly defining the role the fire service will play in incidents prompted by social unrest. The vivid image of “water cannons” used in Europe to control crowds does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings. The police always have been the symbolic “Big Brother,” and that appears to be okay with them. Occasionally, we are verbally and physically abused. In general, the public does not look on us as enforcers. They look on us as rescuers in their time of need. n
 |
 |
(Top) Protesters have many items available “off the shelf” to use to accomplish their goals. In this incident, a U-shaped bicycle lock, a cheap pair of handcuffs, and a wire coil lock were used to shackle the protesters to each other and to the rolldown gate. (Bottom) Some rescuers suggested using a torch to remove this bicycle lock from the activist`s neck. Here, a stretcher basket and dummy are used to simulate how the lock went through the roll-down gate, prohibiting the police from accessing the protester from the sidewalk. (Photos by author.)
 |
 |
(Left) The tools of the trade worked well for the application at hand. A portable hydraulic cutter and a bolt cutter were all that were needed to free the individuals. Safety precautions must be used any time a tool is used, regardless of whether the bondage situation is self-induced or not. (Right) The hydraulic cutter could not complete the cut of the coil wire. The “pinching” nature of the tool only rolled the final few strands of wire. The bolt cutter was needed to finish the cut.
