Jul 9, 2008 5:39 pm US/Eastern
BFD Commish: Fire Investigation Going Nowhere
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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The initial investigation found that firefighter Paul Cahill's blood alcohol level was allegedlythree times over the legal limit to drive and Warren Payne allegedly had cocaine in his system when they responded to the restaurant fire.
CBS
The investigation into the death of two firefighters is getting nowhere, according to the commissioner of the Boston Fire Department.
Commissioner Roderick Fraser says the board, made up of firefighter union members, has not looked at any documents and has done very little in the past four months.
Fraser is now ordering the board to reconvene because the group did not look at the autopsy or toxicology reports. "Their concern was that the autopsy reports and the toxicology reports, reviewing those and making a determination about the impairment was outside their area of expertise. So the board did not feel comfortable reviewing that documentation," Fraser told WBZ Radio.
Fraser went on to say the board does in fact have the ability to ask for assistance from a medical examiner or a toxicologist when looking at the reports.
President of the Boston Firefighter's Union, Edward Kelly, released a statement late Wednesday afternoon, responding to Fraser's statements.
"If Fire Commissioner Fraser still has unanswered questions about potential impairment, and is proposing a new outside review, then that is his prerogative."
The initial investigation found that firefighter Paul Cahill's blood alcohol level was allegedly three times over the legal limit to drive and Warren Payne allegedly had cocaine in his system when they responded to a restaurant fire in West Roxbury last year.
Fraser told WBZ Radio that the board's findings would not impact the benefits being awarded to the families of Cahill and Payne, instead, it would be used as a way to help the department and its employees. "(The board) is a fact-finding body that looks at the incident and tries to look for factors that contributed to the tragic deaths of two dedicated firefighters, so in the future, that could be avoided."
The commissioner said he does support random drug testing within the department and for all public safety personnel, saying it would make for a safer work environment and help identify people who have substance abuse problems, so they can get the help they need.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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