As far as I know they have been sent on no LGBT course. THey were never sent to the conference – which was a pretty stupid idea IMHO.
Councillor Tim Kent, Avon Fire & Rescue Authority member October 18 2007
Chief fire officer Kevin Pearson … confirmed that the men who were disciplined will be attending the event as part of their rehabilitation
The Guardian, October 4 2007
With Avon Fire & Rescue Authority meeting tomorrow it’s questions, questions for fire chief Pearson . . .
Oh dear. Avon Fire & Rescue boss Kevin Pearson can’t get his story straight can he? Were the Avonmouth Blue Watch fire fighters he punished recently disciplined for misusing equipment or for “homophobia” or for both?
Specifically, were these fire fighters made to attend a much talked about LGBT conference by Pearson and his equalities cronies or not? And why has he told the press they were and his elected bosses they weren’t?
Is Pearson telling a different story to our elected representatives on the local fire authority – who are meeting tomorrow to find out what the fuck Pearson and his managers have been up to – to save his own skin?
Who exactly told councillor Kent that the fire fighters weren’t punished in this way? And who told the Guardian they were? And why?
Surely civil servants who deliberately mislead politicians should be disciplined too?
Meanwhile Pearson appears to have gone totally loopy anyway and is having a succession of strange Reggie Perrin-type moments such as making increasingly paranoid and rambling calls to the BBC in Bristol about the problem of “HOMOPHOBIA!!!”. Apparently, according to Kev, it’s like everywhere . . .
Perhaps it’s time for some face-saving gardening leave for Pearson? Surely his position is untenable?
The Blogger says: PEARSON MUST GO! He’s made a laughing stock of the city; he can’t get his story straight; he’s rambling utter nonsense to the press and he’s misleading politicians!!! We don’t pay him £150k a year for this! Pearson – for god’s sake go!
If not; will our politicians give him the boot for misleading them? Or will they wimp out?
Watch this space . . .
Ok Bristol Blogger. Here is my source:
Page 2 Appendix B of Agenda Item 5 of tomorrows metings papers says:
“As a result of the evidence presented at the investigation and disciplinary, and in response to employees request for training and development, we have produced a development programme for each of the employees as part of their return to work arrangements.
“It is true that attending the conference was part of their development programmes. The conference has been planned for over a year.
“Due to the intense media interest and attention in this case, and in consideration of the duty of care we have towards staff involved, this decision was changed.
“Those involved did not attend the conference.”
So it looks like the decision was changed following the media reports. So I do not believe the Chief has misled people and he has pointed out in the paperwork this change of decision.
Will email the paperwork to you if you wish?
Tim.
Yes please. Please email: bristol_citizens@yahoo.co.uk