AMBULANCE BOARD TO DEBATE DRUG POLICY

Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority board members plan to revisit
the debate over whether to subject their employees to random drug testing.
But few at the authority appear inclined to change current policy.

Board member, and County Commission president, Kent Carper placed the issue
on the agenda for the authority's meeting March 28. No drug-related
incidents spurred the decision to reconsider random tests, he said.

"I don't think we have a problem," Carper said. "I have great confidence in
the personnel over there. I just want to ask the questions that need to be
answered."

The county has a zero-tolerance policy, but does not administer random drug
tests.

"If random tests would benefit our service, we'd implement it," said Joe
Lynch, authority director. "I don't really think it would."

Supervisors can call for "probable cause" tests if an employee shows signs
of drug use or strays from protocol on ambulance runs, Lynch said.

"It's been used multiple times, and the test results have always come back
clean," Lynch said. "One employee refused a test and resigned nearly 10
years ago. Otherwise I am not aware of any incident."

John Burdette, the authority's medical director, said shift commanders and
lieutenants observe ambulance workers closely. Burdette and others
regularly review run reports, he said.

In his six years as medical director, he's never seen a positive drug test,
he said.

"To date we don't have any kind of evidence that switching to random
testing would improve safety," Burdette said. "I would like to see some
evidence rather than just opinion."

In contrast to the county, Charleston City Council expanded a random drug
test policy that went into effect in January 2002.

All city employees with commercial drivers licenses or who work in "safety
sensitive" positions, such as police, firefighters and ambulance staff, are
subject to random tests for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and PCP.

Human resources administrators also pre-screen city job applicants and
require tests after accidents.

In 2002, contracted technicians from Health Research Systems-EMSI conducted
557 total drug tests on Charleston employees. Of those workers, 16 tested
positive, said Judy King, the city's director of human resources.

City employees who test positive for drugs may undergo treatment and
counseling programs at their own expense and then retest to get a second
chance at their jobs.

"About 95 percent of those underwent counseling and treatment and returned
to their jobs," King said. "A minimum of six follow-up tests are given to
them over the following year."

Should the county ambulance board members approve random testing, Lynch
said he hopes they would include a "second chance" policy, like the one in
Charleston.

Ambulance work is extremely stressful, and people make mistakes, he said.

Carper said he would support a "safe harbor" policy, which would let
ambulance employees seek treatment once and retest before they are fired
for drug abuse.