Georgia Firefighters Accused Of Working, Responding While Intoxicated

STEVE VISSER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

At least one of the DeKalb County firefighters who allegedly showed up at work drunk went on emergency calls despite assurances otherwise from officials, county records show.

William P. Corbett, a fire apparatus operator, went on two calls in Stone Mountain, one for an accident and another to provide emergency medical help, on Jan. 12 during the winter storm, according to incident reports.

County officials said Corbett did not drive the vehicle.

Corbett, who was placed on unpaid administrative leave, and three other DeKalb firefighters were sent home after superiors received reports they had been drinking.

The men had been at a Decatur bar the night before and weren't scheduled to report to work until 7 a.m. on Jan. 12, but they were put to work earlier because of the winter storm, county officials said.

The calls that Corbett went on were between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Jan. 12, which would have been the time that he was expected to report to work sober.

Interim fire Chief Eddie O'Brien declined to identify the other employees being investigated by the Fire Department, but said they have the rank of captain and below. Channel 2 Action News has identified Capt. Marcus "Josh" Reed as the other firefighter put on unpaid leave.

Officials have refused to say why Reed was put on leave or whether more than four firefighters were involved.

DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Richard Stogner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week that two of the four were taken to a hospital for drug testing. At that time, Stogner said that none of the firefighters had gone on any calls.

"Under our procedures, you can't report to work inebriated. That doesn't mean you can't have a beer the night before," Stogner said last week. "The normal procedure is to put them on leave while it is reviewed. We will take the appropriate action after the review is complete."

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on January 21, 2011 at 5:29pm

The men had been at a Decatur bar the night before and weren't scheduled to report to work until 7 a.m. on Jan. 12, but they were put to work earlier because of the winter storm, county officials said.

The calls that Corbett went on were between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Jan. 12, which would have been the time that he was expected to report to work sober.

"Under our procedures, you can't report to work inebriated. That doesn't mean you can't have a beer the night before," Stogner said last week. "The normal procedure is to put them on leave while it is reviewed. We will take the appropriate action after the review is complete."

Sooooo many gaps to be filled in this story....right now this appears to be a witch hunt to me. First off it was "reported" they were in a bar the night before. Okay, being in a bar does not mean one is drunk. Secondly, they were "put to work earlier" because of a snow storm. OK, more info needed, were they ordered in? Sounds that way to me? Did they have a chance to refuse or say they were drinking? If so, then the one ordering them in can bear some responsibility. Also, what is the time disparity of being in the bar "the night before" and the time they reported in for work???

However, what sticks out to be is I see nothing showing what determines if they were dunk. If said person rolled on the calls during what would be his regular shift, then how are they saying he responded drunk? Seems like a bunch of baseless reporting to paint firefighters in a bad light.