Clark County firefighters to stop collecting for charity while on duty

By Joe Schoenmann

Monday, March 5, 2012 | 1:58 p.m.

After being asked for assistance from multiple charities, the Clark County Fire Department has adopted a new policy that forbids from collecting charitable donations while on duty, including its annual boot drive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Fire Chief Bertral Washington outlined the new policy in a Dec. 29 memo to county administrators. The memo stems, in part, from a Sun story in April 2010 reporting County Commissioner Steve Sisolak's criticism of firefighters doing charity work while on-duty.

After that story, a Las Vegas firefighter wrote a threatening message against Sisolak on Facebook.

The boot drive has a long history in Clark County. Since 1954, firefighters have spent a few days each year with fire boots collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Washington said firefighters worked both on and off duty while collecting donations.

But other charitable organizations, he wrote, have also asked about "the use of staff resources in the fire department to support" their fundraising activities.

Washington added: "it is difficult to devote on-duty staff to extended events that are beyond our primary public safety purpose."

As a result, "the Fire Department intends to permit and encourage its employees to participate in the MDA Boot Drive and other partner charitable fundraisers while off duty."

When the Sun wrote about the on-duty status of firefighters involved in the boot drive, Sisolak openly questioned whether that was an appropriate practice.

A Facebook page was then created by Las Vegas firefighters called "Las Vegas Valley Firefighters Against the LVRJ and Sun Newspapers."

After the Sun's April 4, 2010 story about the boot drive, city Firefighter Joy Sager wrote "I want to shoot Sisolak in the (groin)!!!!"

Sager still works for the Las Vegas Fire Department. She took an anger impulse control class, her attorney had told the Sun.

Sisolak commended Washington for changing the policy, which he hopes will result in more giving by some critics of the Fire Department's involvement.

"I hope that it increases the participation in the donations to the boot drive because it is now back to what it is truly intended to be — a voluntary activity to raise money for a very worthwhile cause," he said.