SACRAMENTO—
An audit of fire department procedures on controlling inventories of narcotics has also recommended that firefighters undergo random drug testing. The audit was in part instigated by a whistle-blower complaint on how morphine and other addictive drugs are handled by paramedics and EMT’s in the fire department.
City auditor Jorge Oseguera found irregularities in record keeping including improperly logging in drugs when they were received and keeping track of drugs that were used or thrown out when the expiration date was reached. In one instance records made it appear that 100 vials of morphine were missing.
“We able to find some deficiencies in those controls that needed to be addressed right away,” said Oseguera.
His audit made numerous recommendations including one which asked the department to consider randomly drug testing firefighters as some large departments around the state currently do.
But fire department spokesperson Roberto Padilla emphasized that all the drugs were eventually accounted for because it was a clerical error in which the wrong number was written in the logs.
“We have never observed any kind of problem within our rank that would lead us to believe we have a drug use problem in regards to the morphine vials,” said Padilla.
Padilla said drug testing is a reasonable tool to use to prevent theft and to help those who may become addicted. He admitted that is a purely preventative measure.
“We didn’t identify any evidence of abuse,” said Oseguera.
City fire fighter union director Jim Anderson was puzzled by the recommendation because the department already has a drug testing policy, one which he and the department says is working just fine.
“I’m not sure why he would suggest a drug testing problem,” said Anderson.
Firefighters can undergo testing if a supervisor, another firefighter, or even a citizen suspects unusual or odd behavior.
Both department officials and the union say other departments have random testing probably because there was an identified problem.
“That’s not the case here…it’s kind of like you’re guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent,” said Anderson about random testing.
The audit will go to the city council for consideration. The fire department agreed with all the suggestions made in the audit and instituted some reforms even before the audit was released. As for the drug testing proposal, the department agreed that it should be discussed, but stopped short of making a commitment. In a response to the audit, the department said such a proposal constituted a “meet and confer” agreement between management and labor.