Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Fire Chief Admits His Former Fire Crew Took Pictures of a Topless Woman Posed in Front of Firetruck

firetruck.jpg
Photo by ~db~ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

The story about city employees getting caught up in racy and sometimes pornographic photo shoots has legs. And the legs in this latest development are wearing bikini bottoms.

Last month, it was discovered that firefighters had allowed porn star Charley Chase to borrow their truck for a video that shows Chase flashing people around town. There was an investigation to discovered what had happened, but because of a loophole, no one was punished. So Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Brian Cummings took this as an opportunity to come clean about some racy photos of his own, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Thirteen years ago when he was in Venice, a women in a bikini asked if she could pose with Cummings and other firefighters. They obliged. Then the firefighters asked if they could take a picture of her in front of the firetruck. They said sure. Why not? Then she took off her top, which Cummings said shocked the firefighters (although it didn't stop them from snapping away — and no, we don't have the pictures).

Cummings said he wanted to use the incident as a teachable moment. He is exempt from any sort of discipline for the same reason the firefighters involved in the porn shoot are — because it happened too long ago. But Cummings has given himself a punishment of 120 hours of community service for the incident from a decade ago.

Councilman Dennis Zine calling Cummings' conduct "wrong and improper" but he said he is handling it well after the fact: "I think it's commendable that he's willing to self-impose punishment on himself." Others saw the response to the whole Cummings incident as a waste of time.

"You expect people in Venice to be wearing bikinis," Abby Diamond, a director with the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times. "If she took off her bikini, maybe she's the one who should have regrets."

Some topless ladies in Venice might say otherwise, Abby.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today