PITTSBURGH --
A Pittsburgh trial board has recommended that a fire lieutenant charged with three DUI lose his job.
Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo reported that the board recommended on Thursday morning to terminate Steven Jasper's employment with the fire department.
Jasper is assigned to Engine 15 in Larimer.
Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said he recommended terminating Jones "since the beginning of the incident."
“I want the city of Pittsburgh to realize they can be confident in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, and this just shows that we are capable of cleaning up our own,” said Jones.
Public Safety Director Michael Huss called the decision “very significant.”
“It sends a message to all the other firefighters, that even the firefighters -- you know we have a lot of good firefighters -- and there's just a few that are continuously getting in trouble. I think it sends a message bureau-wide that they're taking it seriously,” said Huss.
Huss said he wished Jasper “the best,” but added that “he needs some help.”
“I had respect for the work he did for the fire bureau. It's just, I think he has some issues he needs to deal with, and he's going to need to do it somewhere else,” said Huss.
Jasper is currently awaiting trial on drunken driving charges in Braddock Hills. He also faces DUI charges in Bellevue and East Pittsburgh.
The recommendation for termination now goes to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Mayo reported that Ravenstahl will likely sign off on the recommendation.
Jasper has the right to appeal the firing through the civil service board, but has yet to indicate if he’ll do so.
At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday regarding Jasper's DUI arrest in Bellevue, attorney Blaine Jones said the judge agreed to drop three of the five charges against Jasper, who agreed to enter a rehabilitation facility.
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