Play w/ Breasts, Lose Paramedic Cert., Remain Fire Chief, Priceless!

[spenac]

Guess EMS standards are higher than fire. Seems like he got the best of everything. Got to play with breasts, got to get off the ambulance, and got to remain fire chief. What more could a fire fighter want out of life?

http://www.kwes.com/global/story.asp?s=11130728

Eunice Fire Chief Accused of Sexual Misconduct (9-14-09)

2:34

By: Sarah Snyder

NewsWest 9

EUNICE, NEW MEXICO - Eunice city leaders are putting out a fire of a different kind. There's strong allegations of sexual misconduct by the City Fire Chief with a patient en route to the hospital on board a city ambulance.

To understand where it all started, you have to go back to May.

The Eunice Fire Chief and several EMT's were on a medical run and on the way to the hospital. Those witnesses accuse Chief Grogan of heavily medicating a female patient then inappropriately touching her chest.

"Ron basically medicated her, with in my opinion, a lot of pain medication," Tony Fuller, Eyewitness and former Eunice EMT, said. "She asked him to feel her breast implants and he did. [i was] uncomfortable with that. I went to my supervisor."

Mayor White tells NewsWest 9, after receiving the complaint from the EMT, the City began an investigation then put the case in the hands of the New Mexico Department of Health.

"It really hurts the City for it to be for a full year, so basically I would like to see it reduced," Eunice Mayor Matt White said.

NewsWest 9 obtained a copy of the letter sent to the New Mexico Department of Health. They suspended the Fire Chief's paramedic license on the grounds of sexual misconduct and unprofessional behavior.

"I felt like the City Manager and the Mayor just swept it under the rug and blew me off and didn't take this issue seriously," Fuller said.

"He made a mistake," Mayor White said. "He did something he wasn't supposed to do. Unfortunately, there are some other facts to it, at this point I'm not going to say what they are, ecause I don't believe I should."

Mayor White says they have hired a new EMT and the city emergency response won't be affected. They plan to keep Grogan on as the fire chief and appeal the allegations.

"Ron Grogan has been a great fire chief," Mayor White said. "This is a great disappointment. I disagree with the penalty they assessed him. I do believe he needed to be punished. He did something he shouldn't have done. That's why we're going to appeal it. We feel like it was a little bit harsh for the circumstances."

But Fuller says this jeopardizes the relationship with the community.

"He's what the public sees whenever they think about our department," Fuller said. "I don't think he's representing the department well. I think it's kind of embarrasing actually."

NewsWest 9 spoke with Chief Grogan, but he refused to comment on camera until everything is ironed out in the courtroom.

"I guess the big thing is we lost a little trust in him because of this issue," Mayor White said.

"Is this going to affect his job as the fire chief?" NewsWest 9 asked. "No. It will not," White said.

[spenac]

Heres more.

http://www.koat.com/news/20938434/detail.html

Fire Chief Suspended For Inappropriate Touching

Eunice Mayor Wants Reduce Suspension For Fire Chief

POSTED: 1:38 am MDT September 16, 2009

UPDATED: 1:47 am MDT September 16, 2009

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Controversy surrounds a fire chief because of his actions in the city of Eunice, N.M., on May 23.

"I guess the big thing is we lost a little trust in him because of this issue," said Eunice Mayor Matt White.

White said it started with a medical call. Fire chief Ronald Grogan was in the ambulance with other paramedics -- taking a woman to the hospital.

By phone, Tony Fuller, a former paramedic who said he was there, claims what the fire chief did next was completely inappropriate.

"Ron basically medicated her, with in my opinion, a lot of pain medication," Fuller said.

That medication was Demerol and Valium.

"She asked him to feel her breast implants and he did. Uncomfortable with that, I went to my supervisor," Fuller said.

At the New Mexico Department of Health a commission decided unanimously that the chief's behavior was unprofessional and warranted a one-year license suspension. It is a decision that the city's mayor disagreed with.

"It really hurts the city for it to be for a full year so basically I would like to see it reduced," White said.

A letter from the health department supports the year suspension of the chief's paramedic's license -- stating there was no therapeutic reason to feel the breast implants -- so it's considered sexual contact toward a patient.

"I do believe he needed to be punished. He did something he shouldn't have done," White said.

However, the mayor said there's more to the story he is not going to discuss, but he said the city will appeal the chief's year-long suspension.

The mayor said he has hired a new EMT so the city will not be short staffed and the plan is to keep Grogan on as fire chief.

[aussiephil]

So it aooears acceptable to be a deviant & a FF (must be something to do with holding the hose) but not in EMS.

Could this be another example of double standards?

[VentMedic]

Maybe he thought it was okay since they were "fake" boobs?

Demerol and Valium? I didn't see the initial complaint in the articles? Did I miss that part?

I also don't understand the logic this mayor is using. Does he not understand there is a difference between fighting fires and patient care? The FDs are going to be their own worst enemy when it comes to EMS by protecting fools like this and for not maintaining competencies for the Paramedics.

At the New Mexico Department of Health a commission decided unanimously that the chief's behavior was unprofessional and warranted a one-year license suspension. It is a decision that the city's mayor disagreed with.

"Ron Grogan has been a great fire chief," Mayor White said. "This is a great disappointment. I disagree with the penalty they assessed him. I do believe he needed to be punished. He did something he shouldn't have done. That's why we're going to appeal it. We feel like it was a little bit harsh for the circumstances."

Edited September 16, 2009 by VentMedic

[Dustdevil]

Maybe he thought it was okay since they were "fake" boobs?

LOL! You'd make a great defence attorney!

[chbare]

Awesome, it's about time my state was in the news!

Take care,

chbare.

[VentMedic]

Awesome, it's about time my state was in the news!

Take care,

chbare.

Your state will have to do better than this to beat Florida or California in the category of "Stupid EMS/FD Headlines".

I think Florida has already had a couple of FFs admiring and/or photographing the boobs of patients when they shouldn't have been.

[P_Instructor]

Your state will have to do better than this to beat Florida or California in the category of "Stupid EMS/FD Headlines".

I think Florida has already had a couple of FFs admiring and/or photographing the boobs of patients when they shouldn't have been.

Well it always takes a "BOOB" to want to photograph a 'Boob'.

[Dustdevil]

There is absolutely no disputing that this is highly inappropriate behaviour from a healthcare provider, even if it was at the insistence and consent of a lucid patient. Consent would only change it from illegal to immoral and unethical, which is still worthy of suspension.

That said, there are a lot of women out there who are very proud of their implants, and take every opportunity to engage in a little 'Show (and feel) and Tell' with any man (or woman) they meet. So I have no problem whatsoever believing that this may well have been a consensual incident. But again, it's still a significant lapse in judgement at the very least, even if it's not a crime.

Good thing I'm not a breast man.

[FireMedic65]

Touching breasts is alright if you are doing it to attach 12lead, listen to heart/lung sound, assess injuries, bandage... you get the point.

Touching them because you are asked to just for fun? OH HELL YEA! But wait until I am off shift. There was no medical reason for him to do that, if she asked him too. Her, not being in the right state of mind possibly.

Wasn't it not too long ago, where there were cases of under age teenage girls being all drunk and stupid, but having not alcohol on their breath. They were soaking tampons with alcohol and stuffing them in the usual place. Teen drunk + no booze breath = check the vag? Would that be appropriate then?

Seems crazy if you ask me!