Illinois Fire Chief Rescinds Ban on Patriotic Stickers

Sept. 13--After making national news for sending firefighters home after they balked at his order to remove all stickers from their helmets and lockers -- including American flags and memorials of the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- Maywood's fire chief has quietly rescinded the order, a union official said today.

Chief Craig Bronaugh Jr. sent an email Thursday to the Service Employees International Union Local 73 stating that "the directive has been withdrawn" and that "American flags have been placed on every locker...and will be placed on every helmet," said Adam Rosen, an official with the union, which represents the firefighters.

Bronaugh could not be reached for comment, but Rosen said the reversal was a good first step.

"We're glad the fire chief and the village finally made the right decision to right this wrong," Rosen said. "But the fact still remains that this happened in the first place."

Last week, Bronaugh sent a memo ordering that all decals and stickers be removed from firefighters' lockers and helmets immediately, and that "no inquiry will be entertained regarding this matter," according to a copy of the memo obtained by the Tribune.

Four firefighters were subsequently relieved of duty after they objected, including one who was reluctant to remove a Marine Corps sticker from his locker that was placed there by his father, a former firefighter with the department who served in the Vietnam War.

The order, issued just days before the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, sparked widespread media interest.

The union has filed a complaint against Bronaugh with the Illinois Labor Relations Board, alleging his order created a hostile work environment. Rosen said the union will continue to pursue the case despite Bronaugh's reversal of the order.

Firefighters have asked to speak meet with village officials at next week's board meeting, he said.

"I'm confident and hopeful... that they'll want to hear the full details of what happened," Rosen said. "I will say that if this is the way that the chief wants to run a fire department, it's not the right way."

mwalberg@tribune.com

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