FDNY to Begin Random Drug Testing

After a spate of drug- and alcohol-abuse cases in the Fire Department, the city is spending $500,000 to randomly test firefighters for drug abuse, it was announced yesterday.

The FDNY will hire 13 new employees to randomly test 3,500 of its 11,500 members, including fire officers and EMS workers, according to the fiscal 2005 budget released by Mayor Bloomberg yesterday.

It's unclear when the testing will start.

Currently, rank-and-file members can be tested for illegal drug use only if there is probable cause. New firefighters are tested at their physical exams.