A captain with the Pittsburgh fire bureau was arrested on charges of drunken driving and drug possession on the North Side last month, becoming at least the fourth city firefighter to be charged with drug or alcohol violations in 2009.

Capt. Frank R. Becker Jr., a 16-year veteran, has been suspended without pay, Fire Chief Darryl Jones said today.

Capt. Becker's 2002 Honda Accord was pulled over by police Dec. 15 near the corner of Hemlock and Boyle streets after the captain drove past a stop sign, according to a criminal complaint. Officer Paul Abel found a compact disc in Capt. Becker's car that appeared to have cocaine residue, and a breath test later found the captain's blood-alcohol level to be 0.163. The legal limit is 0.08.

Capt. Becker was also arrested May 28 after hitting a telephone pole in Robinson Township. He faces a non-jury trial next month on charges of driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and careless driving.

Chief Jones said he just learned of the May arrest this week.

"It was his responsibility to inform the fire administration of this arrest, and he did not," the chief said.

"I'm very upset about the whole situation, with all of our firefighters who have been in these predicaments," the chief said. "They've created a black eye for the bureau."

Another firefighter, William White, was arrested last week. He's accused of stealing a security vehicle from the Rivers Casino and driving drunk, and he has also been suspended from the fire bureau.

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