Nia Tariq
Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — A Corvallis firefighter is under investigation after opioids went missing from an ambulance they were operating.
The city received a tip about the firefighter on Dec. 7, according to a news release, and the individual resigned on Dec. 8 when the city opened an investigation. The investigation has since been turned over to the Oregon Health Authority.
“The issue was first identified in a discrepancy on a supply log that tracked narcotics use on an ambulance,” said city spokesman Patrick Rollens in an email to the Gazette-Times. “The discrepancy was brought to CFD management, then to Human Resources for a formal investigation.”
Rollens declined to provide the name of the firefighter. He added that no arrests have been made and OHA’s investigation has not led to a criminal investigation at this time.
The Corvallis Fire Department — which also provides emergency medical services — keeps logs of its medication supplies. The investigation so far, according to the announcement, indicates the firefighter may have falsified those logs for at least 18 months during a spree of repeated thefts.
“These thefts constitute a grave breach of the public trust,” City Manager Mark Shepard said in the news release. " Corvallis Fire Department employees, like all city employees, are held to the highest standards of ethics and accountability. The city of Corvallis is committed to working with our partners and getting to the bottom of these thefts.”
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