Austin American-Statesman
AUSTIN — Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr rejected a challenge from firefighters union president Bob Nicks to join him in abstaining from alcohol for a year. Nicks had said it would set a positive example for the Austin Fire Department.
The challenge came after an American-Statesman analysis of city disciplinary records that showed 18 suspensions or firings at the Fire Department were related to DWI allegations during the past 5 1/2 years, or about 36 percent of 50 disciplinary measures during that time.
“Drinking responsibly over the age of 21 isn’t a crime and I’m not in the business of policing what people do in their personal lives and on their own time,” Kerr said in a written statement sent to the American-Statesman on Tuesday. “However, if a member of my organization breaks the law, there will be consequences. We all know that driving while intoxicated is illegal and the fact that President Nicks would rather I lower my standards for holding people accountable for breaking the law is incomprehensible.”
Full story: Fire chief rejects union’s alcohol challenge