Politics & Government

State Suspends Three Belmont Dispatchers For Lying

An internal investigation on falsifying EMT class attendance; will continue working for town.

Belmont will hold an internal investigation of three town dispatchers who had their Emergency Medical Technician licenses revoked for nine months after a state investigation discovered they had falsifying training records.

The state suspensions for Thomas L. O'Brien, Michael P. Tortola and Daniel F. Walsh were announced today, June 22, a day after the town was notified by the state Department of Public Health that the three men lied to investigators claiming to have completed required EMT recertification classes which, in reality, they never attended.

The suspensions begin July 1.

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Despite the state ban, the three will continue to work in their current positions, according to .

"Being an EMT is not a requirement to be a dispatcher," said Younger.

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Several EMTs have already been terminated, according to the DPH. Moreover, the DPH has referred this matter to the State Attorney General's Office.

Town dispatchers are under the management of the police department but are represented in collective bargaining by the fire fighters union.

Younger pointed out that all of Belmont's active EMTs in the fire and police departments are properly certified.

Younger said the town would begin its own investigation of the circumstances that led to the dispatchers' losing their licenses. The town has requested information from the DPH, said Younger, and he hopes the town's process can be completed in the next two weeks.

While he would not talk about specific penalties the town can impose, Younger said any disciplinary actions would be determined by the circumstances presented during the investigation.

According to a press release from the DPH, 211 EMTs from 10 private and 14 municipal services are being suspended.

In neighboring Lexington, seven active firefighters were given long state suspensions for the same offence.

Two EMT instructors, Mark Culleton and Leo Nault, will have their EMT-Paramedic certification permanently revoked, having failed to conduct required EMT refresher training courses.

The pair also falsified training documentation and, in some cases, received money from EMTs in exchange for the false records, according to the press release.

"The vast majority of Massachusetts' 24,000 EMTs are properly certified and in compliance with required training," said Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services in the press release.

"But the conduct of these individuals is in violation of regulations meant to protect the public's health and safety. The sanctions are appropriate given the serious nature of the offenses," she said.


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