Riverhead FD - Fire Apparatus MVA w/ FF DWI

[RWC130 594]

New York Department Bans Alcohol Following Apparatus Wreck

MITCHELL FREEDMAN

Newsday

Mar. 15--The Riverhead Fire Department has gone dry.

The department's commissioners banned alcohol from their firehouses following what police say was a drunken driving accident last month in which a Fire Department captain crashed a fire truck into a utility pole after taking part in a parade in Greenport.

The volunteer firefighter, Robert Block, 43, was later charged with driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child because his 8-year-old son was on the truck. The boy was unharmed.

Full Story:

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/a...46&id=58741

[jack10562 414]

There appears to be more going on in Riverhead FD than the story reveals.

I don't see the correlation of a driver having a DWI accident returning from a parade out-of-town, with alcohol being served in their own firehouses.

Consuming alcohol and driving apparatus should be forbidden, no matter what...that's a no-brainer.

As an aside, many departments have banned alcohol consumption in their buildings, except for during certain events and gatherings...the "good ole days" are gone...no more open bars for members to hang around.