Force firemonkeys to be medics, and this is what happens...

[Dustdevil]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/28...cticing-emt-pa/

By RYAN MILLS

5:55 p.m., Monday, April 28, 2008

A former Marco Island firefighter-EMT was arrested on a warrant during the weekend after authorities said he lied about passing a state test and then passed himself off as a paramedic.

Brian Matthew Franklin, 24, of Cape Coral, was charged with practicing as an EMT paramedic ambulance driver without a certificate, which is a misdemeanor.

In late September 2007, Franklin, a Marco Island firefighter EMT, called Battalion Chief Jeff Kutzke and told him that he’d passed his state paramedic license exam, Kutzke said in a police statement. Three weeks later Franklin turned in a license verification document with a license number.

The document was forwarded to Deputy Chief Chris Byrne to begin the process of compensating Franklin for medic pay, reports said.

Franklin was hired by the department in August, 2006, Chief Mike Murphy said.

Murphy said new employees have about a year to become paramedics during their probationary period. However, student paramedics are allowed to perform procedures in the field.

When Byrne tried to validate Franklin’s license number, records indicated that Franklin was not, in fact, the holder of the license.

“This individual turned in a document indicating that he’d passed the test,” Murphy said. “We audit those documents and found a discrepancy in the number.”

Kutzke notified Franklin of the discrepancy, and was told to correct the error.

About a week later, Kutzke received a call from a person identifying himself as Tom Joseph with the Florida Department of Health, who said that due to complications with licensing Franklin was being re-issued a new medic number. He said the number wouldn’t be in the department records for up to six weeks, Kutzke said in a statement.

Fire officials decided to investigate the call and follow up e-mail with the department of health. It was not immediately clear what that investigation revealed.

Marco Island police investigators met with Franklin at his home in late December, where he eventually admitted to falsifying his documents, reports said.

In a sworn statement, Franklin said that he lied about passing the test due to pressure from his superior officers. He said he created the fake documents using his computer and a scanner.

“I am very, very sorry for all I’ve done,” Franklin wrote in the statement. “This is not something I would do. In terms to make this right, I have paid back the paramedic money received and intend to resign.”

Franklin could not be reached for comment.

Franklin resigned on Dec. 19, 2007, Murphy said. He was making $48,878 per year at the time.

Collier County sheriff’s deputies located Franklin on Saturday and arrested him.

“The important part is, you know, the system works when you have people checking,” Murphy said. “This is an isolated case, I would tend to believe. Unfortunately it happened, but I don’t believe there was a danger to anybody. Not to our citizens.”

[EMTrocker]

I'm surprised they didn't just promote him to Lt. or Capt. :3some:

[Dustdevil]

I'm surprised they didn't just promote him to Lt. or Capt. :3some:

LOL! Good point! After all, that seems to be a common reaction. Look at San Antonio, where they force their firemonkeys to be medics. One screws up royally, it's all over the news, and both his instructor and his medical director say he was dead wrong. The solution? They just won't force him to be a medic anymore, and let him sleep out his years on a ladder truck. That's pretty much a promotion in the fire service.

[gaelicfirefighter]

Im not going to dignify this with a response more than this.

[AZCEP]

Not often that you get all the titles into one line though. "EMT paramedic ambulance driver"? Must be writing to a third grade audience in Naples, eh?

"Pressure from his superiors"? They don't want to have to run EMS calls so they pawn it off on the probie?

[DwayneEMTP]

Im not going to dignify this with a response more than this.

Yell, well, that one wasn't very dignified.

Dwayne

[JakeEMTP]

Yell, well, that one wasn't very dignified.

Dwayne

Seriously, why post at all then. Thank you for playing.

[gaelicfirefighter]

Because it it a stupid post on one bad employee. How many good and heart-warming stories have their been on firefighters, police, emt's and medics saving lives. Wouldn't that be more appropriate and productive?

I often wonder about the people who live to post negative statements about others. Why must on do this. Is it something wrong with them and what does this say about their character.

Once again, a couple of people on here seem to be very unhappy with themselves and their circumstances. But it also seems that they will do nothing to change or improve things and would rather sit back and bitch.

If you have "hosemonkeys" as you call them and they are not trained and educated enough to be an asset to you at an EMS run, try and change that. Have you voiced your thoughts and opinions to the people involved or your leadership? Have you walked right p to the person or people involved and confronted them and told them what problems you are having with them.

I think many of these problems come from rural areas where ems & fs&r are seperate. I also think many of these problems come from private ems companies dealing with their local fire departments.

We dont seem to have the problems and issues some of you people have. Thank God for that. We are under one unified command. The largest in the country. We have bosses who will adress these concerns. We have a way to vent and to resolve these types of problems you are having.

I know there are lazy firefighters out there. I have seen them on the CFD. When I work the ambo and it takes me 25 min to get to an address and the engine or truck company doesnt even provide me with vitals, I walk rigt up to the officer and confront them. I also document this inadequacy on my run report. I mostly do this to protect myself as I should not be held liable for anything that happens to the PT due to inadequate first responder activity.

I rarely have the same problem twice with the same officer or company as they all know what I expect from them. I have made it clear that I expect and demand that they do their jobs. Maybe try that a couple of times.

Our runs are consistently reviewed by ems officers. They see what I write and they will also confront fs&r officers and companies for these inadequacies. It works. Give it a try.

You not "pimping" anyone. People who dont do their job are not given the same "breaks" as someone who actually tries and fails. I hold myself to a very high level. I expect people around me to strive to achieve that same benchmark. If they dont seem to be trying, I walk right up to their face and tell them how I feel. It's not PC but it works. Im not going to hold things in or hold back. They are getting paid to do a job. So do it.

Try that and let me know what happens. Demand respect and give the same. Demand excellence and expect the same. Do your job and expect others to do the same. Worry about what your job is and do the same.

[CodeBlueEMT]

This type of nonsense is commonplace on this site.

Shayne

[JPINFV]

I often wonder about the people who live to post negative statements about others. Why must on do this. Is it something wrong with them and what does this say about their character.

Schadenfreude

To set up the scene since since I can't find one with video, the guy voice (Nicky) just got kicked out of his apartment and is living on the street in his neighborhood. The 'girl voice' is for the character "Gary Colemen" of Different Strokes fame who is the building's superintendent.