Investigation Underway Following Reported Theft of Opioids

December 17, 2020 - The City of Corvallis has opened an investigation after receiving information on December 7 that a Corvallis firefighter assigned to an ambulance took opioids from the vehicle’s onboard supply.

Access to these dangerous and highly addictive narcotics is tightly controlled by Fire Department policy and federal drug laws. According to the preliminary investigation, the firefighter falsified documents and supply logs to cover up repeated thefts over a period of at least 18 months. The firefighter resigned at the outset of the City’s investigation on December 8.

Details of the investigation have been turned over to the Oregon Health Authority. The City of Corvallis is cooperating fully with the Oregon Health Authority’s investigation.

“These thefts constitute a grave breach of the public trust,” City Manager Mark Shepard said. “Corvallis Fire Department employees, like all City employees, are held to the highest standards of ethics and accountability. The City of Corvallis is committed to working with our partners and getting to the bottom of these thefts. We are working with Corvallis Professional Firefighters, our local firefighter union, to review our internal procedures and add new controls where appropriate to ensure that this does not happen again.”

The investigation is ongoing. More information will be released as it becomes available.