Firefighters Being Trained to Spy on US Citizens

Posted by Paddy , Brave New Films at 5:28 AM on November 24, 2007.

This post, written by Paddy, originally appeared on Cliff Schecter's Brave New Films Blog

The hits just keep on coming-

AP IMPACT: Firefighter help on terrorism

WASHINGTON - Firefighters in major cities are being trained to take on a new role as lookouts for terrorism, raising concerns of eroding their standing as American icons and infringing on people's privacy.

Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.

But there are fears that they could lose the faith of a skeptical public by becoming the eyes of the government, looking for suspicious items such as building blueprints or bomb-making manuals or materials.

When going to private residences, for example, they are told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States; unusual chemicals or other materials that seem out of place; ammunition, firearms or weapons boxes; surveillance equipment; still and video cameras; night-vision goggles; maps, photos, blueprints; police manuals, training manuals, flight manuals; and little or no furniture other than a bed or mattress

Tagged as: domestic spying, firefighters

Paddy is a regular contributor to Cliff Schecter.com.