Nipplegate: Topless calendar photo brings trouble for Philly firefighter. Commissioner Lloyd Ayers says we sell safety, not sex.

The picture above has Firefighter Jack Slivinski in a bit of trouble with Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. Commissioner Ayers told Philadelphia Daily News reporter David Gambacorta, "We get letters from children. They look up to us.  We cannot allow them to be showing nipples in photographs of Philadelphia firefighters."

According to the article, Firefighter Slivinski has been removed from his assignment to Engine 1 and is losing OT money while his role in a charity calendar is being investigated. New York photographer Katherine Kostreva came to Philly last week just to shoot Slivinski in front of the Logan Circle fountain. He is one of a dozen firefighters from around the country who are posing for this charity calendar. Bill Gault, who is president of IAFF Local 22, wanted Philadelphia's share to go to spouses of local firefighters.

But that has now become a problem. From Gambacorta's article:

The commissioner said he had good reason to be fuming at Slivinski and Local 22.

For one thing, Ayers said, the department has long been opposed to its members posing for "beefcake calendars."

"We don't sell sex, we sell safety.," Ayers said. "That's been our mantra for the longest time."

The article says the policy of the department is permission must be granted by supervisors before posing for outside publications. Gault admits he screwed up by not running it by Ayers, but says everyone's intentions were good ones. Photographer Kostreva agrees and added, "I think the commissioner is just overreacting."