News

Makeup EMT classes a go in Hamilton, but who will pay?

By Steve Landwehr
STAFF WRITER
Published: January 13, 2009

HAMILTON — The 10 police officers reprimanded for falsifying medical training records have agreed to additional remedial training to maintain their certifications.

Now somebody has to agree to pay for it.

As part of a broad investigation of EMT refresher courses held by the Police Department, which provided the town's ambulance service until Sept. 24, the state Office of Emergency Medical Services suspended the EMT certifications of nine officers, two of whom are no longer with the force.

The agency determined the officers had obtained their recertifications by signing attendance sheets for refresher training courses that were either never held or were improperly administered.

While 19 other officers similarly falsified records, the OEMS determined they did not do so to gain recertification. They received written reprimands and were ordered to complete unspecified remediation.

Pat Roselli, a resident hired by the selectmen to advise them on ambulance and EMT matters, said the state agency has agreed to the courses that will represent that remedial action, and they could begin next week.

One course reviews statewide treatment protocols for emergency medical technicians. The other examines the legal requirements to be a certified EMT.

The training would be conducted by an instructor from Lyons Ambulance, which provides training for both its own employees and those of other ambulance services.

That news brought sharp questioning from resident Bob Burr, who wanted to know who was going to pay the instructor's costs.

"The town is being forced to retrain officers who falsified records," Burr said, and it seemed unfair the town should have to pay for it, as well.

Selectman Dick Carey said the town might not agree to do that, and Chairman Dick Low, who announced at the end of the meeting he will not seek re-election, concurred.

"At the end of the day, a lot of this is about cost," Low said.

In related business, the board selected the residents who will serve on the committee charged with considering the future of town ambulance service.

They are Lyura Jones, Carl Swanson and Don Ganim. A fourth person was added at the suggestion of Selectman Bill Bowler.

Wenham fire Chief Bob Blanchard, who is a certified EMT and owns a summer home in Hamilton, had expressed interest in the committee, and Bowler thought he should also be named, and he was.

Also on the committee will be a representative from: the Board of Health; Council on Aging; Police and Fire departments; and the Finance Committee. The Police Department chaplain, the Rev. Louis Bourgeois, will also serve.