Mayor Chris Beutler and the local firefighters union signed a drug testing agreement Monday morning that will require Lincoln firefighters and paramedics to submit to random drug tests.

"With the new drug testing policy, every person who puts on their LFR uniform will have no doubt about the reliability and judgment of the colleagues upon whom they depend for their very lives. And every person who has an LFR paramedic by their side in a crisis will know that they will be receiving quality medical care uncompromised by any danger of paramedic drug or alcohol addiction," Beutler said.

The agreement comes after two Lincoln firefighters, Mark Eberspacher and John Massie, were arrested on drug charges last July.

Dave Engler, president of the the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 644, says firefighters are human, and with their high stress jobs, are at an increased risk for drug and alcohol abuse, which is why he says he was committed to the drug testing program.

"Based on the events over the past year... it is very important that we take steps, not only to show that this is no longer an issue, but also it's an incentive to prevent this from happening in the future," said Engler.

Mayor Beutler says pre-employment screening has already begun, and active employee testing will begin in 60 days. LFR says 296 current employees will be included in the tests, which will cost the city about $14,000 dollars a year.

Fire Chief Niles Ford was at the press conference Monday morning to show his support. He says he was working on establishing some sort of drug testing even before the incidents last July.

"The introduction of random drug testing, it certainly is not contrary to our mission. I believe it's succinct with our mission, and our mission is to provide the highest level of service to the community as possible," Ford said.

Ford says the tests will be random and employees will only be given a one hour notice to get to the testing facility. He says employees included will be firefighters, paramedics, fire apparatus operators, captains, mechanics, and fire inspectors. Those exempt from the testing include civilians like administrative assistants and chief officers. However, Ford says he offered the chief officers a chance to participate as an example, and without exemption, they all agreed to be a part of the testing, including Ford himself.

Ford says punishment for a positive test starts with getting the employee help for their drug or alcohol problem, but the costs would be up to the employee or their insurance to cover.

"It is our job to try to rehab the employee and see if we can put them back in the system. but understand this, there are certain severities that could follow any circumstance... The situation will always probably call for discipline, but the discipline could vary from suspension all the way to termination," said Ford.

Ford says he has the ultimate authority when it comes to disciplinary actions. He says while the goal would be to keep good employees after they receive help, he could not justify to the community allowing a repeat offender to stay.

According to the agreement, in addition to pre-employment and random testing, pool members are also subject to testing for follow-up purposes, in cases of reasonable suspicion when they return to duty. Ford says reasonable suspicion would include a change in job performance or behavior.

Ford says the testing will be organized by apparatus teams randomly, so only one apparatus would be out of service at a time.