Sept. 08--The leader of Austin's firefighters union challenged Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr on Monday to join him in abstaining from alcohol for a year to serve as an example for the department.
"This would be a positive way for both of us to lead by example and attempt to turn the trend toward zero DWIs within the fire department using positive, non-punitive methods," Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, said in a statement posted on the union's website.
The invitation follows an American-Statesman analysis of city disciplinary records in the wake of concerns Kerr and Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo raised about DWI in their ranks. That review found that during the past 5 1/2 years, 18 suspensions or firings at the Fire Department were related to DWI allegations, or about 36 percent of 50 disciplinary measures. Seven suspensions or firings at the Police Department were related to DWI allegations, or about 3 percent of 263 measures.
Nicks objected both to the Statesman's article and to Kerr's decision to fire a firefighter in July over a drunken driving arrest.
"DWI is a serious offense and should be dealt with through appropriate measures of punishment and support, not termination," he said.
Fire officials, who spent Monday in city budget meetings, were not immediately available to comment.
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