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Florida Chief Resigns After Actions at Fire
DEMORRIS LEE
St. Petersburg Times
TARPON SPRINGS - Fire Chief Stephen Moreno, who admitted drinking alcohol in the hours before he showed up at a house fire on Jan. 14, resigned Tuesday after an investigation determined that his behavior warranted his termination.
"As a result of considerable thought reading the statements submitted, I have come to the conclusion that the events as they occurred, as well as the fallout from those events, have created an adverse condition for all involved," Moreno wrote in a statement delivered to City Manager Mark LeCouris.
Dr. Frederick Roever, a prominent community figure, died in the fire that destroyed his million-dollar home. Investigators said Moreno's conduct had no bearing on Roever's death.
About 11:30 p.m. Jan. 14, Moreno arrived at the fire at 1304 Belcher Drive. Moreno had been drinking and was not in protective gear. The chief started giving orders, although an incident commander was in charge.
In his statement , Moreno said he had three Jack Daniels and water at Rusty Bellies Restaurant. He said he left for home about 8:30 p.m.
"At no time did I do anything that put anyone in specific danger," he wrote.
Several firefighters at the scene said later that the chief's protocol violations put lives in danger.
Copyright 2010 Times Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
February 10, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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This one kinda brings up that whole "when is a volunteer off-duty" or "what is your drinking, then responding policy" discussion.
Seems to be a lot of chiefs resigning lately.
I think it's time for a nut check.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on
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LOL!
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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on
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Perhaps the debate of how much alcohol is too much on the fire scene is second or third in horse beating but once again here we go.
I think that more mistakes than just alcohol consumption were made here, but for the sake of argument lets look at what we have to accept at face value as the facts. The Chief admits to three drinks ending at 2030 hours. Now without knowing what the chiefs weight, body mass are, thus ability to metabolize alcohol, we need to assume the standard of the body processing alcohol at a rate of 1 mixed drink per hour. If you accept this then the chief was "threshold sober" at the time of responding to the call at 2330, thus OK to respond depending on his departments sop/sog in regards to response when having consumed alcohol.
I have served in three departments in my 20 years and have served long enough to date back when there was no sop/sog in regards to alcohol and the stuff was in a fridge in the station house. One of the departments I've belonged to had a 2X4 rule. Two beers and you didn't drive the apparatus Four and you didn't respond to the call. My current department has a zero tolerance based on the opinion that if John Q. Public can smell alcohol on your breath they don't know if it was one with dinner or if you have been on a all night bender. I support this policy wholeheartedly.
This is the reason there is still an unopened bottle of Jameson's on my home office. As I am a firm believer in Murphy's Law, and that the minute I tap it the Mother of all structure fires will bang out and I'll be S.O.L. I guess then I'd have a reason to put a real dent in the bottle.
Now having said that, there is a question that I have had for years and have yet to get, a real great answer. So here it is once again. The Chief had three drinks ending at 2030 by acceptable medical standards that I am aware of this made him "marginally sober" at 2330. Now the twist Firefighter John Doe who has been fighting a sinus cold for a week goes to bed at 2300 having taken a dose of NyQuil type medicine when the call bangs out at 2330 he responds to the call who is the "drunker " one of the two?
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