# Discharged/Fired!!!



## emttom (Sep 21, 2010)

hey guys, i just got fired 2weeks ago for not calling dispatch at seen of a very minor scratch on the ambulance that i was driving. it was our last call and was 10 minutes from base so we (me and my partner) decided to just report it to the operations when they come to check out the vehicle. and so we did. The next day we got called in early about the incident and was fired! both of us! their excuse for firing us was that there was a suspicion of not reporting? wow since when do people get fired for suspicion! worse thing is that now when i apply for other emt jobs i have to disclose this incident and ofcourse it's not going to look good at all.. i just wanted to get some opinions from you guys if you think i can get hired as a emt with this record? any opinion would be much appriciated. i'm even thinking of quitting this emt carrer because it just seems like a very unstable job in terms of accident risks that would get you fired!


thanks for reading!


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## abckidsmom (Sep 21, 2010)

My favorite job ever put me on final notice for termination because of a vehicle contact in the first week.  They mean it when they say they don't want an at-fault vehicle contact.

If the rules say report it immediately, you have to report it immediately.  It will be difficult to explain it away, but I would include the information for potential employers with the explanation of how it was a growing experience for you.  Not a defensive, "those people were over-reactive jerks"  but more like "I learned from that experience that I should make decisions based on the facts of the incident, not its proximity to my EOT."

It's tough when stuff like this happens, but we've all been there.  I went on to work for 6 years at the place I started off on final warning at.  Know the rules and play within them.  Don't make excuses or try to hide your mistakes.


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## DrParasite (Sep 21, 2010)

question: are you supposed to call dispatch to report any crashes?  

question: are you supposed to notify a supervisor immediately anytime you hit something, regardless of if it's minor damage or not?

question: were their suspicions accurate?

Based on what you said, it seems like you screwed up, you delayed reporting it for unimportant reasons, they found out about it, and they fired you thinking you were not going to report it.

not to sound uncaring, but you did the crime, now you got to live with the consequences of your actions (or lack of)


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## jjesusfreak01 (Sep 22, 2010)

Although i'm not saying this isn't a fireable offense, its somewhat ridiculous to accuse them of suspicion of not reporting when they did report it. 

The PCRs are supposed to be at the nursing station before the units check in service here after a call, but do people ignore that half the time...yes

This might be worth probation or some other punishment to make it a "teachable moment", but firing probably wasn't the right call by the superiors.

Note: Situations in which PCRs are not left with the nurses before departure are always low level calls where a full and thorough report was given to nurses. They (the nurses and doctors) don't actually read the PCRs, they just have to make it into the patient file at some point, lest anyone think that the medics are being careless in my area, as they are not.


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## JPINFV (Sep 22, 2010)

jjesusfreak01 said:


> They (the nurses and doctors) don't actually read the PCRs,



Just curious, how do you know they don't read it later after you've already left?


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## emttom (Sep 22, 2010)

@ abckidsmom  Thank you for your advise, much appriciated and makes perfect sense!!


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## emttom (Sep 22, 2010)

@DrParasite , thanks for your advice or questions. well here is my defense. i'm not trying to blame anyone else for my mistakes but first of all both my partner and i was only a month to month and a half on the emt job, fresh out the class i would say. I know,, I know,, that shouldn't give us any privilege to the rules of the company. but wasn't aware of the seriousness of a little scratch on the ambulance with no patient or other vehicle contact. I scratched on a rusted pole. being a new emt i tried to learn the system and the senior emts way of working the job. believe me, not too many of them follow the rules! sleeping on stretchers, not stopping on red lights, even taking the ambulance for a ride home. seeing this i thought, oh! as long as i report the accidnet it should be okay! no big deal right? i'll pay for the damages... but guess i was wrong! 
i'll know better next time to just follow the rules and be the most square emt there is, that should keep me out of trouble right?


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## looker (Sep 23, 2010)

jjesusfreak01 said:


> Although i'm not saying this isn't a fireable offense, its somewhat ridiculous to accuse them of suspicion of not reporting when they did report it.
> 
> The PCRs are supposed to be at the nursing station before the units check in service here after a call, but do people ignore that half the time...yes
> 
> ...



It's very simple, the procedure of the company was to report any accident when it happened. Not 5 min latter and not when  you drop off the vehicle. In this economy when your boss tells you to jump you do not ask why, you ask how high. Basically OP broke the rule and the got fired for it as replacing EMT's now is piece of cake.


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## emt seeking first job (Sep 23, 2010)

*To the op:*

Did your service have a union ?

Perhaps you could appeal the decesion.

Then again, if the company had a policy to report any crashes at the scene, and you did not, I am not certain even a union could defend that.

In an organization that provides emrgency medical transportation, the transportation part is the biggest exposure to liability.

Vehicle crashes are a serious issue in the field. You cant talk on the phone, text, eat, drink, or horseplay, you just can't.

I am sorry you lost your job but if you were not able to follow rules then perhaps any type of public safety employment is not for you.


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## jjesusfreak01 (Sep 23, 2010)

JPINFV said:


> Just curious, how do you know they don't read it later after you've already left?



I suppose they could, but I imagine that in 99% of cases it would be a waste of their time. If a proper report was given then they have everything they need to begin care of the patient, and further care is going to be based on what they find out at the hospital. I'm not saying they are never pulled out, just most of the time they aren't worth their time to read. This is also not to say that PCRs aren't worth doing, just that their primary benefits probably aren't in providing useful information to doctors treating the patient.

@looker
Why are you quoting me? I admitted its a fireable offense, my only problem was the "suspicion" of the company that the EMTs weren't going to report the incident. If you are going to fire someone, just do it, and if you have to give a reason, give the actual factual reason for the firing, not something you made up to make them look worse.


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## looker (Sep 24, 2010)

jjesusfreak01 said:


> @looker
> Why are you quoting me? I admitted its a fireable offense, my only problem was the "suspicion" of the company that the EMTs weren't going to report the incident. If you are going to fire someone, just do it, and if you have to give a reason, give the actual factual reason for the firing, not something you made up to make them look worse.



That statement "Although i'm not saying this isn't a fireable offense, its somewhat ridiculous to accuse them of suspicion of not reporting when they did report it. " is why i quoted you. The policy of the company says you must report the accident as soon it happens, which means just that. You either follow protocol of the company or you get fired. It's irrelevant if they were going to report it or not, they did not follow company protocol and got fired as result.


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## Vanenix (Sep 26, 2010)

This is the best way to get fired.


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