You realize the boot drives are for charity, right? There is so much more wrong with your post, but I won't bother since it isn't relevant to this thread.
Found Deceased VA - Nicole Clardy Mittendorff, 31, Woodbridge, 13 April 2016 - #2
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As I see it, the problem here is that online harassment by those who appear to be work colleagues so traumatized a young woman that she saw no way to get out from under it other than to take her life. The questions I see are how can this be prevented from happening again, what law needs to be refined to include this type of harassment?
RPsleuth
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Mandatory bullying prevention training to all employees of the fire department is required.
It's already in place? If so, have some found a way around the policy by moving the behavior online?
I meant the general complaining about public employees on the basis that they are public employees that has nothing to do with anything else in this thread.
BayouBelle_LA
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I don't see anyone complaining about public employees in general. The complaints are about the public servants known as the Fairfax Fire Department and rightfully so IMO. There are other ladies being bullied by some in the fire department. This needs to be brought to light and not swept under the rug.
I do realize they say that. I will donate directly to a charity of my choice from now on. And, I grew up in a Fairfax County Firefighter Family at a time when volunteers made up 90% of the squad and each house had only two or three paid men. What I am learning about today's Fairfax County majority paid force makes me question all of the changes in the department. Living in this County for more years than most of these fire fighters have been alive, I know how when the fire fighters live in the actual community they are invested in that community and they understand the area better. This new system appears to be writhe with people driven by the money and possibly status. I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Fairfax County Fire & Rescue. When the department was staffed by volunteers, there was a sense of community and camaraderie. Fire fighter families knew each other and it was a big family. It appears as if that is now a lost commodity.
The root of this bullying issue, IMO, is this loss of community involvement and squad camaraderie. That is directly related to the issues of this case and questions surrounding the treatment, within the department, of "one of their own."
The derogatory online comments have not yet been identified as coming from the fire department. People assume all sorts of identities online, and make all sorts of irregular statements - which is one of the reasons that people who claim to have certain credentials on this site have to be verified, as it helps to sort out the true credentials from people who simply make wild claims.
Bottom line is that no one knows who is responsible for the derogatory comments - yet.
Yes, finding solutions to what leads to these bullying issues is relevant. Making sure that indiscretions are not occurring in the firehouses or on the clock and on the taxpayers' dime needs to be addressed and investigated. If police don't need to sleep over, why do firefighters? Seems like that may contribute to some of the issues that have surfaced in this case. To address these questions is where the citizens/taxpayers come in... and why an outside investigation must be conducted. With MSM on this story, it will be addressed.
Whoever made the 100s of posts outing officers & volunteers at very specific houses, spoke of swindling the tax payers for unnecessary overtime and maligned both paid squad and volunteers; well, whoever they are they sure know a lot about the workings of FF&R. Perhaps they are disgruntled ex employees or "old timers." Who knows but whatever is going on an investigation is in order.
BayouBelle_LA
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Let's hope the cyber bullying of Nicole and others is fully investigated so as not to leave any doubt about who the culprits are.
Then you should know many public employees in the area, including firefighters, don't make enough money to live in the immediate area. Not that not living in the same neighborhood has anything to do with Nicole, who also didn't live in the same area. I knew if I had a job where I only had to commute 10 days a month I would live as far from here as I reasonably could. There are enough real issues here without having to find others.
An investigative journalist has to stay on this story and to investigate it as a journalist, rather than as a reporter who waits for the fire department to release information. This is an important story. If cyber bullies knew that the consequences of their actions would include exposure of their identities and financial consequences, most would think twice. Instead of being traumatized and terrorized by strangers on the Internet, victims would be planning how to spend the thousands of dollars they would receive for having their good reputations compromised.
I'm curious - is there an ombudsmen at the fire department?
Apparently there is a professional standards internal investigator, whatever that means.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/deptinfo/orgchart.htm
Thank you ... I see it now ... right there in the bottom right corner of the org chart; the role that is perhaps the most important in terms of a healthy work environment. If that role were at the top of the org chart, that person would be someone to go to in the event of workplace bullying. At the bottom of the org chart, there are too many people in the ladder who would learn about a problem before it could be solved.
Moving that role out from so many others would be a good idea. Who is going to file a grievance when the grievance would essentially be common knowledge from the outset?
Location is unimportant. That person reports to the Assistant Chief according to the chart.
Given what we know about the cyber bullying, I wonder if Nicole spoke to that person. That would be one of the logical first places to turn under the circumstances, and the fact that she recently changed from one fire station to another suggests that someone higher up was aware of her concerns.
My question today is what support was provided through her work? Was the only option to leave her position and work elsewhere? If so, the entire department needs to be reviewed. Was the fire chief truly oblivious to what Nicole was experiencing?