[Vision2020] Oxycodene Con't

[Gary Crabtree]

I agree. There is an axe being ground here and I strongly suspect that it
has very little if anything to do with prescription medication. Button and
the rest of the MVFD management do an excellent job of dealing with
Moscow's emergency services and have for years. This single engineered
incident does nothing to diminish their stellar record.

g

On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 1:54 PM, Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
> wrote:

> Wayne,
>
> I think we are only getting 1/2 the story, if that.
>
>
> I think Button and Carscallen just didn't know what was going on and made
> a bad decision because they were not there and didn't understand what they
> stuff was.It happens.   If Button thought it could be an explosive, as
> stated, his actions to get it out of the building right away, would seem
> reasonable. We know now they would call the police, although I am sure that
> wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome as it would have been
> flushed down the toilet all the same and she was not using it so she would
> not have tested positive.
>
> What creeps me out still is these ladies rummaging through their coworkers
> personal belongings and jewelry boxes. What were they doing in her
> stuff? What prompted them to go and decide at midnight to go do that? There
> is something else missing about this story that is very big and important.
>
>
> Donovan J. Arnold
>
>
>
>   *From:* Art Deco <art.deco.studios at gmail.com>
> *To:* vision2020 at moscow.com
> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 9, 2012 1:15 PM
> *Subject:* [Vision2020] Oxycodene Con't
>
> Below is a copy of further developments from today's *LMT*.
>
> Quote:
> MOSCOW - They denied a cover-up. They refused to call it a screw-up, but
> Moscow Fire Chief Ed Button and Capt. Dan Carscallen said Tuesday they
> should have taken a different tack.
> "I should have called the police," Button said.
>  "That's where I'm at, too," said Carscallen, who is also a Moscow city
> councilor. "Otherwise, I'm not commenting because I don't want to throw
> people under the bus. I guess I'm big enough to take the bus running over
> me."
> I'm a little confused here,  They should have called the MPD instead of
> ordering the evidence to be removed.  It wasn't  a coverup or screw-up,
> though.  Huh?  Sounds like something out of Orwell's *1984* --
> doublespeak.
>
> Some progress has been made.  An admittance that the MPD should have been
> called, given the allegations of illegal narcotic possession and use by an
> emergency responder.
>
> However, Carscalen then reveals where he still is at"
>
> "It's just that somebody didn't get what she wanted," Carscallen said.
> "So she's dragging everybody else through the mud. It's unfortunate. I care
> for the gal, but she's making it hard."
>
> How does that fit with:
>
> "That's where I'm at, too," said Carscallen, who is also a Moscow city
> councilor. *"Otherwise, I'm not commenting* because I don't want to throw
> people under the bus..."
>
> More doublespeak and hypocrisy.  It appears that neither Carscalen or
> Button have yet to understand why many are astounded, disgusted, and angry
> at their malfeasance, CYA actions. and blame, punish, and smear the
> complainants tactics.
>
> *It's true that the complainants did not get what they wanted*.  They
> expected, quite reasonably, Carscalen and Button would act legally and
> professionally by immediately reporting to the MPD the allegations so
> that they could be promptly investigated, and as a result of that
> investigation corrective and further actions would be taken.  This was not
> an allegation of a littering offense; it was the allegation of illegal
> narcotics possession and use by a paid, resident emergency responder.
> Instead of handling the matter legally and professionally, Button and
> Carscalen conspired to cause the removal and probable destruction of the
> evidence, and then proceeded to bully, intimidate, and vilify the
> complainants, who whatever their motives, raised a serious issue of public
> safety, public health, and possible criminal behavior.
>
> I appreciate the time that Carscalen dedicates to being an EMT.  It is
> not a pleasant undertaking to show up at scenes of chaos and carnage.  Few
> of us could do it.
>
> That said, I am wondering along with others, that how Button's and
> Carscalen's immediate response to this matter reflects on their ability
> to respond to emergency situations that may call for rapid clear thinking
> and decisive actions.
>
> Instead of "We ought to have called the MPD," what we need to hear from
> City Councilperson Carscalen is a tenacious call for an immediate,
> thorough, and honest investigation of all the questions raised by this
> incident.  That would at least demonstrate that he fully understands the
> seriousness of the matter, that he has abandoned the CYA and punish the
> whistle blowers mode, and that he is anxious for his constituents to know
> the truth, and to be assured once the truth is out, that comprehensive
> corrective actions will be taken including whatever personnel. policy, and
> procedural changes are indicated.  Such a call would also remove the miasma
> of the cowardly CYA and blame the complainants operation.  It would show
> Carscalen as a person of courage and conviction which all of us hope he
> is.
>
> w.
>
>
> ______________________________
> Moscow fire chief admits he 'should have called the police'
> *By David Johnson, of the Tribune | Posted: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:00
> am *
> MOSCOW - They denied a cover-up. They refused to call it a screw-up, but
> Moscow Fire Chief Ed Button and Capt. Dan Carscallen said Tuesday they
> should have taken a different tack.
> "I should have called the police," Button said.
>  "That's where I'm at, too," said Carscallen, who is also a Moscow city
> councilor. "Otherwise, I'm not commenting because I don't want to throw
> people under the bus. I guess I'm big enough to take the bus running over
> me."
>  The two reacted to allegations that they failed to respond properly
> after being alerted that suspected illegal drugs and paraphernalia had been
> found at Fire Station 1 in mid-February.
>  Volunteer firefighters Bonnie Shambaugh and Emily Kimberling filed
> complaints with Moscow's human resources director saying suspected drugs
> and paraphernalia were found in another firefighter's desk. Shambaugh'scomplaint alleges that
> Carscallen, with Button's approval, said to get rid of the substance
> "like a bottle of whiskey."
>  Button said the incident has a political edge to it, in that the
> department, made up of nearly 100 volunteers and 51/2 paid administrative
> positions, is like any other bureaucracy.
>  "It's unfortunate that she felt she needed to take the tact she has,"
> Button said of Shambaugh's decision to go outside the department.
>  "It's just that somebody didn't get what she wanted," Carscallen said.
> "So she's dragging everybody else through the mud. It's unfortunate. I care
> for the gal, but she's making it hard."
>  The firefighter suspected of having the drugs underwent a drug test the
> following morning and came up clean, Button said. He said there is a small
> photograph apparently taken with a cellphone of the alleged illegal
> substance. But little or no other physical evidence remains, he said.
>  The complaint alleges the suspect firefighter said the substance was
> oxycodone. No charges have been filed and as of Tuesday, no criminal
> investigations had been reported by local authorities.
>  As far as he's concerned, Button said, the matter is over, except for
> the publicity fallout. "It's on the Internet. It's on all the fire
> department websites," he said. "It's on the blogs. The Chicago Tribune
> picked it up. It's all over."
>  The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department is a nonprofit corporation that
> contracts with the city of Moscow. The Moscow Rural Fire Department is a
> separate entity, but also has Button as chief. The two departments, Button
> said, work together seamlessly.
>  Button said he was called early in the morning on Feb. 14 by Carscallenabout the alleged illegal substance. His initial reaction. Button said, was
> to get it out of the station. He said he didn't really know if it was a
> hazardous substance or possibly an explosive.
>  In retrospect, Button said he should have notified the police
> immediately. And that's what will be done in the future. He said that
> because of the department's volunteer nature, he's assumed an almost
> "parental" posture when dealing with in-house politics and other issues.
> But no more.
>  "It will have to be from this point on, as each event happens, we'll
> just have to tighten up," he said, "take out personalities or feelings and
> just go purely by the book."
>  The incident, while casting the department in a bad public light, should
> not undercut the department's value to the community, Button said. "There's
> always politics. But right now, the fire department is as healthy as its
> ever been and we have more people involved than ever before."
>  ---
>  *Johnson may be contacted at*
>  djohnson at lmtribune.com or (208) 883-0564.
> Ghostery has found the following on this page:Google Adsense
>
>
> --
> Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
> art.deco.studios at gmail.com
>
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