EMTs Suspended By State Department of Public Health

(Editor's note: This article was updated at 5:15 p.m.)

More than 200 EMTs statewide will be suspended after a state investigation revealed they received and submitted false training re-certifications to their employers, including Cataldo Ambulance, which serves Melrose.

Cataldo Ambulance Vice President Dennis Cataldo said that he estimates between 20-30 Cataldo Ambulance EMTs out of the company's 650 employees will face suspensions, although he did not have a firm figure as he was awaiting more information from the state. It is also uncertain how many, if any, of those suspended worked shifts in Melrose.

Melrose Fire Chief John O'Brien said that all Melrose firefighters receive their EMT training and re-certifications in-house and would not be affected by any suspensions.

Two EMT instructors, Mark Culleton and Leo Nault, will have their EMT-Paramedic certification permanently revoked, according to a DPH press release issued today that stated both men failed to conduct required EMT refresher training courses; falsified training documentation; and in some cases received money from EMTs in exchange for the false records.

An additional 211 EMTs, who worked for 10 private and 14 municipal ambulance services across the state, were also found to have falsified training records, according to the release.

DPH spokeswoman Jennifer Manley said that the investigation and subsequent suspensions are only related to re-certification of EMTs.

Cataldo said that he based the 20-30 figure on a list provided to Cataldo Ambulance by the state approximately four weeks ago, adding that "a good portion of those folks are per diem (at Cataldo), they work somewhere else full-time." Also, he said that list included EMTs who either do not work for Cataldo Ambulance or are now full-time employees with another ambulance service, but were listed as current Cataldo Ambulance employees, further clouding the exact number of Cataldo Ambulance EMTs affected by the investigation.

Manley said she did not know exactly how many Cataldo Ambulance EMTs would face suspension, adding that the final investigation report will not be released to the media until next week.

"People were notified by letters put in the mail yesterday," Manley said. "The reason the report is not available to the media until next week is we want to make sure everyone gets their letters first and is not reading their names in the paper."

Cataldo said, "The investigation has been going on for approximately two months. We were suspecting it to conclude (soon) and expected that the state would take significant actions against all individuals. We had a small percentage of our work force involved, although we did have folks who were involved, unfortunately. We don't expect any change or compromise in the service that we provide."

The suspensions will go into effect on July 1, which the DPH said is intended to allow ambulance services sufficient time to find replacements so that the safety of the communities affected is not at risk; also, the Massachusetts Ambulance Association is working with all impacted ambulance services to ensure service is not interrupted.

The state Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) accredits EMT training courses. According to the EMS website, EMTs must complete 28 hours of an approved continuing education program, along with a 24-hour Department of Transportation refresher course, in order to be re-certified every two years. 

Cataldo said that the investigation is focused on third parties who provide training and certification, not on the ambulance companies themselves.

"We provide over 2,000 hours of training each year in-house, but our training program, certifications and re-certifications are not in question," he said. "It's third party agencies that are training and compromised in a bunch of ways and individuals who didn't act appropriately in the process."

Manley said she could "not verify" Cataldo's statement about which re-certification programs were investigated.

"We won't know that until the final investigation report is available next week," she said.

The disciplinary action against the EMTs includes license revocations ranging from 45 days to nine months, according to the DPH. Each EMT has the right to appeal their suspensions to the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA). The DPH has also referred the investigation to the state Attorney General's Office.