# Paramedic thief caught on video



## Tincanfireman (Jun 27, 2008)

Hard to believe, but true; a paramedic in NE Ohio was caught on store surveillance video using credit cards taken from a patient to buy merchandise at local stores. Read the full story here...


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## Epi-do (Jun 27, 2008)

Isn't that just great!  You have to love the quote at the end of the article about it not reflecting upon the rest of the EMS professionals, but how can it not to some degree?  All it takes is one person to make the rest of us look bad, and she sure seems to be doing it rather well.

I just could never fathom stealing from my patients, or anyone else for that matter, no matter how bad things seemed at the moment.  (And trust me, there was a period in my life when things were looking pretty bleak.)


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## ladyemt 215 (Jun 27, 2008)

Yikes... that is awful.  Stealing from anyone wouldn't be an option.  Ever.


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## Ridryder911 (Jun 28, 2008)

It no longer surprise me anymore.. EMS is now accepting anything with a pulse. 

Even more discouraging is to read the comments posted below from fellow co-workers,... "slashing of tires, writing names in blood" ..talk about frightening and apparently a continuum of being unprofessional. Certainly something I would consider while they cared for anyone. 

R/r 911


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## mikeylikesit (Jun 28, 2008)

this may create more problems for EMS workers who need to look through people's clothes and what have you for Med alerts and other info if they come across a patient that no one knows. first thing you would hear as your grabbing for her necklace to see if it for Med alert is "hey that EMT is stealing her jewelery". just sad.


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## Airwaygoddess (Jun 28, 2008)

*another mark against EMS.........*

All I can do is just shake my head and sigh............-_-


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## Tincanfireman (Jun 29, 2008)

mikeylikesit said:


> this may create more problems for EMS workers who need to look through people's clothes and what have you


 
I usually attempt to go through pockets with LE looking on, or at least my partner or a firefighter, just so I have a witness. Not always practical, but I'll do it when I can.


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## karaya (Jun 29, 2008)

Cleveland will need to get their PR peeps into full swing on this, if they have any PR peeps.  :glare:


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## Ops Paramedic (Jun 30, 2008)

Welcome to my world!!  No wonder patients and other medical professionals mostly say that it was the ambo crew who stole it, when a personal item goes missing.  We have it all the time, and i am sure that we don't know half of it.  I get the response that the patient (moreso blue code) does not need it , and can't use it any way.  Don't forget the caretakers who steal from the elderly in the old age homes, who are not capible of defending there earthly posessions, of which they don't have a lot.  

Currently we have have our local traffic police on strike.  So the Police were called in as traffic police blocked a major highway during peak hour.  What happened...they sot at each other, with non-leathal and live ammunition.  The point is that some of the traffic officials openly admitted to offer bribary as an option to the offender, and accept these bribes, in order to avoid prosecution.  I understand as to why they do it (low wages), but it is not the correct way. 

I must haowever say that this practice does not apply to all the staff in the EMS, there are many, many good crews out there who do the right thing, i commend you.


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## imsquishy (Jul 10, 2008)

There's low, REALLY low, then there's stealing from someone strapped to a backboard.


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## mark111 (Jul 13, 2008)

jut proves that scum can be found in many places


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## Robby1974 (Jul 24, 2008)

Makes you wonder why the person was even in a position to "help" people. Just sad.


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## firetender (Jul 25, 2008)

I would imagine that we, as a profession, have about the same proportion of dumbutts who get caught as anyone other health-related profession.  And those who don't get caught should be about the same, too. Given the stresses, its a bit of a surprise to me it's not more wholesale, and my experience is some medics are superb at invisibility.


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