Disappearance of morphine vials probed

Disappearance of morphine vials probed
THEFT INVESTIGATION: Sheriff's and fire officials have named a
paramedic chief as the only suspect.
11:28 PM PST on Monday, November 28, 2005
By RICHARD BROOKS
The Press-Enterprise (San Bernardino County Calif)

Roughly 300 vials of missing morphine have triggered a theft
investigation focused on the paramedic chief of Big Bear City Fire
Department, officials announced Monday.

"Division Chief Richard Rolston was the only employee that had full
access to the morphine," according to a news release from San
Bernardino County sheriff's deputies in Big Bear.

Rolston, 46, could not be reached for comment. He has not been arrested
or charged. But sheriff's and fire officials are naming him as the only
suspect and the announcement said deputies found evidence linking him
to the case when they served a search warrant at his home earlier this
month.

Big Bear City Fire Department serves the unincorporated area of the Big
Bear Valley, a popular ski area in the San Bernardino Mountains. The
department has 40 firefighters, half of them full-time. The
unincorporated area has 12,000 year-round residents, though the
population swells to some 30,000 people on weekends and holidays.

Morphine is a highly addictive narcotic that paramedics administer for
pain relief in cases ranging from broken arms to heart attacks.

The investigation began Nov. 7 when fire officials began examining
discrepancies with the morphine inventory.

The following day, Rolston went on medical leave, said Fire Chief Dana
Van Leuven.

After the inventory, officials decided that more than 300 vials, each
containing 10 milligrams of morphine, were missing and others showed
signs of tampering.

Van Leuven said the breach of security has not endangered public
health.

"Once we found we had a discrepancy, we removed all inventory and
started fresh."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Staci Johnson put the combined number of missing
and suspicious vials at 358.

The tampered vials were missing safety seals and contained varying
amounts of morphine, she said. The case will be presented this week to
prosecutors, who will decide whether to issue criminal charges, Johnson
said.

No details were available for how long it took for the morphine to
disappear. Local experts say 300 vials is a large supply.

"We serve a city of 50,000 people," said Battalion Chief Mike Musgraves
of the Colton Fire Department." We might go through 30 10-milligram
vials in a year."

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