Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A veteran Austin, Texas firefighter with 29 years on the department and an unblemished record has been terminated over a drunk driving arrest.
Firefighter Mark Madison, 52, was arrested on May 10, 2014 after his vehicle struck a guard rail and a curb. Madison has not been convicted or pled guilty to the offense, but according to an Austin Fire Department memo he admitted he “probably was” impaired. That admission led to his indefinite suspension, which for non-Texans is a euphemism for being terminated.
According Austin Firefighters IAFF Local 975 President Bob Nicks, Madison has a flawless record, and until last December, the department issued 10 day suspensions for similar infractions.
Newsradioklbj.com quoted President Nicks as saying “The association and the firefighters believe in progressive discipline. They also believe people do mistakes and they have to account for them and atone for them. But this is just another very heavy handed tactic from the Fire Chief.”
Madison is scheduled for a hearing on the drunk driving charges on August 18, 2014. He has the right to appeal his termination.
