[Vision2020] Moscow fire chief denies drug cover-up

[Art Deco]

I won't start the comments, but there really ought to be some.



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Moscow fire chief denies drug cover-up

* By Brandon Macz, Daily News staff writer | Posted: Monday, May 7, 2012
1:00 am *

Moscow Fire Chief Ed Button denies a cover-up alleged by two volunteer
firefighters in a complaint filed with the city.

The complaint states that he and Fire Capt. Dan Carscallen overlooked
suspected drugs and paraphernalia in Fire Station No. 1 and ordered them
disposed of without contacting law enforcement. Button says he only ordered
them removed from the building.

Bonnie Shambaugh and Emily Kimberling state in complaints filed with city
Human Resources Director Leslie Moss that suspected drugs and paraphernalia
were found in a resident firefighter's desk Feb. 14. The drugs were
allegedly found in a ring box that also contained vials, an empty pill
capsule, razors and straws.

When they contacted Carscallen, the on-duty fire command officer that
night, Shambaugh's complaint states, Carscallen conferred with Button
before calling back.

"Carscallen called me sometime before 1:30 a.m. and told me that Button and
himself decided they were going to treat the drugs like a bottle of
whiskey, and give (the firefighter) the opportunity to get rid of it,"
Shambaugh states. "I reminded him that it didn't just go against the
resident handbook, but this behavior is illegal everywhere. Carscallen then
said he thought Kimberling and I should go to (the firefighter) and tell
her that she needed to get rid of everything and this would be the end of
it."

Button said in a phone interview Friday he felt the situation was handled
properly and his decision, made after being awakened at 2 a.m. was
immediate.

"Sometimes an individual will be unhappy with how things transpire, but
yeah, there was an event, and I think there was a feeling that there was a
cover-up and there was no cover-up made," he said. "... There was never any
instruction from my part to get rid of it or destroy. Anything that
happened after that was not per my instruction. They said there's something
suspicious and, I don't know, do it again, there might be something
different. My just initial reaction at that time in the morning is that I
want it out of the building."

Shambaugh states the firefighter was approached and she agreed to dispose
of the substance - the complaint alleges the firefighter said it was
oxycodone - in the bathroom and throw out the paraphernalia. However, it
states, Carscallen did not report to the station to witness this.

"I'm not sure what the proper procedures were at the time, and we'd never
dealt with something like that," Carscallen said. "I never personally saw
what they found. I called the chief and discussed with him what the options
were. It's all unfortunate that somebody thinks ... it's just an
unfortunate situation all around."

Carscallen and Button said the firefighter was drug tested the next morning
and Carscallen added the results later came back negative. Button said
there is no random drug testing policy within the volunteer fire department.

But Shambaugh and Kimberling allege they felt intimidated and threatened
during meetings they had separately with Carscallen and Button the day
after the incident. Kimberling confirmed by phone Friday she filed a
complaint with the city along with Shambaugh, but did not want to be quoted
following an interview Friday.

Shambaugh states she recorded her meeting with Button and Carscallen along
with several other exchanges with administrators that she uses in her
complaint. City attorney Randy Fife said Idaho has a one-party consent rule
for recording conversations and Shambaugh was in her legal right to make
recordings.

"Button started by saying (the meeting) was meant to provide 'rumor and
damage control not only for you (referring to me) and Emily too,' " alleges
Shambaugh. "They explained if this got into the papers it could ruin my
career opportunities."

She states she was told by Button that if Carscallen had not been on duty
that night, the police could have been contacted, and she said she thought
law enforcement should have been notified. She alleges Button told her she
could have ended up being accused of burglarizing the firefighter's room.

"Button told me, 'This could have been the end of your career before it
even got started,' " Shambaugh's complaint states.

Shambaugh states she told the two they should have tested the firefighter
immediately "because these kinds of drugs cycle through your metabolism
very quickly." But since neither Button nor Carscallen were present during
the incident, she alleges the conversation was mostly about her and
Kimberling and trying to "scare us into keeping quiet."

"Carscallen said, 'It could go from what he knows happened to the three of
you were having a coke tootin' party in the room and you know that's...'
Button interrupted and said he never thought of that and we need to 'keep
it to ourselves.' "

Button said he thinks Shambaugh and Kimberling misunderstood.

"I believe they took it out of context," he said. "I don't believe there
was any repercussions to threaten them with at all."

Carscallen said his office at the North Latah County Highway District was
used for the meeting to avoid rumors in the fire station.

"It's my office, so it's just, where was a convenient place to have it?" he
added.

Shambaugh's boyfriend and former Moscow volunteer firefighter, Benjamin
Dill, on Feb. 19 responded with her to a paramedic call at Walmart in a
department vehicle. Because Dill did not fill out a ride-along form,
Carscallen confronted Dill on the emergency loading dock of Gritman Medical
Center where Dill alleged to the Latah County Sheriff's Office Carscallen
grabbed him by his arm as he was attempting to leave.

"It seemed like Dan was being more aggressive toward this whole situation
with Ben because of the drug situation," said Shambaugh in a phone
interview Saturday.

The sheriff's office forwarded the investigative report to the county
prosecutor's office without a recommendation for charges and it was later
decided none would be filed.

"... I was upset that a situation as simple as this was handled so
dramatically," the complaint states of Carscallen's response to Dill's
actions that day, "but a situation as serious as drugs at the fire station
didn't even warrant Carscallen to come to the station and handle it
properly. A precedent has been set, as several command officers have had
their significant others and children in the command vehicles without such
paperwork. M40 (the response vehicle) is to be used for personal use, as
long as I am ready to leave those activities to respond to calls."

Carscallen said he didn't know if Shambaugh's complaint was partially out
of anger over Dill's battery allegations.

"I'm don't know if the complainant had any animosity in that complaint," he
said. "That situation (with Dill) was done. I can't even remember far back
what happened before or after."

City Supervisor Gary Riedner said because Shambaugh and Kimberling are
volunteers and not city employees, their complaints were handled as citizen
complaints and the allegations were investigated, however, the results are
confidential.

"It's a personnel matter and we dealt with it," he said, adding of the
investigation, "I'm unable able to comment on the process."

Moscow Police Chief David Duke said Friday he had not received a referral
from the city to investigate the allegations from the complaints filed by
the firefighters and Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said he also was
not aware of any investigation being conducted by the sheriff's office.

The city pays for five administrative positions within the department,
which does not include Carscallen's position.

Riedner said there have been cases in the past regarding elected officials,
such as Carscallen, who is Moscow City Council president, and perceived
conflicts with their involvement in the community and affairs related to
the city.

"I'm not going to say it happens a lot, but it happens," said Riedner. "Dan
being a part of the fire department is not a conflict."

Both Button and Carscallen said they were aware of the complaints filed
against them, however, neither had read them.

Shambaugh said since filing her complaint with the city, she has been
focused on getting through her paramedic contract.

"I'm just trying to avoid them as much as possible, but yeah, I've heard
that they've been having meetings about me," she said. "Obviously, I don't
know what that's about."

Button said neither Kimberling nor Shambaugh should be concerned about any
reprisal for their complaints. Kimberling was not asked to return to the
resident firefighter program next year.

"I feel that there wouldn't be a risk of that jeopardizing their career as
that being seen as a single issue," said Button. "A person shouldn't feel
at risk. I'm not angry about this, and I don't feel any need to retaliate."
 ------------------------------

*Brandon Macz* can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 238, or by email to
bmacz at dnews.com.

-- 
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
art.deco.studios at gmail.com
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