What?!? Firefighters Can’t Fly Old Glory?

(This story has been updated, see below.)

Firefighters in Seminole, Florida have been banned from flying USA flags on their firetrucks. Apparently there was a complaint about trucks flying a large American flag so in response the city has banned all flags.

It should always be appropriate to fly the beautiful symbol of this great country.

Update: Someone pointed out that the flag was not being flown properly in accordance with the 2008 Flag Code. There was also an additional article on the flag flying issue specifying that the problem was just the large flag hung from the back of the fire truck. Maybe so, but the city response to ban all flags remains an issue.

Further Update: Additional information  has now been made available. According to the Flag Code flags may not be displayed in windows but must be ‘fixed firmly to the chassis’.

From EyeWitness News:

The order to remove the flags came after a complaint from a member of the public. The complaing concerned a flag being flown from the back of a ladder truck.

Smaller flags were later displayed in the truck’s windows, but they, too, were removed after complaints.

A spokesperson for the city’s fire department says the complainer did not take issue with the flags themselves– but how they were displayed.

The U.S. Flag Code requires flags on vehicles to be “fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.” 

After removing the flags, city officials say they asked the public and fire department for a plan to display the flags in compliance with the flag code, but no plans were proposed.

“My goal today is they say…yes the flags are going back on the trucks…yes we have a solution,” says Dave Dabney, who organized the protest.