CHURCH HILL OKS DRUG TESTING FOR FIREFIGHTERS

CHURCH HILL - Church Hill city employees who are also members of the local
volunteer fire department may soon be subjected to random drug testing as
part of a new program recommended by Police Chief and Public Safety
Director Mark Johnson.

On Tuesday, the Church Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed to let the
National Testing Association based in Huntersville, N.C., conduct the
random testing when the program is fully implemented.

NTA offered a rate of $34 per person tested plus an $85 annual fee for
administrative costs. Johnson said that was the lowest rate of the testing
companies he received quotes from.

Church Hill already requires random drug testing of its six employees who
hold commercial driver's licenses. Johnson said Tuesday that subjecting the
27 city employees who are also volunteer firefighters to random drug
testing is simply taking a proactive approach to preventing an unfortunate
accident from occurring.

He added that the program will likely pay for itself. The Tennessee
Municipal League, which provides insurance to Church Hill, offers a
discount of 5 percent to 10 percent on insurance premiums when such a
program is implemented.

Johnson recommended Tuesday that 12 employee/firefighters be selected
randomly for drug testing every three months. A computer program operated
by the NTA will randomly generate the names of those to be tested.

The estimated cost of the program is $1,717 per year, but before the
program can go into effect the BMA will have to approve a drug policy.

In other business Tuesday the BMA:

.Agreed to purchase a trackhoe for approximately $102,000, as well as a
hammer attachment, which would bring the total price up to about $146,000.
Mayor Dennis Deal noted that every area of the city where sewer has yet to
be extended is blocked by rock, and the trackhoe would probably pay for
itself in future sewer extension projects.

.Authorized Johnson to implement the third annual Citizens Police Academy.

.Agreed by a 4-2 vote to hire Wayne Arnold full time as a laborer/mechanic
for $7.50 per hour. Aldermen Billy Kyle Housewright and G.B. Seals voted
against.