Prescription Drugs Allegedly Stolen from Florida Fire and EM

[VentMedic]

Prescription Drugs Allegedly Stolen from Florida Fire and EMS Stations

http://www.emsresponder.com/article/articl...n=1&id=7410

PAMELA STAIK

Courtesy of The Sun-Herald

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. -- The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is investigating prescription medicine thefts that have allegedly occurred at Charlotte County Fire and EMS stations while engines were responding to false calls.

The investigation was kicked off Friday, when a Charlotte County Sheriff's deputy responded to a burglary at Fire Station 6 in Punta Gorda. The station had received a phone call regarding a car accident with injuries. An engine and a rescue unit responded, but workers were unable to find any signs of a collision.

Upon returning to the station, a firefighter went to his vehicle and found that items in his unlocked truck had been moved around. When he searched a bag of personal belongings, he found that his prescription bottle of Percocet was missing.

A deputy checked the call log and found that the name given to the 911 operator regarding the false accident was another firefighter who was home sick in North Port at the time of the call.

However, the phone number did not belong to the ill firefighter, but was found to match another firefighter, who is on probation for a second DUI charge. Station personnel have had to lock up drugs, including Benadryl, because this firefighter was known to take them, according to the police report.

Another firefighter told deputies that approximately 60-65 Vicodin pills were removed from a prescription bottle kept in his personal duffel bag in December.

Deputies also learned of several other incidents since February in which firefighters noticed their belongings had been disturbed and pills stolen while they were responding to calls.

The report states that the only known call to be placed from the suspect's cell phone was on Friday, but his whereabouts at the time of the other false calls and thefts are unknown.

No arrest had been made in the case as of Monday evening.

While department officials have stated that a member of the department is on administrative leave without pay, they say it is regarding an unrelated matter.

Fire & EMS spokeswoman Dee Hawkins said she was only aware of two incidents of theft being reported -- one in March and one on Friday.

"These other ones were never reported to headquarters, so we were surprised to see it in the investigation," Hawkins said.

Despite this, she said the agency is being as cooperative as possible with investigators.

"I know the Sheriff's Office is doing an investigation and we will be cooperative with them," Hawkins said. "The chief is reviewing all the different situations. We want to get to the bottom of this, just like everybody else."

http://www.emsresponder.com/article/articl...n=1&id=7410

[Dustdevil]

Upon returning to the station, a firefighter ... found that his prescription bottle of Percocet was missing.

Another firefighter told deputies that approximately 60-65 Vicodin pills were removed from a prescription bottle kept in his personal duffel bag in December.

WTF??? :shock:

A thief is definitely not the only problem going on in that department! Not even the biggest!

[Just Plain Ruff]

I know the Sheriff's Office is doing an investigation and we will be cooperative with them," Hawkins said. "The chief is reviewing all the different situations. We want to get to the bottom of this, just like everybody else."

Maybe the chief should investigate why two of his firefighters are using high dose painkillers while working? Sounds like this should be looked at too?

That's at least 1/2 of one trucks crew that is doped up while working.

[VentMedic]

But they're prescription.... :wink:

It ain't the same. :wink: :wink:

[AZCEP]

Thank goodness for union protected jobs. :shock:

[Just Plain Ruff]

Thank goodness for union protected jobs. :shock:

we'll fight to the death to keep the lowest of the lowest common denominator employed.

Your a union firefighter and you get caught with kiddie porn? We'll fight to keep your job.

you get caught taking drugs - we'll let youkeep your drugs and your jobs.

You get caught stealing from a patient - we'll help you keep your job.

you deck the fire chief - you can keep your job

All in the name of Unity and Union

[AZCEP]

you deck the fire chief - you can keep your job

Are you saying that the chief doesn't REALLY deserve it?

[Richard B the EMT]

C.H.A.O.S.

Chief Has Arrived On Scene

[firedoc5]

We started having problems with the MS coming up missing from our drug boxes. It was actually by accident that it was noticed. Since each box has a pad lock and a seal it wasn't noticed by day to day inventory. There was a code and afterward when doing a mandatory inventory of the box by the lead medic, sometime's along with a nurse, the MS was missing. OK, they thought. It might have got knocked out or something. They just said to keep an eye on it. Some of us said to do an immediate inventory on each box in the system. But they didn't. Guess they were hoping it was a one time deal. But on another code, same thing, missing MS. NOW we have a problem, they decided (DUH). All but three boxes had MS missing. The "investigation" was a joke. But for about six months things seemed normal. The owner of a private ambulance serv. that I worked with for about five years had been in the biz long enough and he showed some how someone could remove the seal on the box without breaking it or taking parts off two different one's and put them back together. All new pad locks were placed and everyone assigned a key got a new one. But there was something odd started going on. Even myself noticed that on calls that required MS, the MS we were administrating didn't seem to be beneficial. Someone wised up. Whoever it was had to have a new key, so they knew it was a medic in the system. But instead of just taking the MS they were replacing it with NS in the syringe. Finally they found out who it was. No, NOT me. It was a medic that no one would have even been suspected. He'd been a medic for about three years. Was one of those tall, dark, handsome, almost preppie appearance. A new ACLS Instructor and on the short list for getting on full time with city fire, where I was working at the time. He had a gorgeous wife who was an RN. He was very smart, probably too smart for his own good. But he threw all that away over what all he did. Over that three years who knows how much he stole from patients, drug boxes, anywhere? He had large quantities almost anything you could imagine stashed in his car. Once he was caught he admitted to it all. It was about the time I was leaving the area so I don't know exactly what happened to him. But I know he was diagnosed as being bi-polar and possibly split personality. Whatever. :jerk:

[firedoc5]

C.H.A.O.S.

Chief Has Arrived On Scene

I like that. One Chief I was under was totally like that. It was to the point of him interfering with doing your job and duties.

When he gave you some odd order, jokingly someone would say that order was not in the job description. The Chief would say that the job description was to do whatever he said to do.

Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt the initial topic.