Rio Rancho Mayor Reacts To Firefighter Arrests

POSTED: 11:40 pm MST December 30, 2011
UPDATED: 11:56 pm MST December 30, 2011

RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- Action 7 News took some tough questions to city leaders on Friday after two Rio Rancho firefighters were arrested on driving while intoxicated charges in less than a week.?It?s disheartening, and I?ll say it?s disheartening, but I?m hoping we?ll learn something from this,? said Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack.Mary Philips and Capt. Jeremy Martinez have both been placed on administrative leave.?I think sometimes people forget,? answered Swisstack when asked if he believed the firefighters realized they?re held to a higher standard.Swisstack said he believes the recent arrests are exceptions to the rule.?I think what we have is a handful of people who are just now starting to understand that we don?t allow for this kind of activity,? he said.The most recent arrests came on the heels of Joshua Roney?s resignation in July. Roney had been charged with DWI and was also one of three firefighters mixed up in a hazing investigation.Fire Chief James Tobin also resigned under fire in August. Tobin had been on leave for a month.After multiple incidents and a shakeup at the heart of the department, some may ask: where there?s smoke, is there fire?Action 7?s Will Carr told Swisstack that he had spoken with a battalion chief who said he thinks the department needs outside help.?If they're talking about outside help in regards to training, every time you take your training to the next level, there's always somebody out there that can probably help us reshape that a little bit,? Swisstack responded.The mayor said firefighters receive training in higher standards and morale responsibility, and he said in the wake of the recent events, some of that training may need to be reinforced.Albuquerque Police Department has a goal of fewer arrests this year, hoping that drivers get the message and won?t drink and drive.

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