Some machinery comes with prohibition signs. Mostly with the warning not to operate it under the influence of alcohol and or drugs.

The warning is in place to avoid casualties and accidents at the hands of the operator deemed incapable of operating the machinery. Similarly, some jobs require intelligent decision making and a false move could be the thin line between life and death.

Firefighting, medical emergencies, medicine, law enforcement, operating machinery, flying aeroplanes and public service transport are some fields that require total focus. Alcohol and drugs impair judgement.

Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (S.F.E.S.A.) has announced the initiation of a comprehensive drug testing program for all staff and executives. They have become the first government agency to do so, beating the police force who were to roll out their drug tests.

Fire boss Tanuvasa Petone Mauga confirmed that S.F.E.S.A. is collaborating closely with the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (S.R.O.S.) to carry out these tests.

“We’ve already begun carrying out drug tests for some of our staff,” he stated, emphasising that the initiative aims to foster a culture of accountability and transparency within the Authority.

The initial phase of testing involved the 40 recruits who were welcomed on Friday, all of whom have successfully cleared the tests.

Tanuvasa highlighted that the groundwork for this drug testing program has been in progress for several years.

It began under the previous Chief Executive Officer of S.R.O.S. and continued under the current leadership.

This initiative was largely motivated by past incidents that highlighted the urgent need for reform within the organisation.

Tanuvasa referenced a significant incident from April 2023, where a former firefighter and his 17-year-old son were arrested for drug possession during a police operation in Falelauniu Tai.

“We did not want to wait around; we took immediate action to ensure the integrity of our workforce,” Tanuvasa stated.

SFESA’s budget funds the drug testing program.

As first responders to emergencies, SFESA ensures communities and people feel safe and are safe. Achieving this requires enabling SFESA personnel to be the best they can be. The use of drugs and alcohol increases the likelihood of errors of judgment and increases health and safety risks in the workplace.

All employees must take care of their own and others’ safety. Firefighters, police officers and paramedics deploy into operational environments where they are frequently exposed to multiple hazards and associated high risks, and any such incidents are often fast‐paced, and dynamic and require sound judgement to mitigate risks.

Those employed in roles that support frontline staff also perform functions that require sound judgement, again to mitigate risk to themselves, the safety of colleagues and the wider community. It is therefore critical that any employee who consumes alcohol while on duty or reports for duty under the influence of drugs or alcohol is identified and held accountable for their decision to be at work.

For the police force, drug testing provides an avenue against corruption and stops officers from getting into drug use. This has been an issue for some years now. A few years back police officers were put under investigation for meth use and some resigned before the conclusion of the investigation

A few months ago, a corrections officer at the Tanumalala prison was charged with possession of methamphetamine after he allegedly tried to give a ziplock bag containing meth to another colleague while on the job.

There have also been other reports of officers being investigated by the Professional Standard Unit for alleged involvement and using drugs.

There have been fingers pointed at police officers for colluding with dealers and sellers. The last thing the public needs is police officers involved in the drug industry. This could lead to drug trade, especially meth to spread like an epidemic.

SFESA has taken the first step and they have set up a workplace policy regarding the tests. It is good to see that the SFESA is taking the safety of the public and its staff very seriously. We hope that the police will follow suit by getting a policy in place and then start tests.

As SFESA has said, they were working with SROS and the tests were affordable and sustainable. At the end of the day, anything that ensures the safety of all should be endorsed.