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Paramedic Abandonment Investigated in DC Fire EMS
DC Fire is investigating the death of an elderly EMS patient who was transported by EMTs after a paramedic refused to join them in the transport. The paramedic has been placed on paid administrative leave. The incident allegedly occurred on November 17, 2011 when a paramedic assigned to Engine 11 examined an 87-year-old female patient, concluded her condition was not serious, and allowed EMTs to transport her to Howard University Hospital. She died at the hospital. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe refused to say whether the allegations, if true, violated the department’s medical protocols. “There are some concerns regarding this incident……
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Baltimore Medics Deny Transport to Seeing Eye Dog
A Baltimore city paramedic crew is in hot water over their treatment of a blind veteran and his service dog after the man was struck by an auto. Curtis Graham, Jr., a Vietnam Vet, was on his way to the Veteran’s day parade on November 11, 2011 when the injury occurred. Graham claims that city paramedics refused to transport him with his dog. Both the Americans with Disabilities Act and Maryland state law prohibit discrimination against a disabled person with a service animal. Service dogs are allowed to go anywhere that a person can go. That means anywhere – including…
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Wildland Arson or Accidental Fire in California
Today’s burning question: I’m a wildland firefighter and I accidentally started a fire when the cigarette I was smoking burned me and I tossed it. Can I be charged with arson? Firefighter Daniel Mariano Madrigal goes on trial today in Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga, California on arson charges related to a July 25, 2010 blaze (I am not making up the Cucamonga part either). He is a US Forest Service firefighter. According to his lawyer, Madrigal drove out to a remote area to make a cellphone call, when his cigarette burned him. He tossed it away, but immediately began…
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Chicago Firefighters Lose Hearing Loss Case
A jury in Cook County, Illinois has ruled in favor of Federal Signal Corp, and against 8 Chicago firefighters in the latest round of law suits against the siren maker over hearing loss. Following a two week state court trial, the jury deliberated for less than two hours last Tuesday in reaching a unanimous verdict in favor the Federal Signal. The firefighters alleged that the Federal Q sirens were negligently designed, dangerously defective, and caused their hearing loss. The suit was the third in the past few years between Chicago firefighters and Federal Signal. In 2008, 27 Chicago firefighters sued…
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Missouri Sex Harassment Ruling Sparks Termination of Four Chiefs
Four chief officers in the Monarch Fire Protection District have been terminated following an appeals court ruling in a sexual harassment suit. On November 15, 2011, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a jury verdict in favor of two female firefighters who claimed they were subjected to a hostile work environment. Four days later, on November 19, 2011, the fire protection district’s board voted 2-0 in favor of the terminations. Exactly why the four chiefs, Assistant Chief Les Crews, Deputy Chief Cary Spiegel and battalion chiefs Fred Goodson and Mike Davis, were singled out for discipline remains unclear. The fire…
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Mayor Charged With Stealing From VFD
We have covered a number of stories about theft in the volunteer fire service, but here’s a new one: a West Virginia mayor was charged with embezzling funds from the local volunteer fire department. Grant Town Mayor Robert Dale Riggs has been arrested and charged with four counts of embezzlement, four counts of forgery and four counts of uttering, after he allegedly wrote and cashed four checks worth $9,310 from a Grant Town Volunteer Fire Department account. The crime was discovered by the fire chief who became concerned about the four suspicious checks. The checks were drawn on the Grant Town…
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Michigan Group Loses Suit to Support Fire Department
A citizens group in Michigan has lost its initial bid to have a court order township officials to hold a referendum vote on a special tax levy to support the fire department. The Citizens Action Group of Plymouth Township filed suit against Plymouth Township last week seeking to compel a referendum election in February to restore $925,000 in cuts to the Plymouth Community Fire Department. Township officials have sought to block such a vote and last week refused to honor a petition that CAGPT claims was signed by the necessary 10% of the property owners in the district. The problem…
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Buffalo Firefighters Accused of Overtime Scam
Buffalo firefighters are in the news over an alleged overtime scam. Mayor Byron Brown claims the scam involves a longstanding practice of buying and selling overtime shifts, coupled with healthy firefighters calling in sick to create additional overtime openings. The buying and selling aspect of the scam came to light when firefighters publically admitted the practice was occurring, apparently oblivious to the appearance, legalities and tax consequences of the practice. Firefighters deny the sick leave abuse aspect. At the heart of the buying and selling practice appears to be the fact that overtime compensation is calculated into an employee’s pension. As a result,…
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SC Paramedic Charged in Pot Coverup
A South Carolina paramedic who has been under investigation for the past week, was arrested and charged today for her role in taking and concealing marijuana that was in the pocket of an accident victim. Chelsea Arrowood, 27, of Berkeley County EMS, surrendered to State Highway Patrol this afternoon and was charged with obstruction of justice. On November 10, 2011 she responded to a fatal motor vehicle accident and treated the driver of one of the vehicles, Shana Robinson, 33. Robinson was later charged with felony DWI, death resulting. Arrowood is accused of taking marijuana from Robinson’s pocket in order…
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Mass Union Treasurer Resigns Following Embezzlement Allegations
A veteran Plymouth, Massachusetts, firefighter and union official has resigned from the department following allegations that he embezzled funds from the union. Steven Adams, 55, the treasurer of Plymouth Firefighters Local 1768, stands accused of embezzling between $7,000 and $10,000 from the union. Adams, who joined the department in 2000 and served as the union treasurer for 10 years, came under investigation after new union officers conducted an audit and discovered a shortfall. Adams has denied the allegation, claiming he may not have kept good records but did not steal the missing funds. He claims he spent money to purchase “stuff…
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Fire Chief’s Termination Met With Protests
It is hardly unusual these days for a fire chief to be terminated. Fire chiefs are under attack from all sides – including angry firefighters, and upset political bosses. What is unusual is when a community rallies around a fired fire chief. That is what is happening in Nowata, Oklahoma. In fact there are protests at city hall by citizens who are upset with a decision to terminate Fire Chief Don Belden. A Facebook page by Nowata Citizens for Positive Change has taken up the chief’s cause. Here’s a video covering the story.
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Alabama Firefighter Charged With Stealing Breast Cancer T Shirt Proceeds
An Alabama volunteer firefighter is facing felony theft charges after stealing approximately $2,000 in donated funds his fire company had raised for breast cancer research. Phillip Jones, 34, of the Tallassee Volunteer Fire Department has allegedly admitted to stealing the funds on several occasions and using it to buy drugs. The funds were raised through the sale of the TVFD’s pink breast cancer awareness T-shirts. Besides the criminal charges, Jones has been dismissed from the fire company. For more on the story. And a news video (that refuses to embed!!!!)
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Responding Volunteer Firefighter in Missouri Ticketed for Reckless Driving
A volunteer firefighter in Missouri who was responding to an emergency in his personal vehicle with lights and siren on, has been charged with reckless driving. Matt Ousley from the New Bloomfield Fire Protection District was cited on Saturday, November 5, 2011 by the Holt Summit Police Department. Ousley contends that he was driving responsibly, although he admits to have been driving at 10 mph over the prescribed speed limit, and passing vehicles that had yielded the right of way. He and his fire chief, Dean Powell, insist he was operating within the legal limits prescribed for an emergency vehicle. However, Assistant…
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