The Jackson Fire Department is shaking over a tape that firefighters claim Assistant Chief Todd Chandler helped make back in the 1990s. The video features what Local 87 Union President Capt. Brandon Falcon describes as Chandler ridiculing black recruits. The video allegedly shows Chandler, wearing a jacket with his name on it, speaking in a broken caricature of the black dialect, while a white superior—allegedly retired firefighter Ken Daniels—corrects his melodramatically moronic behavior.
Chandler, his clothes awry, with an oxygen tank hanging incorrectly on his chest instead of his back, makes a mockery of dealing with a fire situation.
"Where da fire, chief?" Chandler exclaims, grabbing up a hose. He then fails to exit a door while carrying the hose, exclaiming that "it don't fit, chief."
The Jackson Fire Department was well on its way to mirroring the demography of the city of Jackson in the 1990s, with a large percentage of new recruits being black. Daniels called into question the intelligence of the new recruits, exclaiming that new computers in the department were going to give the recruits a hard time.
"This is the only thing going to mess up the blacks on the fire department. … Either they got to go, or the computers (will have) to go," Daniels said.
In the video, Daniels explains the role of the Confederate flag for the camera, denying that it represents the days of slavery. Daniels goes on to say that anybody who still believes the Confederate emblem represents slavery is "old" and "senile" and says anyone unappreciative of the flag should forego cotton clothes.
Chandler, who did not return calls for comment, denied any knowledge of making the video to WJTV News Channel 12, though other voices in the video refer to the main character as "Todd."
Incoming union president A.J. Bryant, who is black, said he fully believed Chandler is the man in the video. "Of course, that's Chandler. He's wearing his coat. You can see that mustache on his face, and the man has Chandler's distinctive voice. Yeah, that's him," Bryant said.
Falcon said an unnamed source had placed the video near his mailbox on Sunday. "When I watched that thing, I almost pissed my pants," Falcon told the Jackson Free Press. "We don't need this kind of tension in the department. Firemen have to depend on one another out in the field. I can't tell you the number of times a black guy has helped me out of a fire and kept me from being injured, and we all need to know that we can depend on one another."
Chandler should be removed from his role as assistant chief, Falcon said, adding that the video would back up a racism complaint against Chandler if a firefighter decided to file one. "It's one thing to say that Chandler was this way, but it's another thing to see it in action," Falcon said.
Bryant, unlike Falcon, said he would have been willing to forgive Chandler for the behavior had Chandler been forthcoming about the video. "I believe in God. I follow the way of forgiving and forgetting, but forgiveness has to start at an admission of wrongdoing, and we didn't get that far with Todd. He doesn't admit to doing it. That was the wrong thing to do," Bryant said.
Chandler spent almost two years as interim chief because a majority of the council was not willing to approve him as chief. Melton appointed Chandler to interim chief at the beginning of his term, but refused to submit his nomination knowing a majority of the council opposed it. Melton complained that he would not put the vote before the council until the council "grew up." Council members like Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore said they would not approve Chandler because he is a "controversial" figure within the department.
Melton finally submitted Chandler for a confirmation vote earlier this year, and the council failed to approve him, though the Jackson City Council rarely failed to approve department heads under prior administrations. Furious, Melton initially threatened to retain Chandler as interim chief, with an interim chief's salary—about $20,000 more than Assistant Fire Chief Vernon Hughes, who is black. Melton eventually caved to council wishes after outcry, however, and submitted Hughes' name as fire chief. The council approved Hughes in July.
Hughes did not return calls to the Jackson Free Press regarding the video. He told The Clarion-Ledger that he would take action after viewing the video and speaking with Chandler.
Previous Commentsshow
What's this?More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.