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Fired Florida Lifeguard's Coworkers Out After Admitting They'd Save Man Outside Zone
ABC News ^ | July 4, 2012 | ALEXIS SHAW, MATT GUTMAN, CANDACE SMITH, KATIE MOISSE

Posted on 07/04/2012 3:58:33 PM PDT by dayglored

Six Florida lifeguards have lost their jobs for backing a coworker's decision to save a man struggling in the surf but outside their jurisdiction.

Tomas Lopez , 21, was fired Monday for vacating his lifeguarding zone to save a man drowning in unprotected waters 1,500 feet south of his post on Hallandale Beach, Fla.

"I knew I broke the rules," said Lopez, who ran past the buoy marking the boundary of his patrol zone to help the man. "I told the manager, I'm fired aren't I?"

Lopez said he jumped into the water and "I double underhooked him…I was worried about the guy and his health. He was blue."

Six of Lopez's coworkers said they would have done the same thing. And now, they've been fired too.

....

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: florida; lifeguard; moralabsolutes; zerotolerance
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To: dayglored

Well our sue happy culture is to blame for this.


21 posted on 07/04/2012 4:39:03 PM PDT by moviefan8
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To: 2banana

I would rather save the life and be fired. Would rather be fired than work for a bunch of penny pinching sh*theels.
Common sense died a slow death at the hands of lawyers.


22 posted on 07/04/2012 4:41:36 PM PDT by Yorlik803 (better to die on your feet than live on your knees.)
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To: dayglored

“Is a contract valid or morally defensible, that requires an individual to watch another human being suffer and die, when they are trained to save them? “

No. There are some things you can not morally agree to do.

I hope someone out there in need of a lifeguard will hire these excellent employees.


23 posted on 07/04/2012 4:45:20 PM PDT by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: dayglored
What we have here is a failure of common sense!

Your points are well taken and for the most part unarguable.

However there is a different viewpoint that is lacking here. In a effort not to get technical, that viewpoint can be summed up as "no harm, no foul."

In mine and other safety critical industries subject to civil crimes, even jail if we screw up . . . If you fired everyone caught making a mistake or wrong critical decision, these particular industries probably would no longer exist if truth be known.

About 20 years ago, common sense approach has started to take root. The concept is . . . If you screw up, but there are no consequences of the particular moment or action . . . the attitude is . . . the mistake did not happen in the sense as we used to view things.

However . . . Responsible individuals are "kinda" (yeah I know) required to report on themselves and even others so that . . . 1. Mainly we and everyone around can learn from the incident and become "better" for it 2. To help determine root cause of incident . . . i.e bad training, lack of supervision, uneven practices, etc etc etc. And the organization becomes stronger and better for it as it identifies practices that can NOT be complied with as in this specific incident.

Any one ask if the company could be sued for NOT responding?

24 posted on 07/04/2012 4:52:55 PM PDT by saywhatagain
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To: 2banana

They couldn’t have just received a warning or reprimand? You know, first offence kind of thing.....


25 posted on 07/04/2012 4:53:47 PM PDT by jeffc (Welcome to the United Socialist States of America)
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To: dayglored

Amen. Amen. Amen.

“No greater love.” Lifeguards....heroes....I love them.


26 posted on 07/04/2012 4:54:49 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: ilovesarah2012
> Police and firemen in Alameda, California watched a man drown on Monday after realizing they did not have proper certifications for water rescue, leaving them open to possible lawsuits if they attempted to save him.

Holy cr@p.

Puts all new meaning to the Shakespeare quote from Henry VI, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

27 posted on 07/04/2012 4:55:52 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored

I wonder, if the lifeguard had stayed at his post, and the man had drowned, would the lifeguard, or his company, be sued successfully by (say) the man’s family?

____________________

But if someone in is sector drowned while he was saving this man, they would have been liable.


28 posted on 07/04/2012 4:55:55 PM PDT by Chickensoup (STOP The Great O-ppression)
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To: JoeDetweiler

Never misunderestimate the “ability” of reporters and media editors to mangle a story.


29 posted on 07/04/2012 4:56:32 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: I see my hands
> No more than they could successfully sue you for not saving him.

Ah, good point.

30 posted on 07/04/2012 5:01:06 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored; 185JHP; 230FMJ; AKA Elena; APatientMan; Albion Wilde; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

Saving an innocent life is ALWAYS the right and moral thing to do.

31 posted on 07/04/2012 5:07:39 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: dayglored

I would fire him on the spot. Then I would rehire him on the spot. I would duly note the actions, per regulations, in his file and also include a letter of commendation.


32 posted on 07/04/2012 5:10:18 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (I'm for Churchill in 1940!)
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To: dayglored
The company has to find some more lifeguards, but they too did the right thing. Can't have employees running around doing stuff they specifically aren't supposed to do.

B.S.!

33 posted on 07/04/2012 5:16:13 PM PDT by Osage Orange (8675309)
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To: wagglebee

Thank you for the ping!


34 posted on 07/04/2012 5:21:14 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: Osage Orange
> B.S.!

Please my posts #7 and #18 above. The company was within their rights contractually, so in that sense they did the "right thing". However, I have real trouble with that contract in the first place.

As an employer whose employees read and sign employment contracts, am I expected to ignore those contractual agreements, especially if (as others pointed out) I am liable if someone else gets in trouble in the water my lifeguards are supposed to be guarding?

I think the original contract is morally indefensible.

35 posted on 07/04/2012 5:27:00 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored

Stupid rules for rules’ sake trumped common sense and human decency. We must never follow rules that go against human decency. The Nazis conflagration proved that once again, and history is full of instances of heroes and idiots. The lifeguard company is filled with idiots and lacks the courage to be human.

tsk tsk.

“Right” it might be according to ‘the rules’ but wrong it is before the Great Throne of God. I hope some terrific company snaps these guys up and honors them appropriately; they will get great and honorable workers.

The lawyers be damned.


36 posted on 07/04/2012 5:27:36 PM PDT by bboop (Without justice, what else is the State but a great band of robbers? St. Augustine)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
> I would fire him on the spot. Then I would rehire him on the spot. I would duly note the actions, per regulations, in his file and also include a letter of commendation.

Now -that- is an interesting perspective! I rather like that -- assuming you can do something about the horrible contractual restrictions so you and the lifeguard aren't faced with the same problem next week or month..

37 posted on 07/04/2012 5:30:15 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored

Whenever the lives of the customers or employees is at threat, no business should be able to fire someone for taking action to prevent the loss of life.

To cover for a business that punishes a moral responsibility is nothing more than Business Socialism.

And, if that lifeguard did not act, and the person drowned, the company will be sued...and will lose. No jury is going to rule in favor of a business that prevented life saving action from taking place

I am pro-Business....but no fan of Business Socialism. You never should shirk moral responsibility


38 posted on 07/04/2012 5:30:28 PM PDT by SeminoleCounty (Sad....George Zimmerman is in jail for rightfully defending himself...while Eric Holder walks free)
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To: ilovesarah2012

Before any budget cuts ever happened....you’d of thought these genius’s would have had some foresight to have a water rescue squad.


39 posted on 07/04/2012 5:32:02 PM PDT by Osage Orange (8675309)
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To: dayglored

Yes...the company providing the life guards would be sued...and for great amounts if there is loss of life


40 posted on 07/04/2012 5:32:02 PM PDT by SeminoleCounty (Sad....George Zimmerman is in jail for rightfully defending himself...while Eric Holder walks free)
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