HFD Investigates Racism Allegations

The dispatcher at the Houston Fire Department tried to warn them.

"All units check your mic, you got a mic open, all units check your mic."

Some Houston firefighters were caught on tape - they were in the midst of a private conversation last Sunday-- a conversation that has prompted the fire chief to ask for an investigation.

"I am always bothered when we don't do things the way we should always do things," Phil Boriskie says.

Boriskie says some unknown members of his force apparently keyed their mics on their portable radios by mistake. Everything they said was broadcast across the city-- and comments some call racist and improper.

Firefighters said, "All these d*** United Negro College Fund, NAACP...and that *****."

Sources in the department say the culprits are white firefighters who are frustrated with minorities and minority groups.

Firefighters said, "They can say whatever...if we called it the White Firefighter or the White College Fund they would have a stroke."

Chief Boriskie says he's called in the office of inspector general to investigate the firefighters. He says they've violated policy by making racist comments and using profanity over the two way radio system.

"We don't believe we should be talking about race religion or politics at the station. Oh really? It's been a long standing policy in the Houston Police Department."

The firefighters appeared to be frustrated from another incident that left the department in a bad light just last week...a press conference put on by African American activist. They were protesting a noose found in the locker of a fire captain. The firefighters caught on tape were bothered by that.

Firefighter said, "He said Captain Redneck should be fired...I said will let me jump on the **** bandwagon...and let me see who gets offended. Captain Redneck that offends me."

"In the fire station we shouldn't be having these kinds of conversations," Boriskie says.