New York Attorney General Letitia James showed up at a New York City Fire Department promotion ceremony on Thursday and found out just how her obsessive Captain-Ahab-esque persecution of Donald Trump resonated with the workforce. The diverse crowd gathered at the Christian Cultural Center’s Brooklyn Campus to recognize the promotion of 65 uniformed members, 29 members of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, and 34 civilian employees. 

The Boo Bird was free to fly.

BACKGROUND: WATCH: FDNY Let Letitia James Know in a Big Way the Lawfare Against Trump Isn't Going Over Well

According to documents leaked to the @ViralNewsNYC account, the FDNY is about to engage in retribution against all those who booed or heckled James.

The FDNY firefighters who booed NY AG Letitia James will be punished and face reeducation.

FDNY firefighters are now being asked to turn themselves in or risk being hunted down.

Memos and emails from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) & Uniformed Firefighters… pic.twitter.com/pBq8DccGf8

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 9, 2024

A list of talking points was distributed to FDNY leadership for the purpose of dressing down the firefighters and EMS personnel at the ceremony. 

I'm here to address the behavior of firefighters that attended Thursday's promotion.

The behavior we saw and heard was grossly inappropriate.

Protesting, heckling, or booing anyone at a ceremony is simply unacceptable.

This was a promotion ceremony to honor members who made sacrifices and worked hard to achieve this day. They had close family and friends there to celebrate with them.

Absolutely no one should have been subjected to what happened based on the political beliefs of some members.

It was disrespectful to the speakers, to the promoted members and their families.

This was not a political event and Letitia James was not there to give a political speech.

She was there to support her friend and our new chaplain Pamela Holmes. Pamela invited her friend to attend the ceremony.

 Members have a right to political beliefs. But you don't have a right to make a job related ceremony political in nature.

When you're not on duty, feel however you want about politicians. Vote. Protest. That's your right. But don't do it on the job's time, on other members' time, or on their families' time. Do it on your own time.

Our actions at the promotion damaged the relationship with the attorney general and the Christian Cultural Center. We may lose that venue now.

Politics aside, the attorney general is a friend to the IFA and UFOA and a supporter of our Department. She has come to the hospital on more than one occasion to support us when one of our members is seriously injured or died.

These actions reflected very poorly upon us and diminished the dignity of the occasion.

Instead of news reports talking about the accomplishments of our members,& it talked about the politics and our poor behavior.

Everyone must be better. Do the right thing. Even if you aren't the one acting poorly, if you see a fellow firefighter act in this manner, STOP IT.

Next steps:

Have DC visit each firehouse that had a member promoted.

Relay bullet point message.

They should understand that BITS [Bureau of Investigation and Trials] is gathering video and identifying members that brough discredit and to the Department.

We want the members to come forward. They will come to HQ to be educated why their behavior is unaccepatable.

A screengrab from a restricted area of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association website makes the threat abundantly clear.

Departmental Inquires

The UFOA has become aware of the Department's response to Wednesday's promotion ceremony. Beginning today, deputy chiefs will visit each company in attendance to discuss the events and offer members the opportunity to come forward. Additionally, they way make members aware that the Department is in possession of video footage of the event. As part of this discussion, questions may be asked of specific UFOA members over their actions or recollections. We advise all members to follow deparmental rules and regulations during these visits and any subsequent inquiry that results from them. However, should any member feel they are subject to an investigation due to the nature of specific questions, they should immediately notify the UFOA and request representation. Any additional inquiries should not continue until a UFOA representative is present.

There is this email from FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges to FDNY management.

Gents,

This is the talking points. Please have the DC's start the visits tomorrow on the 9X and continue to the 6X. I understand this is late notice so have the visits continue on Sunday if necessary.

BITS is investigating this so they will figure out who the members are. I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the Commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don't have to hunt them down.

The DC's shall direct the Captain of the Company to make a list of those that come forward and send it directly to John and Kevin in Operations. I realize members might not come forward but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and they will be contacted by BITS if they don't.

Thank you

—Jack

I understand why the FDNY senior leadership is upset but I don't know why anyone cares. They invited one of the most divisive figures in New York politics, after, perhaps, Alvin Bragg, to an FDNY ceremony and they didn't have any idea this would happen? The incident smells more like a progressive, activist leadership deliberately invited James to rub their members's noses in it and are now humiliated that the rank and file has reacted. 

The silly, petulant final "Next Step" that says, "They will come to HQ to be educated why their behavior is unacceptable," is a clear indicator that people were affronted less by the boos than by being embarrassed by the firefighters.

Instead of trying to scold and browbeat New York firefighters into submission, the fix for this is simple: Don't invite divisive political figures to non-political events.

The tenor of the talking points, the email, and the webpage all make it seem like the FDNY intends to suspend or fire the men involved. I think in the long run this will be a huge financial lesson for them when a school of hungry First Amendment lawyers starts tearing pieces off their collective ass, but right now the top management seems more focused on showing the guys in the firehouses who's the boss. We'll see how that works out for them.