FIREHOUSE HORROR TALES: LENNY TURNS DOWN EXPLORERS

By Juan Montoya
We've told you about the way that Brownsville Fire Department Chief Lenny Perez has so completely fouled up the department in past posts.
We've told you about how he connived to take credit for the heroics of some FD paramedics and firefighters when they risked their lives to rescue victims of the Queen Isabella Causeway Collapse; how he scheduled Fire Prevention Week visits to local schools by station fire trucks only to have a fire break out near one and no engines or firefighters to respond with the result that a child perished in a house fire; and then, how he overreacted to complaints from a politician (Charlie Atkinson) that firefighters had helped a supporter of his political opponent open her car after she inadvertently locked her keys and he ordered them not to help anyone if they came across a similar situation during their calls....
The list goes on and on...
Remember how when three firefighters posed for a picture with Roman Perez when they passed by one of his campaign BBQs and when his opponent (Ricardo Longoria) complained, Lenny obligingly wrote them up?
Well, apparently not even the Fire Department Explorers POST 343 (named in honor of the number of firefighters who died on 9/11) are exempt from Lenny's wrath. They were scheduled to compete May 14 in firefighting skills against other kids from throughout Texas in Dallas. They had requested the use of the BFD van to make the trip at least a month in advance of the competition to represent Brownsville.
As the day approached, they still hadn't heard from Lenny. Then, on the very day they were supposed to leave, they got the edict from the Chief. "No."
Scrambling, the 13 Explorers had to pitch in from their own pockets to rent a van from a local car rental company to make the trip.
This upset local firefighters to no end and upon the Explorers return, the Brownsville Fire Fighters Association Local 970 kicked in $300 to help the kids pay for the cost of renting the van. The union is limited to $300 in their charitable donations by their bylaws. They also contribute to Little Miss Kickball and other youth-oriented activities.
"How can you expect to encourage these kids to perform well and represent our department against other Explorer groups when their own chief won't help them?" asked an angry member. "He passes himself off as a shining example of our department, but his performance as a leader and firefighter leave very much to be desired. We're very disappointed and so are the kids. They, and we, deserve better."
Apparently taking the view that "performing well is the best revenge," and undeterred by Lenny's lack of sympathy for their representation of Brownsville, the kids managed to come away with a second place state-wide finish. Congratulations Explorers!

(In the group picture above, the Explorers are Joel, Daniela, Yaya, Polet, Valerie, Mark, Michael, Semi, Apple, Eddie, Stephen, TJ, Jersen, Jonathon, and Desi)