METRO 911 FILES MOTION TO INTERVENE IN KANAWHA SCHOOL DRUG TESTING CASE

Lawyers for Metro 911 filed a motion in federal court Tuesday to
intervene in a case over random drug testing of school employees,
saying that an unsuccessful outcome could limit the emergency
operation center's own policy that allows random drug tests.

Kanawha Commission President Kent Carper knows there are differences
between the existing Metro 911 policy and the Kanawha County schools
policy, which is on hold until a legal battle works through the courts.

"Each agency ...has different policies. But ours isn't proposed. Ours
is in effect right this minute," Carper said. "At the end of the day,
the final ruling will affect our policy."

When asked if a federal judge might find that random drug tests for
teachers are different than for emergency dispatchers, Carper said the
issue goes beyond just those employees.

Metro 911 officials drug test receptionists, computer technicians and
all of its other employees, Carper said. Last month, at Carper's
request, the Metro 911 governing board voted to intervene in the case.

What if, for instance, "there's been junk put into the [computer]
system?" he asked.

"I think it's really, really important that when you call 911 we show
up," he said, and added that the weakest link could cause a breakdown
in emergency response.

Also, pending the outcome of the federal court case, Kanawha's
courthouse officials will talk about whether to suspend drug testing
at Thursday's regular meeting of the Kanawha County Commission.

On Dec. 29, Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin granted a
temporary injunction to block the Kanawha County school system from
randomly drug testing teachers and most other employees starting Jan.
1.

Goodwin found no evidence of a pervasive drug problem in Kanawha
County schools and said school officials had not provided information
- - either locally or nationally - that school employees who used drugs
have endangered children at school.