BOSTON --
The probe into the deaths of two Boston firefighters is apparently going nowhere, and now, the Boston Fire Department may get an outside review of the autopsy reports.
NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that reports indicate that firefighter Warren Payne had cocaine in his system and firefighter Paul Cahill had a high blood-alcohol level when they died battling a restaurant fire last August.
Boston Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser said that a department board of inquiry investigating the deaths last year has done nothing in months. Fraser wants the board to reopen its investigation and examine the autopsy reports.
The board, which is made up of 10 firefighters, has not examined the autopsy reports or even consulted with the district attorney, according to the Boston Globe. The head of the board told Fraser that they decided not to review the autopsy reports or take action regarding toxicology.
He said that a determination about impairment is "outside their area of expertise." Fraser said that he is considering launching a new, outside review that would include a thorough examination of autopsy results and whether chemical impairment played a role in the firefighters' deaths.
There is a larger issue at stake -- mandatory drug and alcohol testing. A finding of impairment would increase pressure on union officials to allow testing as part of their contract negotiations.
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