The director of Salt Lake City’s 911 system was fired Thursday after he was arrested for drunk driving.
Scott Freitag, who also serves on the Layton City Council, was driving a Salt Lake City-owned car with exempt license plates when a Centerville officer noticed he was driving erratically. The officer pulled him over around 1:30 p.m. and found an open container and a handgun in the car’s center console.
Freitag submitted to a breathalyzer test and blew a .214, more than twice the legal limit of .08 and more than four times the .05 limit, which takes effect at the end of 2018.
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced Freitag’s firing Thursday afternoon.
“There is no acceptable reason for anyone to put innocent lives in danger by getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, especially an individual leading a critical public safety agency,” Biskupski said.
Biskupski said deputy director Lisa Burnette would serve as acting director of Salt Lake City 911 until a replacement is found.
“While I am angry and disappointed in Scott’s behavior, I do hope he gets help to address his problems, and that he finds the support of loved ones that he needs at this time,” the mayor said.
Freitag was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, open container, and possession of a firearm by an intoxicated person. He was later released with a citation and pending court appearance.
Freitag was appointed by former mayor Ralph Becker in 2012 and reappointed by Biskupski in 2016. He was elected to the Layton City Council in 2007.
