Skip to content

You Make the Call – Command Vehicle

Comments

You Make the CallIt has been a rough shift in your rural department and you and your partner are returning from a long transport.  Passing near his home, still in your area, he remembers forgetting a change of clothes for the following day so you swing into his neighborhood, monitoring the radio.

Parked in one of the driveways is the take home car of one of your supervisors.  A quick inspection as you pass reveals it to be the on duty supervisor, and not at his home.  Your partner says he sees it there from time to time, but only late at night.  He was unaware it was not the supervisor’s home.

Later in the week you are invited to a female co-worker’s home for a social event and the address is familiar.  It is the same home as where you saw the command vehicle earlier in the week.

Should you approach one or both of them or stay quiet?  You make the call.

Also on The Happy Medic…

Spread the Word:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • email
  • MySpace
  • Reddit
  • RSS
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
Posted by happymedic on December 11, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Training & Development, You Make the Call • Tagged:
  • MarkUK
    You should simply keep your gob shut!
  • Anthrogirl
    Just want to point out that the question was whether or not you should approach one of the involved parties, NOT whether or not to report what you saw to somebody higher up. But in any case I still agree with most of the posters who say to leave it alone unless you get evidence that it is affecting the job. Although, not being in this line of work, I have to ask: is it ever okay to not be at your duty post or coming to or from a work-related assignment while on the clock? In other words, whether or not there is hanky panky occurring between the parties, should the duty supervisor's car ever be seen at somebody's house when it's not work related?
  • anon
    Protect yourself and your career. Since this incident involves an on-duty supervisor and a subordinate, it can become a nightmare quickly. Speak in hypothetical terms to a trusted superior, department counsel or HR staff about the best course of action.
  • mickmayers
    Nothing good will come from this, whether you report it or you don't. Some things are best not known and you just landed in the lap of "I REALLY DON'T want to know". This is where one of those memory zappers from MIB would be very useful.
  • emtp82
    Ran into this very same scenario. I was leaving my house (off-duty) and noticed one of our units (one of the crew members was a supervisor) sitting at the park across the street. A private vehicle was parked next to it and were the only 2 vehicles in the parking lot. I noticed it was odd but made no mention of it. I went to our station to grab an item and his unit pulled in behind me. He immediately started to defend his actions without me questioning them. I just explained that I didn't know what he was talking about. After several months later, what I already had assumed was going on came out by the other party's husband. I still left it alone. What someone does in their personal life is that, personal. Unless it directly effects the job then it won't do any good to bring it up.
  • captainmikeretiredfirefighter
    At the department I was on for 33 years if you didn't report indiscretions or infractions and was found out that you knew and didn't reveal the incident to a higher authority you were deemed some what guilty and were penalized for not informing someone. If reported it was then worked out between the person doing the so called indiscretion or infraction and the Chief. So let your conscious be your guide.
  • I agree that this is definatly a situation where integrity would come into play. Due to personal experience, I would be weary about going too far up the ladder with a complaint or report. You just don't know who is in with who and wouldn't want to be labeled a troublemaker by those who think it is none of your business. I would however start to keep a log of sorts and record incidents until I caught wind that something was about to go down.
  • SKC Observer
    Why did Tiger Woods' name pop in my head when I read this?

    Yep, I agree; leave it be. It'll either end quietly, or explode nastily. Best not to be around for either.
  • 9_ECHO_1
    Yep. Leave it alone. If there is something wrong, it will eventually come out and you are not attached. Same thing has happened around here. Sad part of it was the wrong person lost his job.
  • Little Girl
    Why does it even matter?? Just leave everything alone, and don't stir the pot; if, there is something 'bad' happening sooner or later is will come out in the wash and everyone know.
  • josephschmoe
    Nothing good will come of making this an issue. It may be something benign. Even if something improper is going on, your best bet is just to store the data - maybe it will come in handy at a later date.
  • hank
    leave it alone. leave work at work. could be messy and get sucked in to something you may not want any part of
  • Not to mention you can't comment without dragging your partner into the issue. You've seen the command vehicle once, which could be perfectly innocent. (Or not, but you don't know.) Your partner is the one who can establish the pattern. If you do decide to comment, don't drag your partner into this without talking to him first.
  • BigShow
    just let it be. its best not to get involved, and let them be their own downfall. Not knowing what kind of supervisor he is, I would be worried about any "repercussions" of stepping in.
  • roadtoparamedic
    Has the supervisor ever not shown up at an incident in a reasonable time? Is there any indication that something untoward is happening? Is it socially acceptable within your department to standby (post) at a place of your choosing - perhaps she's a good friend of his and he goes there for coffee when he's standing by in the neighbourhood. The question is, what is the likelihood of this, and if it is that, is it acceptable?
  • The Bus Driver
    I'd probably let it be. You dont know the whole situation of whats going on in the co-workers life. The supervisor may be the only person she can trust.
blog comments powered by Disqus