In the wake of killings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas, the New Orleans firefighters union is pushing back against sending its members door-to-door to install smoke detectors, arguing that the practice could put them at risk of being targeted.
Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell said Thursday, however, that the policy has put no one in danger and will not be changed.
In a series of emails over the past several days, McConnell dismissed the idea, suggesting that firefighters union President Nick Felton is in "fear of the citizens we serve."
Felton then wrote to McConnell, saying that "if anything should happen, the blood will be on your hands."
The dust-up comes as emergency response agencies are considering whether to revise their policies in the wake of the targeted police killings in recent weeks. It also is part of an ongoing dispute between Felton and McConnell over whether firefighters should be tasked with other duties when not directly responding to emergencies.
In recent years, the department has had its firefighters go door-to-door offering to install smoke detectors in homes. Last year, they fixed or installed about 10,000 of the devices.