Assistant fire chief is charged in hit-run

Everyone DOES make mistakes, we ARE all human, but not ALL of us, as adults, call our parents to get us out of trouble. Not ALL of us conspire and lie to authorities. Not ALL of us commit insurance fraud by lying about who was driving our vehicle. Not ALL of us waste the time and resources of police, fire and paramedics when the only person involved in the accident is no longer at the scene. You, Cait, act as though this is no big deal. This IS a big deal. You can thank the Franco's the next time your auto insurance premiums go up. By the way, if you ever suffer a heart attack you better pray that the paramedics who may very well save your life aren't too late to help you because they had to go help an "injured" victim who wasn't at all injured, but had just rushed her son home to hide while she lied about her role in the accident. Who brainstormed this? Did the mom feel the need to protect her son, or did the dad make the mom fill this role? This is a "good" family??? Then what is a "bad" family?

people love to see other people fall and suffer...

You got to remeber he is a parent every body making a big deal out of his job. Many people let their kids run lose there out robing rapeing murdering and they do not care. These parents cared about their kid. They tried to help their not criminals it just did not work out now their in trouble for it. Maybe thats why so many people let their kids do what ever the want.

If it was you kid what would you do, you would try to save his but too ! Unfortunately his job is on the line. This guy is a outstanding fireman, How do you think he got all the way up to the top. Pull your heads out , this is all about a young teenager that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

good one doug.

It's about an old teenager (19). In the wrong place at the wrong time? He caused an accident. There was no one else involved (i.e. to blame). Because he got caught made it the wrong place at the wrong time, right? This dad is NOT an outstanding fireman anymore! You need to start using past-tense. I don't know how he got all the way to the top, but now that his credibility has been destroyed by none other than himself, he should be replaced by whomever was passed over for the position. I'm sure very few in the LAFD would be so dishonorable. Let's face it...he thought he could get away with it and that's why he did it! End of story.

cait wrote:

If it was you kid what would you do, you would try to save his but too ! Unfortunately his job is on the line. This guy is a outstanding fireman, How do you think he got all the way up to the top. Pull your heads out , this is all about a young teenager that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
good one doug.

Doug & Cait…….being out at 2:00am and possibly being under the influence doesn’t constitute a mistake “IT’S A CHOICE” shame on you are you parents?

John Lyons RC wrote:

You got to remeber he is a parent every body making a big deal out of his job. Many people let their kids run lose there out robing rapeing murdering and they do not care. These parents cared about their kid. They tried to help their not criminals it just did not work out now their in trouble for it. Maybe thats why so many people let their kids do what ever the want.

John Lyons, when parents care they talk to their children about making choices and the consequences of making the wrong ones ….this young man isn’t prepared for a drivers license and they gave him a car…..many poor choices were made .

cait wrote:

If it was you kid what would you do, you would try to save his but too ! Unfortunately his job is on the line. This guy is a outstanding fireman, How do you think he got all the way up to the top. Pull your heads out , this is all about a young teenager that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
good one doug.

Running a stop sign with enough velocity to roll a truck and smash two additional vehicles does not qualify as the wrong place at the wrong time. What would you consider the "right" place to be driving as such? At least no one was killed!

Cait wrote: If it was you kid what would you do, you would try to save his but too!
By your own statement it appears you would. You are advocating lying to the police, lying to the owners of the damaged cars, lying to the Fire Dept.(your employer), lying to the Insurance Company and lying to your friends and neighbors as a testament to your love for your child. Do you see what that willfully and specifically entails now? I know at least a dozen parents with kids, including my own, who have gotten into accidents including a few who have rolled over and totaled their cars. We as parents are so relieved that our child is still alive that no other agenda even comes close to mind in an accident like this.
No one, not even one of them even considered taking the blame for what their child did.
So the real question is why an LAFD Assistant Chief Officer would take such a risk to cover up for this accident? Accidents with young drivers happen all the time, with no one injured, in essence it was a responsibility and insurance issue that should have been resolved. The Chief’s action weren’t spontaneous; he had ample time to think it over and still chose to make false statements to the police and to all concerned.
I for one do not enjoy or want others to suffer, including this family, but as adults we all make choices and should be held responsible for them, good or bad.

Parent,…..”So the real question is why an LAFD Assistant Chief Officer would take such a risk to cover up for this accident?”
The answer to your question is as follows:

I have been a member of the LAFD for 28 plus years. Chief Officers are experts at lying by omission, misrepresenting the facts & putting spin a situation. As an organization my generation has “failed” we couldn’t handle the responsibly that comes with power. We became arrogant and overstepped our authority time after time. This was expected by our Superiors.( Deputy Chiefs Rueda & Fox) I know this because I witnessed it first hand and have the docs to prove it, lying under oath was expected, especially by Chief Officers.
Franco’s only fault is that he forgot he wasn’t at work.

Being a chief officer for the LAFD under the command of Chief Rueda has molded Franco’s character. Trust me Franco couldn’t help himself……we spend 1/3 of our lives at the fire station, some people forget to leave work where it belongs…..why do you think so many of us chief officers wind up with a divorce…we are arrogant , we are fool’s (definition of a fool ..”A person that refuses to listen to reason”) yes we think we know everything, and know one is going to tell us otherwise. That would be a sign of weakness.
Shoot I just laid out Franco’s one and only defense for his up and coming case!
God I crack myself up sometimes…..

One other thing I neglected to mention The Los Angeles City Fire Department has a wonderful set of “Rules and Regulations” They must have been written by a genius, they are so easy to read and cover every situation. But they don’t apply to us Chief Officers,(you ask why?)…. Because we are above the rules! And we expect and sometimes demand professional courtesies !

Ironic, isn't it? That these 11th hour charges (filed 1 day before time to do so ran out) come from L.A. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's office, when Rocky himself (1) improperly let his wife drive his city-owned GMC Yukon, in violation of written policy; (2) got that same city-owned vehicle repaired at taxpayer expense after his wife crashed it during her unauthorized usage; (3) drove without any car insurance at all for an entire year; (4) failed to get a city license for his wife's home-based business; and (5) is rumored to have had his staffers baby-sit and run private errands for him on the taxpayers’ dime. Nothing like the pot calling the kettle black!

Wow! This is impressive. People still believe everything they read. The have we not learned anything from watching the baffoons in politics? The truth is, firefighting is amongst the last positions of authority you can trust. People leave their property in the hands of firefighters without a second thought. Many of us hold ourselves to a higher standard than that of those in elected office. I have no aspirations to run for office or become a Chief Officer on the F.D. for the same reason. There is no honor in it.

cait wrote:

...this guy is a outstanding fireman...

there is more to being a fireman than putting out fires, have you ever heard of integrity?

integrity |inˈtegritē|
noun
1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness
2. honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness.

antonym dishonesty.

LA Fireman from Yorba Linda wrote:
“I have no aspirations to run for office or become a Chief Officer on the F.D. for the same reason. There is no honor in it.”

Honor is “ The maturity and the inner strength to do the right thing”

This LA FIREMAN knows that the leadership of the LAFD in the past has asked Chief Officers to sell their souls.. The best do not rise to the top! They refuse to step beyond Captain, the organization has been hurt by this kind of management.(Thank you Rueda )

Most members with my tenure know who the bad apples are. If la city fire had a blog like this for its membership we could get together and produce the evidence to remove the bad apples from the organization. I would come out of the closet to orchestrate the investigation, what fun that would be!
Just think of how the other Chief Officers who were going to turn arrogant and become rotten would react ….they might even become leaders again…..someone just like the young LA FIREMEN would like to aspire to instead of hide from……..what a concept….LOL

LAFD member wrote:

LA Fireman from Yorba Linda wrote:
“ If la city fire had a blog like this for its membership we could get together and produce the evidence to remove the bad apples from the organization

maybe you'll get your chance when half the people in here who think they know what they're talking about get a subpoena to testify in court about what they've said.

even though a mistake was made is it unfair for some in here to say Mr. Robert Franco was not a good fireman since he risked his life all those years for the citizens of los angeles. there're two issues going on here
1. being a fireman
2. being a parent

cut him some slack no one is perfect

this parent lied to the fire department, crossing the line between parenting and work. He also lied to the police and took the time and city resources from those really in need.

san_pedro_local wrote:

<quoted text>
maybe you'll get your chance when half the people in here who think they know what they're talking about get a subpoena to testify in court about what they've said.
even though a mistake was made is it unfair for some in here to say Mr. Robert Franco was not a good fireman since he risked his life all those years for the citizens of los angeles. there're two issues going on here san_pedro_local : must be a fire Chief ! we hate transparency and us fire chiefs are the only ones allowed an opinion.
1. being a fireman
2. being a parent
cut him some slack no one is perfect

san_pedro_local : must be a fire Chief ! we hate transparency and us fire chiefs are the only ones allowed an opinion.

you all are jealous becuase LAFD is a great gig. the firefighters are pretty cool. you all are losers who have children you canty afford. now go raise some more security gards.