Firefighters denied access to Capitol during emergency call

[kpete]

Source: Journal Sentinal

Firefighters denied access to Capitol during emergency call
By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel

March 3, 2011 2:59 p.m.

Madison -- Security is so restrictive at the state Capitol that firefighters were denied access to the building during an emergency call Tuesday, one of the firefighters said Thursday.

Dave Trainor, a Madison firefighter, said he was part of a crew dispatched to the Capitol on a call that someone was trapped in an elevator. Firefighters were denied access at one of the building's entrances that is being guarded by police.

Firefighters then had to make their way through a crowd of protesters outside the building and drive their 100-foot ladder truck to the other side of the Capitol to get inside.

As it turned out, a police officer was trapped in an elevator. But at the time of the call, firefighters did not know if there was a medical emergency, Trainor said.

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/117349798.html

[tanyev]

1. Hello, lawsuit.

[myrna minx]

2. I knew something like this would happen as a result of the draconian crackdown. Mercifully it

wasn't for someone in cardiac arrest or something.

[plumbob]

3. Serve and protect?

Capitol belongs to the people.

Everyone, including the blockers, suffers when it's blocked.

[Tx4obama]

4. Trainor testified at the hearing today in Madison... the Judge just said ...

the Judge just said: Concerned w/FF testimony earlier today where they could not respond to a call. It was "troubling"

Live blog on Twitter feed of the hearing and the Judge's ruling: http://twitter.com/analieseeicher

[Tx4obama]

9. Here's a link to another Live Blog of the hearing

http://twitter.com/ACLUMadison

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. a republican who thinks he is above the law. How...unique.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Ah, the "Palace Guard"

Answerable to no one but Generalissimo Walker.

How very dictatorish.

[Lifelong Protester]

7. or dickish... which is close to what you said

[kpete]

8. oh oh...

Breaking - Wisconsin....Judge Rules that Protesters must leave, police don Riot Gear
http://www.channel3000.com/news/27072006/detail.html

[TheMadMonk]

12. A bit alarmist aren't we? His ruling does little to stand in the way...

...of protesters continuing to be major pains in the arse, at any time the doors of the building are "open". ie. during normal operating hours and at any time either chamber is in session.

In fact he rules in favour of the protesters on the key issue - The unlawful access restrictions imposed by the government.

Otherwise the high points of the restrictions:

• No signage etc. to be afixed to the structure - Good. avoids the risk of damage to a historical building.
  
• No sleeping materials in the building.
  
• No sleeping in the building
  
• He stressed, people to be removed with the minimum force necessary. You might note this should put the cops on their best behaviour (and not in riot mode as you alude to) since his words will give compensation lawyers a very big stick with which to beat the city if the cops do misbehave.
  
  The single biggest effect of this ruling is that the poor cleaners will have a chance to do their bloody jobs. As a candidate for a golden bog brush, I consider this to be a pretty damned sensible ruling.

[PatrynXX]

10. Well now I know Walker's plan...

He plans to burn the capitol building down and let everyone watch. Like having the Land Office go up in smoke in Silverado.. Burn all those records....

[Downwinder]

11. Should have left the scab in the elevator.

[saras]

13. Could have been sickly funny

If the police officer had been seriously injured, it would have been a sick sort of poetic justice for the police to keep the firefighters out of the building.