RI Firefighter EMTs Suspended for Failing to Treat Emergency Call Victim - Who Later Died
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has suspended two licensed Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), after a call for a “person down” ultimately resulted in the patient’s death.
According to RIDOH, the patient passed away following the failure of the required state treatment protocol from the two healthcare professionals.
Terrence O’Neill and Michael Garcia, while employed as Pawtucket Fire Department Firefighter/EMTs, responded to the emergency call in January 2022 for an unresponsive male lying against a snowbank.
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“The unresponsive person described in the suspensions did pass away,” RIDOH spokesperson Joseph Wendelken confirmed on Monday, after a GoLocal inquiry.
O’Neill is suspended for 90 days, and Garcia was ordered a 30-day suspension.
About Incident
According to RIDOH, the emergency call on January 30, 2022, was for the male patient who ultimately passed away, whose identity has not been released.
Two additional bystanders were at the scene, according to RIDOH.
RIDOH stated among its findings that the EMTs failed to “evaluate mechanism of injury,” and failed to “obtain and document the patient’s chief complaint, history of the present illness, past medical history, current medications and allergies to medications" as required by law.
In the consent orders, RIDOH said that the EMTs failed to “perform a primary assessment and obtain vital signs” — and that the patient’s jacket was never removed.
Additionally required protocol required was not adhered to said RIDOH, who stated that O’Neill “failed to truthfully document procedures and thus falsified a medical record."
Moreover, the state’s emergency protocol states that a patient be transported to the nearest appropriate Hospital Emergency Facility — or document a patient's refusal -- which the EMTs failed to do.
Suspension Requrements
Now, the EMTs' licenses are suspended.
They are both required to complete a comprehensive review of the Rhode Island Statewide Emergency Medical Services Protocols with an instructor assigned by RIDOH.
Upon successful completion of the requirements under the suspension, they will be placed on probation which includes required hours of patient assessment at a hospital emergency department “under the supervision of the ambulance service physician.”
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