Detroit firefighters accused of driving firetruck to Melvindale bar, drinking on the job

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two Detroit firefighters are suspended after they've been accused of drinking on the job while driving a firetruck to a Melvindale bar on Friday.

Deputy fire chief Dave Fornell confirmed the suspensions after saying the driver of a fire rig was suspected of operating the vehicle while under the influence of liquor.

A Melvindale Police Officer approached the four firefighters inside the Hobs and Barley Bar on Allen Road around 8 p.m. on Friday with a few simple questions:

"Firefighters - man, what the hell?"

"Is that your truck?"

"Are you guys getting beers?"

The firefighters denied they were drinking beer and said they were only getting dinner. But an irate 911 caller said Detroit firefighters were at the bar and drinking and had parked their truck outside.

The firefighters tell the officer they were just there to have dinner and that one of their guys was transferring to a station on the east side. Bodycam footage from Melvindale police showed they were just having iced tea.

The Melvindale officer simply asks them to move their firetruck, which was impeding traffic.

Bodycam footage from a Melvindale Police Officer shows a confrontation with Detroit Firefighters after a 911 caller said their truck was blocking traffic at a bar on Friday.

But that's not the end. Once back at their fire station on fort street, another investigation begins as they've left city limits without permission. All four firefighters with engine 48 are given breathalyzers and the driver is over the fire department's legal limit of .02.

The driver has been suspended without pay.

Interim Fire Commissioner Charles Simms said two of the other firefighters were negative while a lieutenant was initially inconclusive and has also been suspended without pay.

"It's disheartening. We never want a member who has been drinking alcohol to work, definitely not while he's working and definitely not while he's driving," Simms said.

The commissioner says it's been determined that the lieutenant involved was not drinking and, while that's good news, he says he's not yet been cleared to go back to work pending the results of their ongoing investigation.

The Detroit Fire Department has come under scrutiny over the past year following reports of alcohol abuse among crew members that led to multiple accidents. In one incident, a firefighter smashed into a parked car while on a medical run. Then a week later, a fire captain crashed a department SUV while on the way to a call. 

One of them hit a parked car while responding to a run and a chief crashed while responding to a scene. Then-fire commissioner Eric Jones eventually lost his job and the department sought to implement more employee assistance programs for the firefighters.

Simms said what happened Friday should be reflective of the entire department.

"I don't want this one incident to blemish or tarnish the department," Simms said. "It was an isolated incident . Our men and women on the department come to work every single day and put their lives on the line every single day."

Simms said the department has a peer support team with 14 members, a wellness manager, and a wellness coordinator to get firefighters any help, should they need it.

There are more than 1,100 members of the Detroit Fire Department and they're hiring 100 more. Simms said it's important to restore community confidence.

"I just want to reiterate to the citizens of Detroit and that we are here for you and don't take this one incident and make it a blemish on our department," he said.