Sacramento- Creating an independent internal affairs unit to keep tabs on the Sacramento Fire Department is all well and good given recent reports of on-duty firefighters cruising bars and spending hours at a “porn star” costume ball. (Hey, why wasn’t there one already?)

But investigating unprofessional, bad-boy behavior after the fact doesn’t address the question of an institutional “good ol’ boy” culture desperately in need of a major revamp.

While one can argue that it’s unfair to let the misdeeds of a few tarnish the reputation of an entire department, that doesn’t 100 percent apply here. That’s because three things seem crystal clear:

* The firefighters who attended the costume ball of scantily clad porn wannabes weren’t afraid of getting caught; witnesses said and photos show they were there in their big shiny trucks dressed in full uniform. At least two of them even consented to pictures.

* A good number of people looked the other way while these wayward firefighters took expensive, city-owned equipment out to cruise for babes and other signs of city night life. Their buddies at the station who knew it might not have liked it, but their silence condoned it.

* Internal memos now show the brass previously were alerted about this sort of misbehavior by personnel concerned about the department’s reputation and the appearance of lack of professionalism.

Indeed, they should have been. Concerned, that is. Way more concerned.

The public is flabbergasted. I mean, everyone loves firefighters, right? They’re widely viewed as the good guys. Why, just 34 months ago we stuffed firefighters’ big black boots with 10s, 20s and 50s in support of the families who lost firefighter-heroes in New York City in the Sept. 11 attacks. And now this?

Retail merchandiser Reva Daniels can’t believe it either. After the porn ball story broke, she called to report having seen a fire engine pull up outside the Zebra Club one night while she stood outside smoking. At first she assumed someone inside needed medical aid, but it quickly became apparent that this was a social call.

“It’s disgusting. Here they are, muscles bulging, uniforms on, big smiles, talking to young women. I figured one of them was a girlfriend. She climbed in the truck. I didn’t put two and two together until I read the stories.”

The porn ball story has a Sacramento city crew based at Station 20 in North Sacramento reportedly joining 1,800 revelers at a July 2 costume ball celebrating the sex industry at the Radisson Hotel on Leisure Lane.

Leisure, yeah.

These were on-duty firefighters (one was off-duty), men working for you and me. Not any longer, most of them, I hope.

I mean, should anyone who thinks this behavior is OK – should anyone that dumb, with common sense that bad – be entrusted to wear the uniform of a position the rest of us have to trust, are trained to trust, with our lives?

And yes, Sacramento City Manager Bob Thomas is right to say that the public trust has been violated. I’ll go one step further; it’s tarnished the city’s image. (One veteran faced sexual assault allegations until the District Attorney’s Office announced last week that no charges would be filed. He resigned July 15.)

The story has become one of the most watched on nationwide industry Web sites such as firehouse.com. News about the firings of two of those present at the ball was the third most e-mailed story from that Web site on Wednesday.

Holy smoke. Even online sex-industry sites and X-rated sites are posting updates with Sacramento datelines and headlines that begin, “Naughty firefighters …” One site quotes the event organizer saying he initially thought the crew was there on a routine hotel inspection. Strippers, he said, tried to entice the firefighters, “especially because they’re men in uniform.”

Well, now they’re in hot water. But what about the culture that condoned this?