MAJOR FAIL in Mass.

[JTpaintball70]

I had an associate with a similar, yet dissimilar, case. He paid for the class, took it, passed, and was told by the training agency his NY State DoH EMT number. He had been working for 6 months or so, when an expected state audit of the company found that no such EMT number existed. The training agency had never filed the class he had been in with the Regional EMS COuncil (REMSCO), or the state DoH.

He was lucky on a few levels. On one, the company kept him on as an ambulette driver, until he went through an actual registered class, earning his EMT, on another, the state didn't charge him with impersonation (of being an EMT), as he was a victim of the agency's fraud. The last level he was lucky on, was that he both sued the training agency for the fees charged for the fraudulent training, and got the money back before the "teachers" vanished under the rocks like the snakes they were!

Ouch. That would not be a good position to find yourself in. People like that I feel sorry for, but from most reports a lot of these people knew what they were doing.

[Richard B the EMT]

Ouch. That would not be a good position to find yourself in. People like that I feel sorry for, but from most reports a lot of these people knew what they were doing.

In the Mass. case, the individuals went into it, knowing they were committing fraud. In my friend's case, he was the one defrauded, as well as whatever others had taken the class with him.

Funny thing, but, he was, before the discovery of his lack of NYS DoH Certification, still a damn good EMT. Got to mention he was a Viet Nam War Army Medic before all this transpired.

[CBEMT]

My understanding is that many of these were from FD jobs. If that is the case, double Kudos for Mass EMS for standing their ground! I am sure the IAFF put tons of pressure on them to look the other way.

By the looks of things it was pretty much an even split between privates and FDs, slight "advantage" to the privates, possibly because one of the rogue instructors in question was a private company employee- but he was ALSO a firefighter. His license and one or two others were permanently revoked.

There is an appeals process, it remains to be seen what the ultimate outcome is and how much of the punishments stick.

[uglyEMT]

The next instalment of this....

REALLY!!!! These EMTs say their punishment doesn't fit the crime? CEUs are unimportant and have no bearing on us? Are they seriously trying to justify falsifing records by saying its not a problem?

EMS in Mass FAIL Part II

[Kaisu]

The next instalment of this....

REALLY!!!! These EMTs say their punishment doesn't fit the crime? CEUs are unimportant and have no bearing on us? Are they seriously trying to justify falsifing records by saying its not a problem?

EMS in Mass FAIL Part II

Now that is the slippery slope. No one is a responsible, committed provider one day and a record falsifying loser the next. It is a slide that begins the first time you fake a set of vitals and sign your name to it. These people really are not aware of how out of line they are. They have justified their actions to themselves and their colleagues. We all need to guard against it. It is essential that we subject ourselves to unbiased review of our opinions, practices and knowledge by people whose ethics and standards we respect. This site is one of the best places (unfortunately in some cases the only place) to do that.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I sent an email to the director of the mass ems division. I gave him kudos for sticking to his guns in what was probably a very difficult time. I bet that the IAFF was up in arms there and giving him hell. I told him RIGHT ON BROTHER in sticking to his guns.

[MAS Medic]

I sent an email to the director of the mass ems division. I gave him kudos for sticking to his guns in what was probably a very difficult time. I bet that the IAFF was up in arms there and giving him hell. I told him RIGHT ON BROTHER in sticking to his guns.

I'm a Mass paramedic and I'm beyond furious. I WISH Mass was a NREMT state because these idiots would lose their certs for life! The reason the punishment was so lax'd is because Mass is a union driven state and this comissioner has zero balls to revoke their certs...I hate the state of Mass, it's a freaking joke and the ONLY reason I hold this stupid license is for the extra $2 an hour pay raise that's in my bargaining agreement. These people are a disgrace! I wish I could get the names of everyone involved so we could plaster them all over every EMS website on the planet to make sure they are never hired again! These are the types of people that give the rest of us a bad name. This comminuty as a whole has worked hard to elevate itself to the level of the nurses/FF/cops and it's idiots like these people that set up back. Damn them...

[Richard B the EMT]

I'm a Mass paramedic and I'm beyond furious.

I feel sorry for the symbolic "Black Eye" these jerks left you with, Partner!

[spenac]

I wish I could get the names of everyone involved so we could plaster them all over every EMS website on the planet to make sure they are never hired again!

Your wish granted.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/23980973/detail.html

Edited July 1, 2010 by spenac

[Richard B the EMT]

The item has resurfaced, via a link at the JEMS site, re punishment for the Fire Fighters involved. Some are, apparently, going to be fined for a third of their annual income!

Faked EMT Certs in Mass.