City auditor finds controls sound but recommends clearer policies and segregation of duties for fire-department controlled drugs
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
An audit of the Fire Department's inventory of DEA-controlled drugs found controls at fire apparatus and central supply largely effective but recommended policy clarifications, separation of central-supply duties and periodic inventories; the department said it has begun corrective action, including biometric safes.
The Office of the City Auditor presented an audit on Dec. 16 of the San Jose9 Fire Department's inventory controls for two DEA-controlled medications used by paramedics: morphine and midazolam.
The auditor reported two principal findings. First, apparatus-level controls largely matched best practices: medications are locked and secured, vials receive individual identifiers and paramedics perform daily checks with witnesses instructed to report discrepancies. The auditor said it observed no evidence of theft or tampering in unannounced checks across 17 stations during the summer of 2025.
Second, the audit recommended separating central-supply functions. A single fire captain currently oversees multiple central functions (receiving, labeling, securing, distributing and destroying expired medications), increasing risk. The auditor recommended reassignment of some responsibilities, periodic independent inventory reconciliations and updates to policies to reflect current practices, including protocols for suspected tampering and county notification.
The Fire Chief, Robert Zapien, and staff told the Council the department concurs and has completed several corrective actions; procurement for biometric safes is underway. The auditor set out seven recommendations, and Council voted to accept the audit report.
Notable contextual detail: the audit followed an event in which the police arrested a fire captain related to an incident involving suspected tampering; the auditor framed the report as a forward-looking set of controls to reduce risk and align practices with other jurisdictions.
Next steps: the department will implement policy updates, split duties at the central supply and institute periodic counts and management review as recommended. Council accepted the report and approved implementation steps.