SAN ANTONIO – Six cadets with the San Antonio Fire Department were accused of drinking while on duty and in uniform. The cadets were dismissed from the academy last week, but the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association is standing behind them, asking Fire Chief Charles Hood to reverse his decision.
It started as a social gathering at Twin Peaks.
“They were going through EMT basic training. They were relieved of duties. They went out as a group to get a drink and have a meal,” said Mark Black, first vice president of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association.
The cadets claim they were off-duty and out of uniform. All six were dismissed once the allegations were brought to Hood.
"They were there for several hours, had a drink or two, had a meal and then went home,” Black said. “That’s not enough to qualify. They were not pulled over. They were not administrated any kind of breathalyzer, so the chief is jumping to this assumption that they were DWI.”
Of the six cadets, Scott Kneupper, Mike Martin, Joseph Angelo, Clifford King, Rene (Ricardo) Loredo and Kevin Martinez, four of them resigned. The remaining cadets were let go almost a week ago.
"They’re not members of the union at this point. They were in training,” Black said. “They don't have the same civil service rights that incumbent firefighters or a police officer would have. We think this is an issue of fairness and justice.”
Black claims there was never a due process.
"They don't know who their accuser is. They haven't had the right to finding out who told Chief that something was going on," Black said.
Black said he hopes Hood will rethink his decision and reinstate the cadets.
KSAT 12 News reached out to San Antonio Fire Wednesday. We were told the agency would release a statement about the decision. The agency then said the chief would be available Thursday.
