News-Record.com

this is ridiculous. anyone that knows the character of most firefighters knows they are incredibly giving and want to help people. My brother is a GFM and his spirit has always been to help others, whether for money or not! mostly not! including family friends and co workers. Why should they have to choose? Because they work so closely they are like family. If anyone is complaining its most likely the ones that dont have this spirit of giving. Also where i work, we are always helping others, move into a new house, support when they are sick, etc etc, and there is never a question of brown nosing for a promotion. The jealousy is unreal!

sorry, i have more. Many of these GFM work for peanuts so many have other jobs. Why not use someone you know and trust to do the work. why not support your own?

My coworkers have small businesses and we support them as well!

This is silly. Everyboby in the fire department has had help from other firemen at times. We pay firemen when they do big work. I trust them and why would I pay someone else? Friemen ould get mad if you got someone else to do work for you that they could do. It use to be a family. We never expect promotions. I just expect help when I need it to repair something. Even Richard O'Brien has worked for people for free and for money. He was an officer before he retired. Was that wrong? I can't believe he is complaining about that.

What is this world coming to? It's all become way too "PC" in our world. What was once a caring giving lifestyle in America is becoming a backstabbing, all about "ME" mess. Most times the "ALL ABOUT ME'ers" are the worst workers in the work force. Having known many firefighters and police officers over my lifetime, they have always looked out for their fellow man/woman. When complaints come from who/who not gets a promotion, those left behind should look at their personal "daily attitudes" in the work place. People are often passed on promotions not because of actual performance but more often because they are "frequent pot stirrers" that creates low morale. And where do their complaints stop, even talking at lunch with a peer can be made into something it's not. Teeters is a good-hearted man, caring for others and what happens in their lives also. I hire friends, co-workers, even my ex-spouse when I need help with something. It provides for them and their esteem in being able to help another, plus promotes that good-natured American spirit we should express daily. Tell the complainers they need to get over themselves, put on their big girl/boy underpants and look at what their own personal issue is that prevents them from higher success.

Same old crap. Greensboro politics as usual.
Tear down someone so minorities will gain.
Wake up Greensboro and vote all these people out of office.

This whole thing smells bad - something is not as it should be - I hope all is not swept under the rug as usual -

Chief Teeters for almost 44 years has always put his men/women of the Fire Department first in his life and it's always been the love of his life and it shows. Anyone who has ever known him, would tell you he is the most honest and fair person, always with a positive out look. Working hard to make the Greensboro Fire Department a class one rating. When he drives off the lot of the Fire Department, everyone should know that is only half of what it takes to make a #1 Fire Department.
He keeps long hours and travels many miles with meetings, doing everything to make sure his men/women of the department has everything and superior leadership and technology, and he has alway been there to recognize the achievements of people who work together to make up the team that firefighter are best known for, this makes for a close family unit and high morale and enthusiasm.
Family means everything to Chief Teeters inside the Fire Department and in his own personal family.
He lives by his professional honor of being honest and having respect for everyone and never would want anyone to be treated inappropriately, even for himself.
Look at the character behind this man, walk in his shoes and the honor he has brought to your city and to know that he conducts his department on the six pillars of Character. Trustworthiness. Respect. Responsibility. Fairness. Caring. Citizenship.
What a disgrace to run an article such as this on your towns front page.

The chief is best remembered for a long, distinguished career. It appears the complaints are coming from the axe grinding crowd, maybe the ones who want everything to be politically correct.

I support the chief.

This is ridiculous. Johnny Teeters is a very fine man. I've known him over 50 years. What in the hell are we coming to? He's the last person who would take advantage of anyone. I know that he paid an inflated bill to a subcontractor on his High Rock house. He paid it knowing he was being screwed.

I don't know all the particulars here. But he is honest to a fault. After forty-four years of giving the Greensboro Fire Department everything he has this is no way to treat him.

Is this really a story?? Which one of us would not hire a friend or co-worker to do a job for us rather than hire someone we don't even know? Who hasnot helped a co-worker move into a new home or the like? Every fireman I have ever known considers the department a family and helps their "family" like they would one of their own family. In a time where our country is at war, we are entering a recession, in the midst of a contentious election, and kids are getting shot in schools on a weekly basis, and this becomes front page news??!! That is horribly sad and in my mind an unfortunate slight on a public official who has always been viewed very positively in the community's eyes. Seems a bit suspect that this "just happens" to come out shortly after he announces his retirement!! Does that strike anyone else as odd???

Leave the chief alone! It sounds like an unhappy employee is making a big stink about nothing! I've helped co-workers before and it never made the news!

I'd be willing to bet that this has something to do with someone playing the race card. Let's not have a repeat of the police department debacle.

This article is only a SMALL part of the problem. Dig a little deeper and you will find out that the "teapot" is about to explode. This has nothing to do with race, only poor management, and NO The Chief is not the only one to blame, the officers who "flank" him are just as much of the problem. HONESTY, INTEGRITY, STEWARDSHIP, RESPECT.........it starts at the top. Practice what you preach.

Fire fighters have supplemented their meager income with side jobs forever, and in many states. I have had the good fortune of having some of these guys work on my house.

The question I have is why do outside "consultants" have to be hired to assess this? That sounds like a disgraceful waste of money. I think that should be handled "in-house". At some point city government has to be able to stand on its own and answer to its critics without referencing "outside consultants". Lets all take responsibility for our actions like grown ups.

should we start investigating every department in the city of greensboro because i am sure there are many more in line. and is it wrong in america for a friend to help a friend? are we forgetting the comments made less than one month ago as to the status of the greensboro fire department under the direction of johnny teeters.BACK OFF and let the man retire with dignity and grace he so deserves.

Who among us has not asked a fellow co-worker to help them at one time or another? I think it is a discrace for a few disgruntled former employees to be able to cast doubt on someone with a stellar career of service to our city. We have one of the very finest fire departments in the country thanks to the dedication of Chief Teeters and his staff (check our rating). Why would the newspaper report this trash without doing indepth research to substantiate the claims? Did a reporter from the newspaper actually interview anyone that knows him or his staff or is the allegation throw out in an attempt to sell more papers? PATHETIC REPORTING

Jim, the ISO rating and the National Acredidation have ABSOLUTLY nothing to do with the moral issues, the nepotisim, and the illegal activities that have gone on in this department for years. The ratings are simply a paper trail of the Department's Operations, try again. This is way more than one or two disgruntled passed over for promotion emplyees, try over 400 firefighters who are upset about the wrong doings. Kudos to O'Brian for speaking up publicly. By the way, Chief, nobody on the Department is buying into your stories. Let it go!

Hmmm... The blog is about five to one in Chief Teeters' favor. It would appear that the Deputy and Assistant Chiefs who were promoted by Teeters and who he recently instructed to go around to all the stations in their effort to brain wash the troops into believing the Chief was really a good man who was just being smeared by a few were also instructed to make light of the charges and/or write praises about Teeters in the news blog. A promotion in the Greensboro Fire Department is the gift that keeps on giving back.

The headline is: Some council members think Chiefs action inapropriate. Now thats the pot calling the kettle black. Why did it take 44 years to find something wrong with the chief ?

PS: Hows the new council working out for you.

Just another way for Mitch to get his name off the front page. Next thing you know Mitch will want the city council to bomb an aspirin factory in Iraq.

Looks like the council is trying to direct the media away from the investigation into their votes on development and zoning being directly tied to their campaign contributions. Wasting taxpayer money on yet another outside investigation is ridiculous. The Fire Cheif has already announced his retirement. Honor him for his service and let the personal vendettas go. Of course if the News-Record would not print and therefore perpetuate unsubstantiated charges...........

to to jim said: there are people on the fire department that believe in chief teeters and back him 100% you are probably one of the ones that are jealous or didnt get ranked so you back stab. why cant you let the man retire in peace and you do your job on the fire department like the others. be a hero not a back stabber thug

I have known Chief Teeters for more than 12 years and I also know he would never do anything to bring dishonor to his position. Johnny has always said he has, what he considers to be, the best job in the world. He has always worked hard to do what is best for the Greensboro Fire Dept. and the outstanding record of the GFP is proof of Johnny's leadership qualities and abilities.
Greensboro has already lost one fine leader (Police Chief Wray) because of a disgrunal worker. Let's not lose another the sameway. I think a better idea would be to replace the city council. To go through another investigation of one of Greensboro's finest would be absolutely crazy.

i have known johnny for a few years and have helped work at both homes. i admired all the work that was done at the lake and his personal but when i found out how much firemen charged him, my buddies whom are contractors, said that whom ever did the job dug deep in the chiefs pockets. they took advantage of him no ifs about it.so if you want to investigate anything it should be labor cost that was charged against the chief. and if you want to accuse someone of promoting a firemen for helping then maybe you should investigate the idot whom accepted. (not that chief would even consider something in that nature)and for whom ever did not get paid for moving furniture please let me know your observant amount of labor cost and i will be glad to pay it for the chief.let the man retire in december and let this all rest. firemen stay out of other peoples business and worry about the city and your own job as we as city tax payers pay your sallary to do your job not waste our money for fullish stabs at our fire chief somebody (s) needs to get a life and not at our taxpayers expense to waste money in these allegations. the jealous firefighter initiating these claims should be termintated under direction of city residents. let our chief, whom citizens believe in, retire in peace. maybe the greensboro citzens should get a petition to leave the chief alone and get rid of back stabbing firemen. your not a hero if you hurt others....

Here we go again with another scandal. Please those without sin let them cast the first stone. I
think it is inappropriate that Mitch withheld vaulable info. I think it is inappropriate that council members take big developers money and then vote in their favor. I think it is inappropriate that you do not pay your taxes. I think it is inapprotiated we have criminals wearing police uniforms. I think it is inappropriate that your personal business is more important than the citizens. I think it is inappropriate that nobody is ever held accountable for their actions expect the innocent. Please council members don't use the word inappropriate when refering to someone else. Clean up your own back yard.
If Mitch, Johnson, Hinson, and the three that were suspended can stay,I think Teeters is a drop in the bucket compaired to these people.

Love to be a policeman or a fireman. Seems all they do is point fingers. Our city council, our police dept. and now the fire dept. needs to get a real job. I think men are worse than women when it comes to soap opera drama. There seems to be a lot of whiners in both departments. Get another job if you are that
miserable. I have done many favors for my employer and I have never gotten a promotion. I have had the same position for 22 years and did not even get a raise for 13 years had to ask for it. Top that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are going to investigate Chief Teeters for paying or even not paying a fireman for his work then you need to start at the bottom of all departments. Every fireman I have meet has done things for other fireman for FREE . I dont see any other fireman on the front page of the newspaper. For the fireman accusing Chief - if you could walk in his shoes one day- why are you not the next chief in line? I think the problem lies not on top but more down the line. After all this time its crazy for you decide to come out with all this once he announces his retirement. let this on go fireman and focus how you can be the next Chief of greensboro. Congrats Chief Teeters a job Well Done!!!!

Well, this has got to be the sadest thing in the
world. ! Johnny Teeters has got to be the most
professional public safety employee the City of
Greensboro has ever had. ! I first met Chief
Teeters back in the late 1970's when the GFD
was sponsor to one of the most popular youth
volunteer organizations that the city had going
at that time. GFD Assistant Chief Paul Brooks
was the Sr. Advisor and adult leader of this
group along with GFD command staff members
Danny Shumate and Larry Cox. Several other
GFD firefighters were very supportive and were
a really big asset to us who served within this
youth volunteer group. Firefighters such as
Larry Harris, Gary Church, JE McCarter,
Steve Fowler, Rick Gentry, and about 50 others
that I could name. Johnny Teeters was a Capt.
at the time and a damn good one. I knew then
that folks such as Johnny Teeters and Paul
Brooks would make it thru the ranks over the
years. As did the other fine firefighters that I
mentioned above. In closing, I would like to say
my hat goes off to CHIEF JOHNNY TEETERS
AND HIS COMMAND STAFF. ! ! ! You guys
have made me proud of our GREENSBORO
CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT !

Warm Regards,

Ben Bennett
Captain-Secretary/NC EMT/SC First Responder
Greensboro City Fire Department Fire/Rescue
Explorer Post # 674 { 1975-1982 }

Chief/President
Greensboro City Police Department Police
Explorer Post # 241 { 1978-1981 }