FDNY bust over booze

FDNY bust over booze

Find stash at firehouse in E. Harlem

By MICHELE McPHEE
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF

A surprise inspection at a Manhattan firehouse turned up a locker full of booze and prompted the reassignment of four FDNY commanders and the suspension of two firefighters, the Daily News has learned.
FDNY Capts. Al Hagan and Kerry Hollywood, along with Lts. Glenn Rohan and Joseph Patriciello, were bounced to other firehouses. Firefighters John Condon and Brian McParland were suspended after testing positive for drug use, officials said.

Condon and McParland could be fired.

"Firefighting is a dangerous occupation, and anyone impaired by these substances puts not only themselves, but their colleagues and the public, at risk," Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said yesterday.

"It will not be tolerated."

The inspection at Engine 53, Ladder 43 in East Harlem on Sunday night was the first since an embarrassing fight broke out at a Staten Island firehouse on New Year's Eve.

Police believe firefighters were drinking in that company's quarters before Firefighter Robert Silvestri picked up a chair and bashed colleague Robert Walsh in the face, several sources have said.

Alcohol is not allowed in FDNY quarters. Three other inspections in the past year have turned up nothing, Scoppetta said.

In East Harlem, civilian investigators broke into a locker and found a case of beer and dusty bottles of high-end liquor, FDNY officials said.

The company's firefighters insisted the alcohol was left over from a Christmas party they held at a nearby restaurant last month.

"This alcohol was in a locker, and it was dusty," said Uniformed Firefighters Association spokesman Tom Butler. "The department admits there was no alcohol consumed that night."

A high-ranking FDNY official confirmed that none of the firefighters appeared to be drinking on duty.

"There was no party going on in there," the source said. "Most of the guys didn't even know that the stuff was in the locker at all."

Once the inspectors found the stash of booze, everyone in the house was forced to undergo a drug test. Condon and McParland tested positive for "controlled substances."

Scoppetta issued a zero tolerance order for drug use in April 2003. Since then, a dozen people have been terminated for testing positive, Scoppetta said.

OUCH! I'm bettin there's more to the story........

something is awry in Bagosa Springs .........

Sounds like these guys are getting railroaded...They broke open the locker to find a dusty case of beer and some liquor bottles. Not a FULL STASH OF BOOZE. No one was drinking it, and the suspended firefighters were probably banged for using pot. Off the job. Make this a lesson, paid FFs, get any and all booze out of the firehouse.

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...dusty bottles of high-end liquor

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This has all the trappings of a good old fashion witch hunt.

I bet this has something to do with the recent problems they have had.

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and the suspended firefighters were probably banged for using pot.

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Shouldn't expect anything less if the department has a zero tolerance order.

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Since then, a dozen people have been terminated for testing positive, Scoppetta said.

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Does anyone know if this was from random drug testing or situations similar to this?

Well, I received the story on this one on late Friday. I forwarded it to the leadership at IACOJ.
Damn; news media has been relentless.
But then, so has OUR efforts to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Facts; where are the facts? Must have facts to have a discussion.
On second thought....
CR

Maybe its just me, but there is no such thing as "just pot", it is still a drug and it is still illegal.
Pride373: even if they were using the drugs on their own time it was still in their system at work, putting themselves and everyone else in danger. I agree maybe this was not handles right, but if people would start thinking and quit doing stupid things they would have nothing to worry about.
A no tolerance policy is just that.

I can not believe what I'm reading ...

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Sounds like these guys are getting railroaded...They broke open the locker to find a dusty case of beer and some liquor bottles. Not a FULL STASH OF BOOZE. No one was drinking it, and the suspended firefighters were probably banged for using pot. Off the job.

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This has all the trappings of a good old fashion witch hunt.

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Whenever this story comes up regarding the East Bumstick Volunteer FD, everyone is ready to string 'em up by their nuts (and rightfully so). Now, it's a "witch hunt", "no one is drinking it", blah, blah, blah. How is this any different???

... and Pride373, so I don't take your quote out of context ...

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Make this a lesson, paid FFs, get any and all booze out of the firehouse.

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I completely agree w/ you there.

Stay Safe

Career or vollie... Big city or small town... None of those details matter. Kids, it's 2004 and it's time that the firehouse be without the bar, liquor locker, etc.

Why is it everyone automatically assumes the worst. How about some other explanations as to why booze could be in the fire house. Ever heard of a beer battered fish fry ? Ever heard of a rum cake ? There are quite a number of recipes out there that have some kind of alcohol in them. Now i am not saying this is the case here, just offering other potential reasons. Reasons also to not jump to any rash conclusions. I am sure there will be an ivestigation here, and the results of said investigation will determine the outcome of any punishment/reprimands etc... And maybe they were just storing the bottles from thier party, seeing as it was admitted that dust was present on the bottles.

Just my opinion there is no reason why the alcohol should be in teh fire station. If there is a policy about no alcohol, there should not be any exceptions.

I just hope that the firefighters involved were able to obtain drug tests from an independent source. Tests can be wrong, and I would hate to see these guys lose their careers over false positives. Call me naive, but I have a real hard time picturing coke-sniffing FDNY firefighters. These guys are highly trained professionals who have dedicated their lives to their careers. Why on earth would they take the chance of throwing it all away?

As for the alcohol, who's to say that the alcohol wasn't put in the storage area a long time ago and just forgotten? I know that where I work there are things stored away that have probably been there for decades.

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Originally posted by jasper45
Why is it everyone automatically assumes the worst. How about some other explanations as to why booze could be in the fire house. Ever heard of a beer battered fish fry ? Ever heard of a rum cake ? There are quite a number of recipes out there that have some kind of alcohol in them. Now i am not saying this is the case here, just offering other potential reasons. Reasons also to not jump to any rash conclusions. I am sure there will be an ivestigation here, and the results of said investigation will determine the outcome of any punishment/reprimands etc... And maybe they were just storing the bottles from thier party, seeing as it was admitted that dust was present on the bottles.

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Actually, if you re-read my post......... I said

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OUCH! I'm bettin there's more to the story........

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And, I'm sorry, but a case of beer is an awful lot to make beer batter fish, and I don't consider rum to be a "high-end liquor" I know you're saying this isn't the case, but that's a sad attempt at an excuse if this was a valid find.......

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In East Harlem, civilian investigators broke into a locker and found a case of beer and dusty bottles of high-end liquor, FDNY officials said.

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I'm not making any judgements on this....... I still bet there's more to the story. And I'm also willing to bet we will NEVER get the whole story. I, personaaly, don't care to hear the whole story.

***WARNING....... PERSONAL OPINION BELOW****

I don't believe alcohol should be in the station at all. Left over booze from any kind of function off duty doesn't need to be in a firehouse. Someone can take it home to store it. The firehouse is not the place

January 27, 2004 -- Firefighters were battling two fierce blazes in Brooklyn early this morning, officials said. A raging fire at Queen Anne-style house at 1814 Brooklyn Ave. in Flatbush spread to a pair of adjoining buildings despite the best efforts of around 140 firefighters, officials said. The blaze, which broke out around 1:15 a.m., reached three alarms as flames from the two-and-a-half-story building ignited buildings on both its sides, a four-story building and a six-story building. Initial reports showed two people suffered cuts and were being treated at the 63rd precinct station house, where they ran after the fire broke out.


January 27, 2004 --A four-alarm fire erupted around 11:30 last night in a three-story building at 737 Liberty Ave. in East New York, a FDNY spokesman said. The building, with a commercial establishment on the first floor and apartments above it, was gutted. Around 40 fire trucks and 170 firefighters battle the blaze, which left three civilians and five firefighters injured. Two civilians were taken to Brookdale Hospital' the third was treated at the scene.


January 27, 2004 --Finally, a one-alarm fire broke out on the first floor of an apartment building in Manhattan’s Washington Heights section at about 2:30 a.m. Firefighters rescued five people from the building on Pinehurst Avenue, of whom four were taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and one to Harlem Hospital. All were in serious condition, Cleary said.

I am with you 100% on that one. If this was some department in PA that had a stocked bar, people would be calling for heads.

It just goes to show the Double Standard.


Like I said in the other thread, It was pretty Stupid to bring Liquor back to the station. The suspensions and reassignments are justified 100%. What was the need to bring the stuff to a "Middleman" location versus just taking it home or disposing of it? Seems to me maybe they were planning another FDNY "Booze and Flying Chairs Competition." in Harlem.

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Originally posted by TillerMan25
Like I said in the other thread, It was pretty Stupid to bring Liquor back to the station. The suspensions and reassignments are justified 100%. What was the need to bring the stuff to a "Middleman" location versus just taking it home or disposing of it? Seems to me maybe they were planning another FDNY "Booze and Flying Chairs Competition." in Harlem.

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Unless I'm reading your statement wrong...

You my friend are an assho!e...

Did I ever claim to be anything else?

Sorry to bring the truth and reality to you. Not everyone believes you guys are untouchable and just because you are in the FDNY, does not automatically preclude the department from criticism over dumb s--t people do. Like I said, if this was some Volunteer Department from Anytown USA, people would be calling for heads. Just like when they had the charges in San Francisco, everyone was whining "We can't make judgements against them...blah blah." But I can direct you to several threads where Volunteers were bashed about Arson and alcohol with less evidence than we have here against the SFFD and the FDNY.

Kinda feels sh--ty not to be in the top percentile for non-blemished departments anymore doesn't it?

Fights breaking out on the fireground over who gets the knob...

Lying about a unit's location to jump a call.... and destroying the rig in the process

Responding to a reported fire way out of the jursidiction while coming back from a fire/rescue show...

yes folks...these things happened in PG county.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!

I know a few FDNY guys and I know one thing for sure about them....they are firefighters, not "angels". Based on the article, I think the reassignments are not justified. As for the alleged pot users, I have no use for people that use drugs. If their guilty, they go, if their not, let's move on.