REVISE DRUG TEST POLICY

The primary duty of a Metro drug-testing policy for public safety officials
must be assuring that employees are clean and sober.

The issue of the drug-testing policy came to light recently with the death
of firefighter Richard Majors. At the time of his death, Majors was under
investigation for suspected drug use. That investigation, however, did not
include the requirement that Majors submit to a drug test. An autopsy found
no signs of illegal drugs in his system.

Currently, a drug test cannot be ordered of a fire department employee
unless a ''trained supervisor observes and documents appearance, behavior,
speech or body odors'' which characterize alcohol or illegal drug use.

On its face, that policy seems too limited. Using this policy, if five
firefighters in a unit separately told their supervisor that they suspected
a co-worker was using drugs, or had even witnessed the drug use, the
supervisor still could not order a drug test.

While the policy must protect against one disgruntled co-worker falsely
accusing another, it seems equally wrong to not allow a supervisor to take
the testimony of other workers as evidence that an employee has a problem.

Public safety employees, police officers as well as firefighters, must be
physically and mentally alert throughout their entire shift. The public's
safety demands that they be drug free.

There is also the health of the employee to consider. If a firefighter is
falsely accused, the truth will come out in the test. For a worker who has
a drug problem, being required to take a drug test might cost his job, but
it could also save his life.

Supervisors of public safety workers are routinely called upon to make
crucial decisions. They should certainly be given more discretion about
when to require an employee to take a drug test.