Claims that Johnston firefighters are getting high and drunk while on duty is getting major pushback by the new fire chief and the mayor.
In his whistleblower suit filed last week, Johnston Firefighter Edward Spicer claims commanding officers knew his colleagues were repeatedly under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the job, WPRI reported.
“Said intoxication created unreasonable workplace hazards, in direct violation of law, and could give rise to violations of law regarding operating vehicles while intoxicated,” according to the suit filed in Rhode Island Superior Court.
Spicer's attorneys sent the town a letter in June, claiming nearly a third of the department was involved and noted an incident in which "intoxicated females to visit the fire stations and play with fire equipment.”
“Firefighter Spicer’s observations signal that the visits from the intoxicated females were not isolated incidents, but were only the tip of a much larger iceberg of disciplinary problems,” the attorneys wrote.
Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. said after receiving the letter, he asked former Fire Chief David Iannuccilli to retire earlier than he had planned.
He also said a firefighter was disciplined for allowing the women into the station.
Spicer's lawsuit alleges the former fire chief of identifying him as the one who reported the drug and alcohol use to the command staff. And, Battalion Chief Robert Marshall was disciplined for calling Spicer a "rat" to other firefighters.
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