As WAFF reported, the entire Decatur Fire and Rescue recruiting class was sent home on Friday with little explanation.
The Alabama Fire College (AFC) maintains a governing board for personnel standards, certification, and training. On Monday, AFC officials met with Decatur Fire and Rescue leadership to address “some allegations that AFC needed to investigate.”
Fire Chief Tracy Thronton issued a statement saying, “I can confirm that we did send our current recruit class home [Friday]. Monday we will meet with the team from the Alabama Fire College to evaluate our practices if there is a problem it will be addressed immediately. We are not aware of the specific concerns but they will be addressed once we are made aware.”
Thornton further stated that the AFC group held a lengthy private meeting before they started one-on-one interviews with recruits from the class. As of Monday, they had completed all interviews.
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) spoke exclusively to 1819 News about last week’s dismissal of the Decatur Fire and Rescue recruitment class. He described not only a pattern of disregard by Fire and Rescue trainers for the standards set by the AFC but also aired allegations of hazing and potential abuse to the recruits.
Yarbrough affirmed that “there have been a lot of firefighters who have left Decatur over this [pattern].” He described the trainers breaking protocol set by the AFC as “almost like they take pride in it, to the point of hazing, but it’s very dangerous.”
Yarbrough spoke about recruits who worked overly hard, who required medical attention, and who were instead treated by the trainers and other recruits to keep incidents isolated.
“They’re not willing to have all this negative attention brought to the fact that they are dismissing the Fire College’s rules," he told 1819 News.
Yarbrough spoke of a recent phone meeting held with Hannah Stephens, a Decatur Fire and Rescue staffer, the assistant fire chief and the president of the AFC about these training sessions, which have stretched the boundaries of established standards and put recruits in harm’s way.
Yarbrough also provided deeper context on a training video circulating that was recorded by an unidentified recruit, which involved Decatur Fire and Rescue training chief Chris Phillips.
[NSFW warning: Graphic, language]
“This was from the Bridge Program Decatur held a few months ago. This is from what they call the ‘Shift Night,’ where recruits answer calls throughout an evening and night, just as in real-life scenarios,” Yarbrough described. “This video takes place in one of the training center bathrooms with Training Chief Chris Phillips filming on his phone. It is my understanding that former DE Kyle Brown had been called back in on mandatory time to assist with this shift night after working that day. (Brown is no longer with Decatur Fire and Rescue). Firefighter Hayden Wallace is the one as the patient."
“I've been assured by the head of the Alabama Fire College that all appropriate action and discipline—including legal if necessary—will be taken," he added.
WAFF asked Thornton on Tuesday about the video’s content.
“The chief said the video was taken during a drill to show recruits that they have to respond to emergency calls with odd circumstances," the outlet reported. "Thornton said while the intent to train recruits for the unexpected is 'good in theory' this particular situation was 'completely wrong.'"
Yarbrough stated that this goes beyond just Decatur and has affected other fire and rescue training programs.
“Uncovering the truth and ensuring that our public institutions are operating at the highest level of transparency and integrity is vital," he said.
“Over the last couple of years, we have had two recruits in Rookie School die. One in Huntsville and one in Anniston," Yarbrough added. "That’s how crazy this has been, where it is to the point that the President of the [Alabama] Fire College, I’ve been told, has instructed all the trainers and recruits that, ‘You will follow our standards. We’re the ones that set the standards for recruit school, do what you’re told, or else.’ But also, he had tears, because he cares about these kids. They’re supposed to be tough, but people shouldn’t be passing out left and right, and getting IVs and laying across tables and stuff."
“This has to be exposed,” he continued. “There’s tremendous pressure, and these trainers are intentionally creating a culture of fear and abuse.”
In 2022, Decatur Fire and Rescue training chief Chris Phillips was profiled in the Decatur Daily.
The outlet said Phillips "knows the thrill of the firehouse alarm, the flashing red lights and arrival on the scene of the unknown — whether it be a fire, a car wreck or a medical call."
There’s no greater thrill than “sometimes being the shining light in somebody’s darkest hour," Phillips told the Decatur Daily.
"It feels good to be the person who shows up and is the calm in the gloom," he added.
Phillips also said he believes training “is the best avenue for mentorship,” and it’s exciting to help the next generation grow in their careers.
“We’re really building a legacy for the fire department,” Phillips explained.
1819 News has reached out to certain individuals surrounding the recent dismissal of the Decatur Fire and Rescue recruitment class. As of this writing, 1819 News has yet to receive a response.
AFC is taxpayer-funded through the Alabama Legislature.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
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