SPRINGFIELD - The state fire marshal has lost the use of his state vehicle and will soon lose his ability to get behind the wheel as part of the fallout from a May drunken-driving arrest.

But it is not clear whether David B. Foreman's job is in danger after his May 15 run-in with Springfield police.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who appointed Foreman to the $102,000-per-year post in February 2006, said the governor is awaiting the outcome of Foreman's court case before taking any disciplinary action.

"Before we take any administrative action, we'll wait until the legal process has played itself out," said spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch.

That's a different approach than the state used in 2005, when a supervisor in the state fire marshal's office fought to keep his job after allegations surfaced that he was drinking on the job.

In that case, Michael P. O'Donnell was in a state vehicle in Chicago's suburbs when he crashed. A police officer said he smelled alcohol after the wreck.

But, despite not being charged with drunken driving, O'Donnell was removed from his nearly $70,000-per-year state job. The state's decision was unanimously supported by the Illinois Civil Service Commission in an August 2005 ruling.

Foreman's drunken-driving trial is set to begin July 23 in Sangamon County Circuit Court.

Police reports indicate he refused to take a breath test after being pulled over on Springfield's west side about 4 a.m.

He was taken to jail and was bailed out within an hour by a colleague.

Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for the fire marshal's office, said Foreman has been using his own vehicle for state business since the arrest. Once he loses his ability to drive this Sunday as part of a state-mandated six-month license suspension, Foreman will take taxis and hitch rides with co-workers in order to conduct his business while in Springfield, she said.

"He lives up in the Joliet area so he'll be taking a train coming down here," Thompson said Wednesday. "He can use cabs if he needs to get around. He'll do like anybody else would when they don't have a way of getting around."

Unlike other top state agency officials, Thompson said Foreman will not have a driver assigned to him during this time.

"I wouldn't think so. Actually, definitely, there's no plan to do that," said Thompson.