The importance of obtaining the proper certifications recently hit home for hundreds of people with EMT jobs (Click here) throughout Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recently released a list of 207 EMTs who falsified necessary certifications. That list stems from an investigation that revealed a Lexington firefighter had falsified hundreds of records certifying EMTs who did not complete continuing education requirements.
According to an article by FireFightingNews, most of the EMTs involved in the scandal will have their certifications suspended for 45 days or nine months, depending on whether or not they used the false certifications they received.
Among those involved in the scandal are employees from the Billerica Police Department, Townsend Municipal Ambulance and Trinity EMS. The DPH has referred the investigation to the attorney general’s office for potential prosecution.
State officials have assured the public that no patients have reported receiving inappropriate care from EMTs who were falsely certified and that the companies and municipalities employing the EMTs were not involved in the scandal.
Most of those employers – many who fired the EMTs on their own prior to the release of the list – are not guaranteeing that the EMTs involved will have jobs after their suspensions are up.