Condoms Found In City Hall’s Septic Tank After Discovery Airway Heights Fire Chief Imposed New Rules For Socializing In The Fire House In/Around: Airway Heights

Airway Heights officials tried to keep a wrap on a condom caper last summer, but word has gotten out.

A large number of used condoms was found in the septic tank at City Hall in August.

“It’s an office building and you don’t expect to find something there like that,” said Elsie Patten, a resident in the city of 4,150 people.

Fire department volunteers, who lived rent-free in the upper level of City Hall, are suspected of being responsible.

After the discovery, the volunteers were told to turn in their resignations and reapply for their unsalaried jobs. Some were rehired. Others were let go.

Fire Chief Toby Combs slapped on new rules for socializing in the fire house.

The condoms were discovered when City Hall was hooked to the new Airway Heights sewer system. While pumping and removing the old septic tank, public works employees discovered the large quantity of used condoms, said Mike Patterson, the former city administrator.

“It was kind of disgusting,” said Patterson, who recently took a job as city administrator in College Place.

“We didn’t count them,” he said, “but there was a significant amount.”

One official estimated there were more than 1,000 condoms in the tank that had gathered there since the last time it was pumped, about six years ago, Patterson said.

The discovery comes after the fire department was embarrassed by a string of scandals last year.

One volunteer was dismissed after he admitted his girlfriend ran up a $1,300 bill to a psychic hotline on a fire department telephone.

The volunteer agreed to repay the money. That incident occurred about the same time the condoms were found.

Last March, another volunteer firefighter resigned after it was discovered he was a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang and had a felony assault record.

Yet another volunteer was fired because he had an arson conviction.

Fire Chief Combs said the drumbeat of bad publicity is fueling talk about dissolving the Airway Heights department and contracting out for fire protection.

Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 10 last year opened its new headquarters in the city of Airway Heights. Patterson said District 10 is well situated to provide fire service to Airway Heights.

“Consolidation of services is not necessarily a bad thing,” Patterson said.

Mayor Brian Grady was not available for comment.

Combs initially tried to deny knowledge of the condom affair.

“I’m not going to say they were there or weren’t there,” he said. “I think somebody’s trying to make this department look bad.”

Later, Combs acknowledged that some of his young fire volunteers may have been responsible, but whatever contact occurred was between consenting adults.

He said the department’s policy prohibits overnight visitors or guests after midnight.

“This is their home,” he said. “You still have to give them some personal life.”

The four to six volunteers receive free room at the station at City Hall, and the city in return gets 24-hour emergency coverage.

Combs said he thinks the news media should pay more attention to the positive news in Airway Heights. He said his department is seeking to purchase a $200,000 fire truck that it can use for both fires and emergency medical runs.

The truck would replace a 1967 pumper and a 1984 pumper that don’t have enough space in their cabs.

The new truck will be purchased through regular tax collections, he said.

“We feel positive about that,” he said.

As for the condoms, Combs said his firefighters apparently had the good sense to protect themselves.

“At least they are using something,” he said.

, DataTimes