After Sept. 11, 2001, New York City firefighters became sudden heroes. They became instant… After Sept. 11, 2001, New York City firefighters became sudden heroes. They became instant celebrities in their own right. Countless Americans sported “FDNY” hats and pins and other apparel.

Recently, though, the department’s collective halo has dimmed in light of reports of drug use, fighting and drinking. At a New Year’s Eve party at the Staten Island firehouse, one firefighter bashed another in the face with a metal chair during an alcohol-fueled brawl. Two firefighters at an East Harlem firehouse tested positive for cocaine, and one locker at that house was found to contain beer and liquor. A captain and a lieutenant were spotted drinking beer and allegedly performing “Born to Run” in uniform at a karaoke bar. The department put out a beefcake calendar to raise money for charity, and one of the models – who is moonlighting as a stripper – is facing charges of steroid use.

Without a doubt, these actions are unsavory and, in some cases, inexcusable. However, it’s unfair to hold these people to a higher standard than any other person in the public service, just because they were publicly canonized in the wake of a national horror.

For the most part, these are young men, existing in a culture of machismo, working hard and playing hard. Their actions have not been right, but they are also not somehow more wrong than if they had been committed by, say, the fire department of Pittsburgh. The New York Fire Department, by virtue of valiantly performing their assigned task on one of the worst days in American history, has been perhaps unfairly thrust under a microscope of public opinion.

After the attacks, more than 2,300 firefighters and officers retired. Many of them were the most experienced and mature among the ranks, and as such, likely played a leadership role, not just in firefighting, but in proper behavior.

While not on duty and not in uniform, firefighters’ actions are their own business, within the bounds of the law. Boozing in uniform is terrible. Boozing at a party is a different story.

Being suddenly made into heroes after undergoing a great trauma – one that took the lives of many fellow firefighters – cannot possibly be easy. No one would suggest that lawbreakers or departmental policy-breakers should be excused. It’s not unreasonable, though, to view the firefighters’ actions through a charitable lens.