Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) Copyright: 2009 PG Publishing Co., Inc. Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/pm4R4dI4 Website: http://www.post-gazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/341 Author: Rich Lord, Staff Writer FIREFIGHTER'S SUSPENSION STOKES DISPUTE AT CITY HALL Criminal charges against a Pittsburgh firefighter spurred a union-management showdown yesterday, with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration calling for more disciplinary rights and drug testing, and a labor leader demanding innocent-until-proven-guilty treatment for a seven-year veteran. Sparking the fight was firefighter Vincent Manzella, 31, who was charged Thursday with burglary, theft and calling in false alarms. The fake alarms were a diversion, according to a criminal complaint, so he could burglarize a Lawrenceville firehouse to support a heroin habit. "We have an employee that has been placed in a great deal of trust, and he misused that trust," said Public Safety Director Michael Huss. "We tend to have within the Fire Bureau more of this type of illegal drug use than we do in our other public safety bureaus. "It creates a tremendous hazard ... not only to his co-workers, but to the public we're trying to protect." He suspended Mr. Manzella for 30 days and called on a trial board of three firefighters to terminate him. "Everybody's convicted this individual before [seeing] any legitimate charges," said Joe King, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1. He said the trial board will decide the case "based on the evidence presented." A police investigation identified Mr. Manzella as the person who called 911 three times in early April to trick firefighters into leaving their station unmanned. Police say he entered and took petty cash and personal cash. Though perhaps less than $100 was stolen, the case involves "calling in false alarms, putting firefighters in danger, utilizing city resources," Mr. Huss said. Mr. Manzella worked at the Lawrenceville firehouse a few years ago, but was off on workers' compensation when the calls were made. He later returned to work at the Sheraden firehouse, where police found him June 19. According to the criminal complaint, he admitted to the ruse and "stated that he was really bad into heroin at the time" after his work injury led to narcotics addiction. In January, the Post-Gazette reported the case of firefighter John Connors, who pleaded guilty to cocaine possession. The city sought to fire him, but a trial board found that the city took a shortcut around labor contract provisions when it demanded drug tests. Mr. Connors is back at work, having won the trial board decision and an arbitrator's award. "Out of all the firefighters we have, there's a very small percentage that are using these types of substances. But it's something we can't tolerate," said Mr. Huss. Three firefighters are now subject to "last chance" agreements for drug or alcohol violations. Mr. Huss called for random drug testing of firefighters, but added that he needed to bargain that with the union. Now the city can demand that a firefighter undergo a drug test in a variety of circumstances, including after a return to work after more than two weeks off on compensation. The union has long wanted "a reasonable testing program" focused on firefighters who show signs of a problem, said Mr. King. But he said Mr. Huss "just wants it his way or no way, and that doesn't work." Mr. King brought up an incident last year in which police pulled over firefighter William Clifford in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity. Police found nothing, but the city had him drug tested anyway. Mr. Huss reiterated Mr. Ravenstahl's call, made after Mr. Connors was returned to work, for the General Assembly to rewrite the 70-year-old state laws that govern discipline of firefighters in Pittsburgh. Instead of firefighters judging their own, he wants them to have the right to challenge discipline through arbitration. Arbitration "may serve us better than what we currently have," Mr. Huss said. "His chances of [getting] that are slim to none," said Mr. King. Today, when a firefighter is disciplined, the public safety director and the accused each choose the names of 25 firefighters of rank equal to, or higher than, the accused. The names are placed in a box, and seven are drawn. Each side can strike two, leaving three to decide the case. A proposed new recovery plan under state Act 47 for distressed municipalities, up for city council vote today, calls on city officials to ask the General Assembly to abolish the trial boards. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr