Milwaukee politician makes it clear where firefighters stand
Fire department's vacant building placarding upsets alderman
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The good news is the firefighters in Milwaukee know where they stand with Alderman Bob Bauman. The bad news is their standing is pretty low. Alderman Bauman is upset that the Milwaukee Fire Department is putting placards on dangerous abandoned building to protect firefighters. He’s worried that it will mark the property thieves and the fire department will just let it burn. Keeping firefighters from falling through holes or getting caught in a collapse don’t seem to be that high of a priority for this politician.
“I have big problems with this. This is essentially putting a scarlet letter on a lot of the properties in our neighborhoods,” said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman.
“Open season — get what you can out of this house. Strip the last copper, the last pipe, the last radiator,” Bauman said.
The fire department told FOX6 News the placards are posted to help keep firefighters safe. A sign with one slash indicates the building is compromised and crews should enter with caution. The placards with an “X” signify the building is unsafe to enter unless there is a known life safety hazard in a known location.
“It basically means we’re going to stand by and let it burn down. I find that extremely troubling,” Bauman said.
