The Los Angeles Fireplace Division is asking for the general public’s enter as they revisit their “firefighter tattoo coverage,” officers introduced on social media Thursday.
“We’d love to listen to your enter, to assist us issue within the views of the general public we serve,” the publish learn. “Please take a couple of minutes to share your ideas on tattoos in your firefighters.”
The division’s present coverage was established in Might 2008 and units strict pointers on the show of tattoos, scarifications or brandings that firefighters could have.
“All sworn members, whereas on-duty, shall not show any tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings,” the coverage states. “Sworn uniformed members shall cowl any seen tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings by sporting a Division permitted uniform or by sporting a pores and skin patch that covers the tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings. When impractical, (i.e. showering) members usually are not required to cowl any tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings.”
The coverage goes on to state that an operations commander can grant a one-time exemption for physique markings that can not be lined with a uniform if the member had the marking earlier than the implementation of the coverage. Firefighters should request that exemption in writing together with pictures of the tattoos, scarifications, and/or brandings.
Because the coverage went into impact, firefighters have been prohibited from getting any physique markings that can not be lined by an permitted uniform or pores and skin patch.
Whether or not that coverage is about to vary could need to do with the general public’s opinion of tattoos. The division is asking Angelenos to weigh in on the difficulty by taking a brief survey that may be discovered right here.
An LAFD official instructed KTLA that the choice on whether or not to vary the coverage can be made as soon as the division receives sufficient suggestions from the general public.
