Beacon Falls, CT Chief Accused of Selling Liquor to Minors

[mstrang1 213]

From Firehouse.com

BEACON FALLS, CT -- Fire Chief David Rybinski and four other volunteer emergency workers were arrested Monday and charged with selling liquor to minors.  

A sixth, unidentified person is wanted, State Police said.  

State police identified the four arrested as Brian DeGeorge, 28, of North Main Street; Richard Molleur, 30, of Division Street; Kristy Kean, 29, of North Main Street; and Samuel Papale, 19, of Blackberry Hill.  

First Selectman Susan Cable said her office received an anonymous letter from a resident last year claiming alcohol was being served to minors at Beacon Hose Company 1 on North Main Street.  

Cable said the town forbids alcohol in public buildings.  

Resident Trooper Eric Peck and the State Police Major Crime Squad began an investigation that resulted in the arrests, Cable said.  

"This is very disappointing for everybody," she said, adding: "They're good people. It's an unfortunate situation."  

The Board of Selectmen has summoned Rybinski for a closed session today to discuss the consequences of his arrest and the allegations, according to Cable.  

State police said six arrest warrants were developed based on an incident Feb. 6 at the firehouse, but did not reveal further details Monday night.  

Sgt. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman, did not return a call late Monday.  

A man answering the phone at the firehouse declined to comment late Monday.  

Rybinski, 47, of Quail Hollow Road, and the four other emergency volunteers turned themselves in at state police Troop I barracks in Bethany, state police said.  

DeGeorge, Rybinski and Molleur are each charged with disposing of liquor without a permit, sale of liquor to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment.  

Kean and Papale are charged with sale of liquor to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment.  

All five posted $10,000 bonds and are scheduled to appear Feb. 28 in Derby Superior Court.

[firecapt32 282]

so lets see what happens!! do you think this is a common thing in Westchester?? Are the Chiefs responsible even if they arent in the fire station??

Are all public buildings alochol free?? how much enforcement do you think the local police will do??

has this been a problem??

what kind of firefighter has a few drinks then get behind the wheel of a $500,000.00 fire Eng?

[LCFD968 10]

Didn't something happen like this in Rye FD afew years ago. The kid was in an accident. I don't think they sold to him, but gave it to him at a party. Not sure what happen to the FF.

[LCFD994 8]

Man this could open up a can of worms for a lot of departments everywhere. NOBODY should be selling or giving alcohol to minors no matter where it is. The Chief should be held somewhat accountable, but whichever people actually gave the alchol to the minors should hang........just my opinion

[mikelouf2 0]

WELL MAYBE THAT BAR IN THAT FIRE HOUSE WILL BE CLOSE FOR GOOD SELLING TO MINORS THATS BAD NEWS [-X [-X [-X [-X

[Guest]

All Fire Departments should close the Firehouse bars, in this day and age there is alot of liability. Make the firehouses dry, for the publics sake. Just a few drinks and then the whistle blows- disaster

waiting to happen. :-k

[DOC22 1]

Being a non drinker (for the most part) I agree 100% with you on this post! The days of drinking in the firehouse should be HISTORY! for everyones sake!

[JBE 328]

IMHO, a bar has NO PLACE in any firehouse. Look at all the incidents, especially in the past two or so years where members were tanked and crashed a rig, some of which with fatal consequences. Yes, I had my card in the firehouse, but rarely drank there. Cans of worms will be opened for sure. I understand that it helps to have a bar for events in the big room at the firehouse, but at any other time it should be off limits.

And for those of you that defend the bar in the firehouse, and the reasoning that it keeps members from quitting the department,or that it's cheaper than going to the local pub, if that's what keeps them there, then they are not worth having in your department. Soapbox 10-9, have a nice day.

[Remember585 815]

All Fire Departments  should close the Firehouse bars, in this day and age there is alot of liability. Make the firehouses dry, for the publics sake. Just a few drinks and then the whistle blows- disaster

waiting to happen. :-k

Amen brother, Amen!

[DMA327 12]

IF YOU NEED TO COMPLAIN THAT YOU CAN'T DRINK WHILE AT THE FIREHOUSE....GO AWAY CAUSE YOU AIN'T HELPING US ANY!

[mstrang1 213]

I agree with everyone here. As a non-drinker, and as a firefighter, I am ashamed when people think that all we do is drink at the firehouse. And believe me, there are people in the public that think we are just a bunch of drunks.

In addition, in my company, the PRESIDENT is in charge in the Company Room, and the Chief is only responsible downstairs. Understandably, the Chief does have a certain responsibility, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the President.

But then the problem is when all the members leave the firehouse because they cannot drink there, and all go to the local pub. John Q. Public drives by and sees the Chiefs truck, the Asst chiefs truck, and a whole bunch of blue lights and fire dept license plates and stickers and whatnot parked at the pub. Now, even if you are a non-drinker like me, and are at the bar just to socialize, and a call comes in, the public does not know that I am drinking soda, they just know they see me leaving the bar and going on a fire call.

HMmmm, problems all around.

Sorry for that rant.

[LCFD968 10]

Look at all the incidents, especially in the past two or so years where members were tanked and crashed a rig, some of which with fatal consequences.

If you look at the most of the reports, Alot of the drivers came from a bar. Somewhere that no one could have said "you can't go". Andee Huber was a junior that died in a rollover tanker accident while enroute to a brush fire. The driver was at a bar 2 blocks away.

A "clubroom" in a firehouse is a touchy subject. There rules and regulations and LAWS that have to followed. Its up to the members to make sure the rules are followed. If the rule is abused or broken then they lose the previlage of the clubroom. Just because there are a few incidents out of the hundreds of thousand of firefighters and firehouses that everybody should be punished.

[mstrang1 213]

LCFD, while it is true that numerous incidents stem from drinking in pubs and bars as opposed to firehouses, this may be because drinking is no longer allowed in many firehouses. It is the responsibilty of the individual at this point to be mature and professional enough to know when to not respond on an alarm. I have heard firefighters say, " when its a real fire, you sober up quickly on the fireground, and your adrenaline takes over". That sentence sickens me! If any of these people showed up at their "real jobs" drunk and expected to sober up instantly and magically, they'd surely be fired, or at minimum, reprimanded!! Why is our business, one where lives depend on our performance, taken so lightly?!

I guess learning from other peoples mistakes doesn't happen anymore, not unless that person lives and works in Westchester, or more specifically, your department. The mindset is, that happens in PA, or Wisconsin, or Nebraska or WYOMING, but not here.

I'm done.

[LCFD968 10]

Maybe it hasn't happen here or more specifically, "my department" because we did learn from there mistakes. We do act responsible and are more mature not to respond to an alarm. I think more along the lines that it happened there it could happen here. We are professional but like in any profession you have bad seeds. They should be dealt with individaully.

[LCFD994 8]

Although there is a good argument not to have bars or clubrooms at firehouses, I dont see them closing anytime soon. Weather or not I think its a good idea or not, the drivers should be held responsible should they drive the apparatus when they shouldnt be, ie: after a few, .

I have been in the position, officer on the rig, of telling a driver to get out of the rig because I smelt alcohol on his breath, he didnt like it and I almost had to physically remove him from the truck, it didnt matter to me if he had one beer or was boxed I didnt feel safe with him driving at that point. This member came from a bar that was located right next door to the firehouse, so it kinda goes to show that the problem may not be that there is alcohol at the firehouse.

[mstrang1 213]

Nicholas- It's not only the drivers you should be worried about! The guys in the back not only have to drive to the firehouse in their PV, but they have to do all the work once on scene. In addition, Chiefs are not immune to this as well. There have been instances of Chiefs working fires while intoxicated, as sad as it may be.

I was told of one department whose Chief told the members that if they had a few to drink, that they should come to the firehouse to get a point, but not ride to the call. YES, you read that right! He told them to get into their PERSONAL VEHICLE and DRIVE to the firehouse, but to not get on the rig, just to get a point!! Now, problem 1 is this: He is telling the members to drive while intoxicated! Problem 2: If something happened besides a car accident while responding, ie an accident going HOME from the call, this opens alot of liability towards the department in that it is recorded on paper that the member involved just responded to an alarm, while intoxicated, and there was probably no proof that the member did not ride to the call, just noted that s/he responded to the call.

Just some food for thought...

[LCFD994 8]

mstrang1... I couldnt agree with you more....