City of Pittsburgh officials will attempt to fire a firefighter accused of calling in false alarms and then burglarizing a Lawrenceville firehouse. But the city must first put him through a trial board system that they hope the state will abolish, they said today.

The firefighter, 31-year-old Vincent Manzella, was charged but not yet arrested after a police investigation identified him as the person who called 911 to trick firefighters into leaving their station unmanned three times in early April. He allegedly then entered and took petty cash and personal cash. He has been suspended by the city for 30 days, pending a trial board decision on whether to fire him.

Public Safety Director Michael Huss said the city wants "swift and clear action" leading to termination of an employee given the public's trust who "misused that trust."

According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Manzella admitted to the ruse when confronted by police on June 19. The complaint says he "stated that he was really bad into heroin at the time" after a work injury led to an addiction to narcotics. He said the calls were made while he was off on workers' compensation.

Without providing statistics, Mr. Huss said the Fire Bureau has "more of this type of illicit drug use than we do in the other public safety bureaus. ... These activities and this issue of drug use need to cease."

Firefighters union President Joe King could not be immediately reached for comment.

Mr. Huss said the city's labor contract with firefighters allows drug testing when there is a vehicle accident or reason to suspect drug use but not when there's a workers' compensation injury.

Earlier this year Mayor Luke Ravenstahl called for the abolition of the trial board system of discipline, which gives firefighters a key role in judging their own. That came after firefighter John Connors pleaded guilty to cocaine possession, was given six months probation, but was returned to work by a trial board that found that the city took a shortcut around labor contract provisions when it demanded drug tests. Mr. Connors is still working now, said Mr. Huss.

Mr. Huss noted that city police moved from a trial board system to arbitration of discipline years ago.

Trial boards are governed by a state law applicable only to Pittsburgh. When a firefighter is disciplined, the public safety director and the accused each choose the names of 25 firefighters of rank equal to, or higher than, the accused. The names are placed in a box, and seven are drawn. Each side can strike two, leaving three to decide the case.

A proposed new recovery plan under state Act 47 for distressed municipalities calls on city officials to ask the General Assembly to abolish the trial board in favor of more typical grievances and arbitration. The plan is up for a city council vote tomorrow.