WASHINGTON, N.C. — Nearly 100 responders and other protestors gathered at a commissioners meeting after a commissioner called firefighters who provided on-scene medical services “bubbas.”
WNCN reported that the controversial comments were made by Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson during a meeting in January.
“We feel like we may have been stereotyped and I think it is a derogatory term,” said Capt. Ray Harris, with the Bunyon Fire Department.
During the meeting on Monday, many people wore “Bubba” name tags. Richardson said that “bubba” could be a term of endearment like “brother.”
“What I was concerned about was the training that people had in order to be able to provide these medical services,” Richardson said.
The service he was concerned about was pit crew CPR, which brings in the closest responders to work as a team to perform CPR on a victim.
“All of the fire departments in Beaufort County have been trained in team CPR concepts, and are now beginning to be trained as medical responders,” Capt. Harris said.
In 2012, Richardson was also heard allegedly bullying a 911 dispatcher, WCTI13 reported. Hood called the sheriff’s dispatcher to report a woman walking in the middle of the street. He became irritated when the dispatcher told him he was transferring his call to a city dispatcher.
“You can just deliver the message,” Richardson said.
The dispatcher refused his request and repeated he was transferring his call.
“I’m Hood Richardson, Beaufort County Commissioner. You’ll hear about this tonight if you don’t get off your butt and do your job!”
The dispatcher eventually agreed to deliver the message to city dispatchers.
“Not only did (Richardson) refuse to be transferred, he began to berate my dispatcher and threaten her,” Sheriff Alan Jordan said.
Richardson said he was just doing his job as a citizen and as a county commissioner.
“I’m not sorry that any of it happened,” he said. “I would do the same thing again. I’m doing my job.”