Author: STAFF

IAFF Local 22 Endorses Trump

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF Local 22), the Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union, has endorsed President Donald Trump for reelection and criticized national union leaders for their endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden last April.

Union President Michael P. Bresnan said in a statement published Tuesday that several Philadelphia fire companies were shut down under the Obama-Biden administration and that Trump has provided FEMA grants during his presidency that helped four of the city’s engine companies back into service.

“The members of Local 22 respectfully break with the undemocratic IAFF endorsement of Joe Biden and pledge our full support to President Donald J. Trump,” Bresnan stated. “The Biden endorsement was done without a canvas of local unions and the consideration of the rank and file IAFF membership.

Bresnan further stated that the Philadelphia IAFF Local 22 union’s endorsement of Trump should be “a wake-up call to IAFF leaders that have lost touch with the will of the membership.” He added that Local 22 members “overwhelmingly” chose Trump when surveyed, and he encouraged other local unions to confer with their members before the election.

IAFF national leadership endorsed Biden in April 2019 before he was officially named as the Democratic presidential nominee. IAFF President Harold Schaitberger said the union had encouraged Joe Biden to run, and said in an interview, “For us it was real simple: Joe Biden has been with us every step of the way. This is someone who respects workers, speaks for them and stands with them.”

IAFF Local 22 represents more than 4,700 current and retired firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and officers of the Philadelphia Fire Department, according to Bresnan’s statement. The decision was not without criticism from minority firefighters in Philadelphia.

In 2016, a former IAFF Local President and 9-11 responder, Christopher Suprun, became a faithless elector when he opposed Donald Trump in Texas’ Electoral College.

IAFF Local 22

IAFF Local 22 has rich history stretching back over 100 years when the organization was founded as the City Firefighters’ Association. Today Local 22 represents the interests of more than 4,500 current and retired Firefighters, Paramedics, Emt’s and officers of the Philadelphia Fire Department.

STAFF October 2, 2020 1 Comment

Categories: Fire

Tags: Election IAFF President Trump Vice President Biden

LODD: Dylan Cunningham Dies In Indiana Dive Training Accident

Dylan Cunningham, a South Holland firefighter died during an underwater dive training exercise Wednesday. Cunningham, of Thornton, was pronounced dead about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The specific manner of death for the 29-year-old firefighter’s has not been determined. The incident related to his death that occurred at Haigh Quarry Lake is under investigation.

An image shared by several fire departments in the Chicago area shows Cunningham’s jacket lying atop the front of a South Holland Fire Department engine — a symbol of honor and respect for the late firefighter.

“Our condolences go out to the South Holland, IL Fire Department,” the Hobart Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post, with the photo attached.

Hammond fire officials likewise expressed a somber reaction to Cunningham’s death.

“Our hearts go out to the South Holland Firefighters Union and the Family of Brother Dylan Cunningham,” the department posted.

The department encouraged the public to send condolences to the South Holland Fire Department and to watch for details on an upcoming procession.

Dylan Cunningham

Cunningham served as a South Holland firefighter since 2011. He started as a part-time firefighter before joining the department full time in 2018. He was also a member of the Illinois Army National Guard since 2012, according to village officials.

“As you can imagine this is a very difficult day for all of us,” said Julia Perla Huisman, a spokeswoman for the village. “It was just in February of 2018 that Pat Mahon and I swore Dylan in as a firefighter paramedic. He truly was a very special young man.”

Mahon asked that the public support Cunningham’s family in any way possible.

“We ask that you keep Dylan’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers,” Perla Huisman said.

Late last month two New York responders were killed in a motor vehicle accident.

STAFF October 2, 2020 1 Comment

Categories: Fire

Tags: Accident LODD

Paramedic Edward Augustus Blake Accused of Being Serial Rapist

Oregon paramedic Edward Augustus Blake is accused drugging and raping multiple women. He has now been charged with federal crimes for allegedly obtaining controlled substances illegally through his EMS position.

Edward Augustus Blake, 44, a Eugene Springfield Fire Department medic, was charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, morphine, ketamine and midazolam after allegedly picking up 343 vials of the drugs from a pharmacy and never entering them into his ambulance’s inventory, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Oregon.

“Instead, Blake used the drugs to sexually assault at least three local women,” the press release stated.

Blake was charged last year with first-degree rape, sodomy, strangulation, causing another person to ingest a controlled substance, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance in Lane County Circuit Court. He is in state custody pending trial on those charges.

Blake is expected to make his first appearance in federal court in the coming weeks. Department of Justice investigators are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims in the case and have asked anyone with information to contact the FBI or submit an online tip.

Edward Augustus Blake Charges

Officials say one woman told investigators Blake told her he was a Eugene Springfield firefighter and sent her photos of medical supplies and medications he claimed to have taken from an ambulance. The woman said she went to a motel with Blake, was choked unconscious and regained consciousness to find an IV in her arm. Blake is accused of drugging the woman with fentanyl and sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious.

Another woman told investigators she obtained controlled substances from Blake and was hospitalized multiple times, and that Blake would come into her hospital room and administer drugs to her through an IV.

“She recalled Blake telling her to sell the drugs, but warned her not to let anyone keep the vials, because they could be traced back to him,” the U.S. Attorney’s statement read.

Follow Never Forget 9-11 Foundation news for updates to this and other public safety stories.

STAFF October 1, 2020 1 Comment

Categories: EMS

Tags: Drug Use EMS

EMS Southwest Accused of Firing Employee Over Pregnancy

EMS Southwest is accused of firing a Greene County woman because she was pregnant.

Bayley Colvin, of Rice’s Landing, said in the federal lawsuit she began her job with the emergency medical service in Waynesburg in September 2019. A little less than two months later, she informed one of the EMS directors she was pregnant.

According to the lawsuit, the director told her “there was no problem,” and she could continue her work throughout her pregnancy and noted she’d be restricted from heavy lifting. She was also granted all requested days off for her prenatal appointments, she said.

Colvin alleged that at one point, she needed to unexpectedly reschedule an appointment. The assistant director of dispatch told Colvin “it’s not our fault that you’re pregnant,” according to the lawsuit, and noted that no more accommodations would be made.

Representatives of EMS Southwest could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit further contends Colvin began experiencing severe morning sickness and on more than one occasion had to pull over on her way to work to vomit. She said this made her a few minutes later several times, and the assistant director told her the tardiness was “unacceptable,” the lawsuit said.

Colvin said she was told that other pregnant employees were never late because of morning sickness, according to the lawsuit. She said was written up rather than given the option to stay late to make up the missed time.

In December, Colvin said she took two days off for a tooth extraction, time off that was approved, according to the lawsuit. Two days after she returned, however, she was told that because of budget cuts, her position was being eliminated.

According to the lawsuit, Colvin was told that “certain circumstances” were looked at in deciding which employee to terminate, plus she’d been the most recent hire. The lawsuit contends Colvin was hired at the same time two others were hired and another employee was still going through the certification process.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and is asking for a jury trial and an unspecified amount in damages.

About EMS Southwest

EMS Southwest, Inc. was established in 1994 as a private, paid ambulance service for Greene County, Pennsylvania.

They provide 24 hour emergency and non-emergency ambulance transportation to the patients of Greene and Fayette counties. Their pre-hospital registered nurses, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) treat ill and injured patients with professionalism, proficiency, and courtesy. EMS Southwest, Inc. has been recognized their program of detection and treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), more commonly known as heart attack. They work in close partnership with Southwest Regional Medical Center for medical direction and command.

STAFF October 1, 2020 No Comments

Categories: EMS

Tags: EMS Lawsuit

Helping Hands Not Helpful

IDPH Issues Cease and Desist to Helping Hands Activity Program

The Helping Hands Activity Volunteer Program was issued a warning by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The warning went to a man who has allegedly been posing as an EMS provider after the man was seen on television explaining how he treated people after a storm.

Health officials said Eric Hansen is not currently a certified EMS provider and that his organization, the Helping Hands Activity Volunteer Program, is not an authorized EMS program, per local news.

The health department sent a cease and desist letter to Hansen saying he could face felony charges if he continues to identify himself as an EMT. Hansen was interviewed by local news station KCRG-TV9 after a derecho storm in August, and was seen wearing an EMT name tag while saying he and his organization had been checking people’s vitals and sending people to the hospital.

Helping Hands Not Helpful Per IDPH

Iowa law allows organizations that are not authorized EMS programs to provide on-site emergency medical care as long as members do not identify themselves as certified EMS providers. The Gazette reported that Hansen’s certification was revoked in 2016, also for false identification, according to state records. Helping Hands Activity Program is not a state authorized program.

Hansen told local news that he didn’t realize his name tag said “EMT” and that he had since changed it, and that his intention was to provide lower-level care after the storm to take some of the burden off of ambulance services.

STAFF September 30, 2020 No Comments

Categories: EMS

Tags: Disaster EMS

Firefighter Is Charged In Assault Case

Andrew Cruikshank, a Virginia firefighter is charged with assault after an altercation with a patient in the back of an ambulance, according to Fairfax County Fire Rescue Department officials.

Fairfax County Firefighter Andrew Cruikshank, who has been with the department for two years, was charged with misdemeanor assault and placed on administrative leave after a police body-worn camera captured the September 14 incident, according to a fire department statement. The fire department has launched an internal investigation.

“This action goes against the values we hold at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department,” Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler said in a statement. “We respect our role in the community and strive to build and maintain public trust. We remain dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of our community and will continue to ensure that our members are held to the highest standards of the profession.”

The patient was in Fairfax County Police ustody while being transported to the hospital. The Fairfax County Police Department investigated the incident and released the body camera footage.

According to The Washington Post, the video appears to show a firefighter throw a swab on the patient after the patient threatened to kill him, and then appears to show the patient spitting on the firefighter and the firefighter striking him. A union official said in a statement that the firefighter was assaulted by the patient and that the video and fire department’s statement do not “portray a true picture of what actually happened,” according to the Post.

Andrew Cruikshank: Firefighter Is Charged

Andrew Cruikshank had been assigned to Fox Mill Station 31 A Shift prior to the suspension.

The incident happened just days before a Georgia police officer was sentenced for murdering an off duty paramedic.

STAFF September 30, 2020 No Comments

Categories: EMS

Tags: Assault EMS Fairfax County Fire Rescue

William Talley: Life In Prison For Murdering Paramedic

William Talley, a former police sergeant has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the May 2019 murder of a paramedic.

Talley, 52, pleaded guilty Monday in the shooting death of Care Ambulance Paramedic Kelly Levinsohn, 44, which occurred on May 11 at Levinsohn’s home in Columbus per local news. Talley shot Levinsohn in the back of the head, drove off in her truck and crashed it; he was later arrested after a standoff with police.

William Talley was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, for Levinsohn’s murder. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years. He has been in isolation on suicide watch in the county jail. He will now be moved into the Georgia prison system. Levinsohn’s mother, brother and best friend delivered victim impact statements via Zoom.

“She was killed by a real-life monster – a police officer at that,” said Tyeise Wetzel, Levinsohn’s best friend since childhood, according to WRBL. “He was trained to protect. And he shot her in the back of the head where she had no way of defending herself.”

William Talley

Talley was fired from the Columbus Police Department shortly after his arrest. Talley had previously received a one-day suspension in 2018 stemming from a domestic incident involving Levinsohn.

STAFF September 29, 2020 1 Comment

Categories: EMS

Tags: EMS

No PPE From Lifeline

No Personal Protective equipment from Lifeline Ambulance per a lawsuit filed by two California EMTs in made available to employees transporting COVID19 patients. The two former employees have separately filed lawsuits against their former employer alleging they were fired for objecting to transporting COVID19 patients without sufficient PPE.

The two lawsuits fired on behalf of former Lifeline Ambulance EMTs Kaitlin Wilson and Rayan Melendez last week claim wrongful termination and retaliation after the EMTs, who were assigned as partners, protested not having properly-fitted N95 masks while transporting patients with COVID19, according to the Whittier Daily News.

Lifeline Ambulance

Wilson’s lawsuit states that she told Lifeline officials in May that N95 masks that were not properly fitted were not considered protective by the CDC, and that the company’s CFO responded by asking what was “really wrong” with her and that she was “obviously emotional about something,” the Whittier Daily News reports. N95 masks are required to prevent transmission of COVID19.

Both Wilson and Melendez were fired later that month, according to the suit, with Lifeline citing harassment as the reason for their terminations.

Wilson began working at the emergency medical firm in March 2019 as an emergency medical technician and was paired with Melendez in September 2019, according to her lawsuit. Like Melendez, her primary job duties included transporting patients between facilities and assessing them prior to and during transportation.

Lifeline Ambulance

LifeLine Ambulance is a rapidly growing and highly successful company. It is our mission to provide “Complete Customer Care” to each and every client we service. This commitment is made possible by the tireless efforts and dedication to service excellence that is provided by our team of caring professionals.

Lifeline Ambulance says on its website “our most important resource is our people. The people we select to join our team share our commitment to providing exceptional patient care and customer service. In any service industry, people shape the personality of the product. At LifeLine, we recognize and respect the power that can be hidden behind each new face.”

STAFF September 28, 2020 No Comments

Categories: EMS

Tags: COVID19 EMS Lawsuit

Kerstii Groce: I Had Seizures, I Wasn’t Driving Ambulance Drunk

Mississippi EMT Kerstii Groce – who was charged with DUI last month after video showed her ambulance being driven erratically – has pleaded not guilty, saying she was not intoxicated but having seizures at the time of the incident.

American Medical Response (AMR) EMT Kerstii Groce told local media that she had only ever had one other seizure before August 22, when she was pulled over in her ambulance and arrested after another motorist recorded the rig drifting on and off the road.

The other motorist said in August that he saw another EMT and a patient in the ambulance with Groce, and that she had told him the crew was performing a non-emergency transport. AMR did not confirm any details about the incident but released a statement saying Groce had been placed on unpaid leave.

American Medical Response (AMR) has had several incidents of late with their vehicles including an accident in neighboring Georgia, Monday, September 22, 2020.

Kerstii Groce Legal Defense

Attorney Michael Crosby, who is representing Groce, says Moss Point police never performed a sobriety test or had her blow into an Intoxilyzer 8000, the device Moss Point police use to test blood alcohol content, before arresting his client for DUI. He also said Groce’s blood was never drawn for testing.

Crosby added that Groce’s neurologist has stated that she likely had seizures or another similar medical episode.

Groce’s remains on unpaid administrative leave while her case is pending. WLOX said it did not receive a response when reaching out for comment from Moss Point Police Chief Brandon Ashley.

STAFF September 25, 2020 1 Comment

Categories: EMS

Tags: EMS

Mexico Sends Wildland Firefighters Across Border

Mexico Wildland Firefighters Assist US Efforts

Mexico wildland firefighters are among more than a hundred responders being sent from Mexico to the United States to help battle wildfires in California per diplomatic posts by the Consul General of Mexico in Dallas.

Mexico’s Environment Department said Wednesday that five teams of twenty highly qualified, equipped firefighters from Mexico’s national forestry commission will work with the U.S. Forest Service.

The group landed Wednesday afternoon at San Bernardino International Airport per local news.

Firefighters from Mexico will first be sent to work in California’s Sequoia National Park. The park is threatened by the SQF Complex of fires ignited by lightning in the Sequoia National Forest.

Mexico Wildland Firefighters

The department said Mexico can spare the crews because in 31 of Mexico’s 32 states there are no active wildfires.

The summer and early fall are rainy season in most of Mexico.

STAFF September 24, 2020 No Comments

Categories: Wildland Fire

Tags: Disaster Mexico Wildland Fires