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Boston Firefighters among Latest Caught in EMS Credentials Investigation
O'RYAN JOHNSON
The Boston Herald
Eighteen Boston firefighters are under investigation by the state for allegedly faking their EMT training while pocketing roughly $2,000 in overtime for taking the life-saving brush-up classes, Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser confirmed yesterday.
The jakes were snared as part of a statewide sweep by the Department of Public Health that has netted some 200 EMTs suspected of paying private instructors to sign off on bogus recertifications.
``I was disturbed to find out that there would be this pattern of falsification of training records,'' said state Commissioner of Public Health John Auerbach. ``We expect more of public service people working in the health-care field.''
Fraser said no one in Boston has been disciplined yet and the jakes who faked their results are still on the street.
``Once we receive the names and information we will conduct a swift internal investigation,'' he said. ``I find it totally unsatisfactory behavior. I think its a breach of trust.''
The state probe is being run by the Office of Emergency Management Services, which falls under the public health department. State officials said if fraud is involved, the cases could be forwarded to Attorney General Martha Coakley's office for criminal prosecution.
Auerbach would not say how many instructors are suspected of handing out phony recertifications, but he characterized the total as a ``limited number'' and said their license to train EMTs has been ``stripped.''
Auerbach said the investigation began about a month ago and has spread across the state as sleuths from his office fan out to follow leads.
``Most of our information is coming from interviews with firefighters or with EMTs directly involved,'' he said.
Haverhill has reportedly removed 29 firefighters from EMT duty while it probes the allegations.
In Hamilton, four people - among them the former police chief - were indicted on fraud charges last summer as part of an investigtion by the attorney general into sham recertification classes that were never held.
Auerbach said the embattled EMTs are being told to get recertified and are allowed to work the streets until the investigation is done. He said once his probe is over, his office can suspend an EMT's license, in addition to any punishment their local departments mete out.
A source said many of the 18 in Boston were properly recertified as recently as Tuesday shortly after they were interviewed by state investigators.
Two sources said the Hub firefighters were meeting at bars and restaurants instead of going through the 24-hour refresher course and 28 hours of continuing education.
Fraser said Boston has 900 firefighters who are also certified EMTs. They are paid 37.5 hours overtime for completing the work, which comes to an average of about $2,000 each.
Copyright 2010 Boston Herald Inc.
May 27, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ff/emt 2155 on
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pay back the overtime money,face prosecution,and by the way your fired and can never practice again anywhere
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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FIRE THEM!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Wayne Peterson on
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I agree with Kevin, YOUR FIRED! Its just a shame and takes away from all the Public Service Personel that really take there job seriously. I am a shamed of them.
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Wayne, John and kevin,
I'm guessing you glossed over the two key words of the first paragraph: "investigation" and "allegedly".
I'm sure I've been guilty of the same thing (jumping to conclusions), but sometimes we just have to police ourselves a little better.
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i belive thats what we ment after the invest is over and it's found to be true that they actually did this then our reaction to their action will be followed
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Sometimes what we mean and what we say bear little resemblance to each other. It happens.
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Ted,
I would be interested to know what argument was made when they (the firefighters) presented their case to the legislature.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Hey;
We are all doing what we are doing for the same reasons, right?
We are all the same, right?
It's the brotherhood, for chrissakes.
It ain't about the job or the money.
Even the crooks, cheats and gold diggers are our brothers.
So, let's not criticize or otherwise distance ourselves from mutts masquerading as public servants.
Let's wait until the "investigation" is over.
You know; we had an EMT scandal in the Chicago area a few years back where firefighters cheated on the state test. It cost the state several thousands of dollars and put the EMT program on hiatus for two years, requiring everyone in the state to take the national test.
To my knowledge, none of the cheaters lost their jobs.
Tis the joys of collective bargaining.
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Art,
Yes, indeed. "Let's wait until the "investigation" is over". And assuming that what was "allegedly" going on is true, then we can "criticise or otherwise distance ourselves from mutts masquerading as public servants".
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Art, I know your stance on unions. But collective bargaining had nothing to do with an outside state agency allowing these EMT's to quickly get "recertified" in a proper RTP class. So I would think there is more to the story as to why their EMT certifications weren't permanently suspended for alledgedly cheating the system.
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Kali:
You are inferring WAY too much with my reply.
I don't care if your paid or volunteer; if you take money for training then don't, then yes; you are a gold digger.
Being a career firefighter does not make you a gold digger and shame on you for thinking that I would imply that.
We always seem to want to fight where there is no reason to.
As I said; I was challenging this notion that we are all the same and clearly we are not and I think we agree on that, but don't think for a minute that I am blasting career firefighters. I am not.
FETC: you keep saying that you know my position in unions, but I don't think that you do. I have NO position on unions. As I have stated many times, I can take them or leave them. I have worked on both sides. I can survive in both worlds with or without them. It is a non-issue with me.
And collective bargaining has everything to do with it if there is discipline involved with a firefighter who is represented by a bargaining agent and you should know that. I was not linking collective bargaining to outside agencies.
I am sure that there is more to the story, but the story has already said that the instructors who signed off have been "stripped". I would bet that the EMTs with suspect credentials will get the opportunity to recertify. Discipline is a question mark, criminal charges are also and issue of repayment for training that was not taken is also on the table. Again; if anyone took the money and not the training, then they are gold diggers.
You are not going to link me to any derogatory comments about career firefighters. And those who know me know that I don't get the C vs V crap going for sport.
Think a little bit before you attempt to "translate" what I'm saying.
I didn't "stoop" to anything.
Like I said; Illinois went through an EMT scandal a couple of years ago. I know what it did here, because we had people taking classes that had to change directions once the cheating was discovered. A new state test was written and that is all we know about it, so I am sure that there is more to the story here as well.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Brierton on
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Let the investigation play out... but regardless it puts us all in a bad light.
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