The Westmont Village Board approved an amendment that now allows for employees to report personal substance abuse without facing termination or disciplinary action.
The board approved the amendment to its Fire Department drug testing ordinance Monday, Jan. 4. The vote was unanimous.
The village approved a drug testing policy for the Fire Department last October, which went into effect Nov. 1.
The action was taken after a former firefighters, Adam Giermann, was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing morphine from a Fire Department vehicle.
After the arrest, the department promised to overhaul its emergency management services.
“Upon passing of this policy last fall, one issue that needed to be addressed is with regard to employees coming forward and self-reporting their own problem,” said Village Manager Ron Searl. “This amendment address that.”
The amendment now allows for any employee to come forward and report their own problem without facing disciplinary action, providing the employee is not under investigation for criminal conduct related to a problem, agrees to a treatment program and a 12-month aftercare program.
According to the ordinance, all Fire Department employees are subject to random drug testing on a quarterly basis. Any employee who refuses the test is considered insubordinate, and is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Any employee has the right to appeal the action taken against them.
The Westmont Fire Department is not unionized.
The village already has had a similar dug testing policy in place for public works employees who have commercial truck driving licenses, Searl said.
