Nothing says public sector union worker like drinking on the job, and LA County Fire Assistant Chief Vic Mesrobian is a case in point. According to David Goldstein of CBS Los Angeles, Mesrobian began swigging beer during lunch. He swigged beer for about an hour. He was on duty at the time. He makes approximately $124,000 per year, and drives a county car marked with “FIRE” on the side. Goldstein asked Mesrobian, ‘Is this what taxpayers are paying you to do? Go drinking on the job?” Mesrobian did not answer. “You had two beers, didn’t you?” Goldstein persisted. “And then you’re driving the County car? Is that the responsible thing to do?” Mesrobian kept on walking.

LA County Fire policy states that nobody working for the department can drink while on the job. The LA County Fire Captain has so far defended Mesrobian, stating, “Anything like that we’d need to see the evidence and we would handle the matter internally, of course.” Only after seeing the tape did the County Fire Department place Mesrobian under investigation.