Decatur Fire College reopens after recruiting probe

DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) - The Decatur Fire College has reopened after a controversial video with fire recruits was leaked.

Fire Chief Tracy Thornton said the Alabama Fire College conducted an onsite investigation after the leak. Officials said they determined there were no major violations by Decatur Fire and Rescue.

They did say a few minor changes were discovered that needed to be made and these were addressed immediately.

Decatur’s current recruit class was allowed to resume on Wednesday under normal operations.

On Sept. 27, recruits were sent home after the video was released.

Thornton previously released a statement about the video on Tuesday. The video shows trainees and supervisors role-playing a rescue in a bathroom during a staged drill.

Thornton says the video was taken earlier this year and is not the current recruiting class that was sent home on Friday.

The chief said the video was taken during a drill to show recruits that they have to respond to emergency calls with odd circumstances.

Thornton said while the intent to train recruits for the unexpected is “good in theory” this particular situation was “completely wrong.”

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