Two Key West firefighters were fired Monday in connection with a police narcotics investigation centered on the city’s fire department.
The firings, announced Tuesday, followed an Aug. 10 sweep of all three Key West fire stations by Key West police and Homeland Security, who were tipped off by the KWPD special investigations units that fire personnel were engaging in “narcotic activity,” according to an arrest report.
Arlen Danilo Fernandez, 26, was fired for having what officers called “crumbles” of cocaine inside his Ford F-150 pickup, which was parked outside Key West Fire Station No. 1 on North Roosevelt Boulevard. He was arrested Aug. 10 for felony possession. Fernandez’s attorney Richard Wunsch said Tuesday he can’t remember the state ever prosecuting a possession case in which the amount was so small.
“He’s a good kid from a good family,” Wunsch said. “No criminal history whatsoever. It’s sad.”