Omaha FD officials said that they have placed Battalion Chief Joseph Salcedo on paid leave after they said he had shared potentially inappropriate content on his personal Facebook page.
Officials said that after an initial review of this matter by Interim Fire Chief Dan Olsen, OFD, Internal Affairs Office and the City of Omaha Human Resources Department, Battalion Chief Joseph Salcedo has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of this investigation.
Due to contractual obligations, officials said that OFD is precluded from providing any additional information regarding the investigation of this personnel matter.
Omaha Fire Union President Steve LeClair released the following statement:
The Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association, Local 385 unequivocally condemns the actions of Battalion Chief Joe Salcedo. Mr. Salcedo, who was serving in the role of Acting Chief while Interim Chief Dan Olsen was on vacation, is not a member of the Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association. Our organization disavows the offensive material he posted on social media and immediately reported the material to the City of Omaha and Interim Fire Chief Olsen.
As fire fighters, we take a sworn oath to “never act officiously or permit personal feeling, prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions.” The Fire Fighter’s Code of Ethics also reminds us to “keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others.” With this said, Mr. Salcedo has broken and offended the very code that defines us and our duty to public safety.
Local 385 is an organization that is comprised of men and women of every race and ethnicity. The comments and opinions posted by Mr. Salcedo are divisive and betray the trust of our community. They are counterintuitive to our mission, which is to provide exemplary emergency services to all of the people in our community.
