Major Substance Abuse at the Boston Fire Department

The Boston Globe reports:

Mayor Thomas M. Menino launched a fresh review of the Boston Fire Department yesterday amid mounting evidence of substance abuse within its ranks, including a revelation that 159 firefighters, about 10 percent of the current force, were referred to treatment programs in the last three years.

Those 159 firefighters were ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment because they appeared to their superiors to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on duty, said Lieutenant William Ostiguy, who runs the treatment programs for the department. Twelve of the firefighters have been fired or forced to resign or retire for subsequent abuse.

The Globe reported yesterday that firefighter Paul Cahill had a blood-alcohol level of 0.27 percent, far above the legal limit for someone to drive in Massachusetts, when he died in an August fire at a Chinese restaurant in West Roxbury. Firefighter Warren Payne, who also died in the blaze, had traces of cocaine in his system. The information was in autopsy reports that were described to the Globe by two government officials.

It appears the government can't provide you safety and security when they have a monopoly.It's time to separate firefighting from the state.