DRUG USERS STILL ON DUTY AS FIREFIGHTERS

Twelve Madison firefighters allegedly involved in drug use are still
on active duty, despite police reports that, among other things, one
firefighter helped arrange a cocaine deal worth more than $8,000.

Several other firefighters admitted to detectives they were regular
cocaine users and another admitted to buying cocaine from an on-duty
firefighter at a fire station, police reports say.

The documents, released by the Madison Police Department in censored
form at a press conference Thursday, add another dimension to a
large-scale police investigation into drug use at Jocko's Rocket Ship,
a downtown bar that has been shut down after police said it had been
operating as an ``indoor open-air drug market'' for the past 10 years.

A police undercover operation, coupled with a federal grand jury
probe, led to the indictments on March 23 of nine people alleged to
have been major drug dealers at the bar, including owner Robert
``Boot'' Schuh.

Madison Mayor Sue Bauman said the results of the police investigation
were embarrassing for the city.

``This is certainly a sad day for the city of Madison to find that a
number of our firefighters appear to have been involved in the use of
illegal drugs,'' Bauman said.

The documents show that in January and February, 11 people were
interviewed by police detectives about their knowledge of drug use by
firefighters. Some of those interviewed gave detectives the names of
people they said were drug users in the department; others admitted
they themselves were users.

The drug of choice seemed to be cocaine, although many admitted to
smoking marijuana as well, the records allege.

``The level of firefighter involvement in controlled substances varied
from occasional use to long-term use, and some low-level distribution
to distribution of a significant amount,'' said Lt. Bill Housley,
commander of the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force.

``We have no information which indicates that controlled substances
were used while firefighters were on duty; however, we learned that on
at least one occasion, cocaine was purchased out of a fire station
from an on-duty firefighter.''

The names of all 12 firefighters, plus one civilian department
employee implicated in drug use, were withheld from the media by the
Police Department.

Fire Chief Debra Amesqua said she first learned the details of the
investigation 41/2 hours before the press conference and said her
staff was working full speed to begin an internal investigation.

``Immediately I turned that information over to my personnel chief and
his staff ... to make a determination as quickly as possible'' about
suspensions, Amesqua said.

She was unequivocal that she plans swift action.

``It's going to hurt (our reputation),'' the chief said of the
allegations. ``We are a very, very proud organization and we've had
great relationships with our community. And our community trusts us,
which they have every right to do. We are an excellent Fire
Department. This group of firefighters is not representative.''

Today, Amesqua and Assistant Chief Carl Saxe plan to focus on the most
serious allegations.

If all 13 eventually were suspended, it would be a great strain on
staff and would require overtime hours for many firefighters, Amesqua
acknowledged.

She said the departmental investigation would be ``thorough and fair''
but would move as quickly as possible.

For now, the 12 firefighters are working their normal
shifts.

It's likely, sources say, that several firefighters will be placed on
suspension based on the seriousness of their alleged drug dealing.
Amesqua said the names of any suspended employees would not be made
public unless formal disciplinary charges were filed with the Police
and Fire Commission.

In the past three weeks, Madison police have forwarded the reports to
the Dane County district attorney, who will decide whether to pursue
criminal charges, Housley said.

District Attorney Diane Nicks has said it is likely she won't make a
decision to issue charges for at least three months, until she has
more information about other Jocko's investigations.

Housley said the firefighters had not been arrested because
authorities didn't know if they had enough evidence to secure
convictions.

``The information that we have has come from interviews that were
conducted with fire employees. That information in and of itself may
not be sufficient to substantiate a criminal case,'' Housley said.

Under suspicion: Housley said Madison firefighters first fell under
suspicion on Dec. 7, when a group of them arrived at Jocko's at the
end of their annual ``pub crawl'' or ``Death Walk,'' as firefighters
called it. It's an annual event in which a group of firefighters get
drunk going from bar to bar downtown. (Amesqua said she will oppose
such organized events in the future.)

``When these names began to surface, we opened a separate
investigation which focused on a group of firefighters, who it
appeared had some involvement in controlled substances,'' Housley said.

The investigation was separated from an ongoing investigation into
drug use at Jocko's in part because the Jocko's investigation was
running in conjunction with a federal grand jury probe, thus limiting
how investigatory information could be used, he said.

The 36 pages of censored police reports show that between Jan. 11 and
Feb. 21, detectives interviewed 11 people who are either firefighters
or who implicated firefighters in drug use or dealing.

One firefighter told police he witnessed drug transactions in the
basement of Jocko's while on the pub crawl.

Other firefighters admitted to buying cocaine at Jocko's and another
told police he snorted cocaine about 50 times in 1998.

There is no current investigation into drug use by firefighters,
Housley said, and none of the firefighters have been granted immunity
in exchange for their testimony against others.

Bauman said the investigation should also send a message to other
firefighters -- and other city employees.

``This certainly is not something that I am proud of or happy about,
and it is something that needs to be addressed. If there are other
people who are not identified as people who are using or are engaged
in illegal drug use ... I hope they get the message loud and clear to
clean up their act, now,'' Bauman said.