Sheriff John Allen said he removed Bernalillo County firefighters from the Metro Air Support Unit because they refused to meet his drug testing standards, but county records show firefighters agreed to those same standards in July and the sheriff still has not allowed them back on the unit.
Allen quietly pulled firefighters from the helicopter unit in June after a county policy change allowed off-duty cannabis use. The public did not learn about the decision until last week, when the Sheriff’s Office disclosed it in a New Year’s Eve press release that cited the drug testing issue.
According to county records reviewed by City Desk, firefighters signed a July agreement for random drug testing with a 50-nanogram cannabis threshold. The agreement called for immediate removal and permanent disqualification after any positive test, yet firefighters never returned to the unit.
Sections of an agreement between Bernalillo County and the local firefighter’s union detailing drug testing policies for BCFD members assigned to the air unit (Source: IAFF 244)
“Even after that agreement was signed, firefighters were not returned to the unit,” said Theodore Ygbuhay, vice president of the firefighters union’s county chapter. The union has filed a prohibited practices complaint that remains pending.
County Commission Chairman Eric Olivas, who sponsored the cannabis policy, said he only learned of the removal when it became public.
“It’s not clear to me why we are even talking about off-duty cannabis use with the Air Support Unit since BCFR personnel on the unit have agreed to the Sheriff’s terms,” Olivas said.
Bernalillo County Fire Rescue Chief Zach Lardy said in a statement that Bernalillo County Fire Rescue personnel “continue to meet rigorous training, certification and performance standards” and remain “disappointed by the Sheriff’s Office’s decision.”
In the press release, Allen pointed to the 2022 helicopter crash that killed BCSO Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison and BCFR Rescue Specialist Matthew King as the reason for strict safety standards. Federal investigators determined poor maintenance, not impairment, caused the crash.
Olivas said the cannabis policy responds to mental health needs among first responders. “Just in the last month we have seen the unspeakable tragedy and loss of life that befalls mental illness and PTSD among both our law enforcement and fire rescue personnel,” he said. The Commission voted unanimously and in a bipartisan manner to allow employees and their doctors to choose treatment options, including cannabis.
“This issue is unnecessarily dividing our public safety professionals who make our community a better place every day,” Olivas said. He noted the Commission has “funded and rebuilt the [Metro Air Support Unit]” and “invested in making [Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office] the best paid and best equipped in the state.”
The Sheriff’s Office did not respond to questions about why firefighters remain excluded after signing the agreement. The office said it now partners with the University of New Mexico Hospital to staff medical roles on helicopter operations.