Springfield firefighter fired for smoking cigarette in car (MA Liberal Nazi Alert)

Boston Globe | 11-1-02 | Associated Press

[Lance Romance]

Springfield firefighter fired for smoking cigarette in car

By Associated Press, 11/1/2002

PRINGFIELD - A Springfield man has become the first firefighter in the state to be fired under a Massachusetts law prohibiting firefighters and police officers from smoking, on or off the job.

John S. Marrero, 25, was smoking when a trooper arrested him on July 22 for driving erratically, the Springfield Fire Commission found. He also faces criminal charges of possession of crack cocaine and OxyContin and several motor vehicle violations.

Marrero pleaded innocent, saying he was driving a borrowed car when he was arrested and did not know there were drugs in the vehicle, according to the Union-News of Springfield.

His criminal trial is scheduled for Feb. 25 in Springfield District Court, and he is free on personal recognizance. He was fired from the department Wednesday.

The no-smoking law calls for the firing of any firefighter or police officer hired after Jan. 1, 1988, who is caught smoking tobacco products on or off duty.

The law was enacted under a pension reform measure that automatically presumes that heart ailments for police and firefighters are job-related disabilities. The accidental disability pension provides for 72 percent of a police officer or firefighter's final salary, annuity, and allowance for dependents - all tax free.

Kevin Garvey, president of Springfield Association of Fire Fighters, Local 648, said the union will appeal the finding to the state Civil Service Commission.

[weikel]

He also faces criminal charges of possession of crack cocaine and OxyContin and several motor vehicle violations.

All drugs should be legal BUT the state as an employer shouldn't be employing crackheads IMHO.

[Publius6961]

This is kind of like having a cop find a bullet-riddled body in the trunk of your car and you get busted for not wearing your seatbelt.

Of course.
Tobacco is just a convenient place for the pathologically neurotic controllers among us to exercise their thing.

Most of us know that.

Until they over-reach.
Then the explosion against them will not be pretty.

[BlackbirdSST]

I guess you see him as just another "victim"? In case you haven't noticed, all SMOKERS are being victimized! But that isn't the jist of my comment. To say he should have not signed on, is to say he shouldn't work anywhere, again, in case you haven't noticed, this crap is exploding exponentially all across this once great nation. At some point, even you will have to make the decision, to work or not to work, or to cow tow to the powers that be, however insane their policies are. What's left, the public dole? Smoker's are a test base, prepare yourself. Blackbird.

[Lance Romance]

I consider my point made. Thrice.

[POhara71]

The smoking was just an excuse to fire this guy. He had drugs in his car and was driving erratically. They were probably trying to help him out by using that as the excuse and not narcotics possession.
However... not smoking, even at home, as a condition of employment is a violation of privacy even if the employment is conditional. By allowing that you essentially say your employer can come into your home unannounced to make sure you are living up to the agreed stipulation of employment at any time.
And I would like to point one more thing out...how the hell can you tell a fireman not to smoke?? If the boneheads that passed this understood how many toxins fireman inhaled over the course of their career they would not think of passing this redundant crap. If you want fireman to protect their lungs, pay them not to go to fires and let them worry about their smoking habits

[Lance Romance]

The annoying nature of your whining is seconded by your poor grammar and spelling. Which is closely followed by your incredibly unwitty retorts.

[Conservative independent]

I believe a good defense lawyer would state that his client smoked the cigarette but didn't inhale. It worked before.

[zingzang]

How the hell do they hire any firemen or police officers in that town? If it was a pre req to be a non smoker and NEVER smoke at all during your employment, do you think we'd have any meaningful numbers to help us with crime and fires? Geez, and this has been in effect since 87? I think the people of MA. should be more concerned with what their lawmakers are smoking!

[Lance Romance]

Yup. There's nothing I hate more than being put in my place by an whiny, unoriginal, anti-smoking halfwit with poor spelling and grammar skills.

It will undoubtedly take years of therapy to rid myself of the pain. Perhaps another cancer stick will soothe my nerves. Enjoy your yoga and tofu.

[NYCVirago]

Yeah, it's legal - Turner Broadcasting has this rule in place. When I worked at CNN, there was an area as you headed out toward the parking deck where the smokers would congregate, and the security folk would pretty much look the other way though.

I heard that Lou Dobbs smokes up a storm at work, but CNN looks the other way because they don't want to lose him again.

[motzman]

WSUB is probably a fat-ass, to boot.

[logic101.net]

Yep, this is the slope. Oddly, they want our tax money since their budgets depend so heavily on it; yet they want to make our lives hell.

Go figure. I dispise anti-smokers, and will still dispise them even if I quit smoking.

MARK A SITY
http://www.logic101.net/

[metalurgist]

If the government can pass a law that bans the usage of a legal substance like tobacco because it is linked to heart disease, then they can also ban butter, eggs, sausage and coffee.

Lose your job for eating breakfast. What a country we are becoming.

[metalurgist]

Mass. Gen. L. ch. 41, § 101A, passed in 1987, reads as follows: Subsequent to January first, nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, no person who ingests any dairy products, eggs or cafeine shall be eligible for appointment as a police officer or firefighter in a city or town and no person so appointed after said date shall continue in such office or position if such person thereafter ingests any dairy products, eggs or cafeine. The personnel administrator shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of this section.

[StormEye]

"If the government can pass a law that bans the usage of a legal substance like tobacco because it is linked to heart disease, then they can also ban butter, eggs, sausage and coffee. Lose your job for eating breakfast. What a country we are becoming."

And why stop there? Wait until the anti-gambling nazis decide to punish people for playing the lottery. Or maybe they will find out about your Friday night poker game with your buddies. Hey, you play cards? Your're fired. You eat french fries? Your fired. You don't jog ten miles per week? Your're fired. You don't worship Gaia the Earth Goddess -- your're fired! The totalitarians among us are just itching to start oppressing everyone.