THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140018
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 33 lines
I take great exception to Larry Bonko's column, ``Silliness sweeps local newsrooms'' (May 13). In his critical discussion of TV news staffs, he writes that Cynthia Lima ``went out and tried to be a policeman or a fireman for a day as a ratings stunt,'' and she ``. . . ate smoke on camera.''
As fire captain with the Virginia Beach Division of Fire Training, I was assigned to Ms. Lima and her cameraman Byron Burney for a micro-recruit school.
Skeptical at first, I was utterly impressed with the heart and raw guts that both of these green recruits demonstrated in such a short time. We cut them no slack, in an attempt to break any perceived ulterior motives.
Yes, they got scared, but instead of running they learned to face their fears and appreciate the accomplishment.
The true slam to my training staff was to imply that anyone ``ate smoke.'' That cliche is remarkably outdated and irresponsible. Unless something has gone incredibly wrong, firefighters don't eat or breathe smoke. Ms. Lima and Byron Burney got remarkably hot, tired and dirty, but no one ate any smoke! Their job was to experience some of the horrors that we as firefighters are called on to experience every day and somehow attempt to relate this to the comfortable and air-conditioned television viewer.
In my 20 years in the business, these are the first reporters to attempt this level of danger which to firefighters is our normal environment. Mr. Bonko is welcome to give it a go for himself.
MICHAEL G. BROWN
Virginia Beach, May 13, 1996 by CNB