# Fake paramedic charged with forgery, impersonation



## MMiz (Oct 23, 2008)

*Fake paramedic charged with forgery, impersonation
*

DENVER - Todd Teel was never a paramedic, but he played one in real life for 17 months, treating patients in American Medical Response ambulances.

The Colorado Attorney General's Office filed charges against Teel Wednesday, five months after he was first exposed in a 9NEWS report.

*Read more!
*


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## Paladin (Oct 23, 2008)

It would be interesting to see what AMR has to say about not only hiring him but letting him work the 17 months until the news investigation found out.  It is just another way we look negatively as a public safety component.  Is their really a lack of EMT and Medic jobs there that they just let some joe schmo come in saying he is medic and AMR say ok you're hired.

Since AMR lost all their revenue from him, they should also file a suit for back pay they had to give the insurance companies.


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## TheMowingMonk (Oct 23, 2008)

It always seems weird that this happens. But the thing about AMR is there operations are very different from division to division. I know in the divisions i know this most likely would never happen, they are very strict on certs, like if you certs expire your done and they just straight fire you or if you lucky just get suspended till you get a valid one. Depending on what is expired.


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## traumateam1 (Oct 23, 2008)

MMiz said:


> *Fake paramedic charged with forgery, impersonation
> *
> 
> DENVER - Todd Teel was never a paramedic, but he played one in real life for 17 months, treating patients in American Medical Response ambulances.
> ...



Busted!! 



> Teel was placed on leave when AMR discovered he was uncertified. He then resigned. AMR did not report the situation to police or prosecutors, who began investigating after 9NEWS uncovered Teel's actions.


Does anyone know why they didn't report him, and just allowed him to go on leave? Are they that desperate for medics?....


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## marineman (Oct 23, 2008)

Of all the jobs to do that with why be a medic? you could go to a two week emt mill and get the lights and sirens, or you could go to mcdonalds and make more money. Why fake being a medic?


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## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Oct 24, 2008)

Damn...17 months that 1 year and 5 months of calls and runs.  I wonder about his patients that he worked on :unsure:


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## firecoins (Oct 24, 2008)

I do not understand how AMR did not check the state and NR records.


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## LucidResq (Oct 24, 2008)

Well duh.... why would they make any effort to verify that he was really a paramedic when he already worked for them? 



> "Because Teel was already employed with AMR as a state certified emergency medical technician, and had a satisfactory work record, the company did not obtain outside verification of the documentation he provided showing he was a certified paramedic," the company's release said.




http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=93469

I'm thinking instead of this whole medical school thing, I should just get a job in the hospital as a janitor and photoshop some documents that say I'm an MD after a couple of years.


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## JPINFV (Oct 24, 2008)

He might not be a paramedic, but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.


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## VentMedic (Oct 24, 2008)

Nothing surprises me anymore if it could happen not once but twice to a couple of small FDs in the same county in the same year. 

Gotta give the guy some credit, he was good enough to blend in to fool his partners and supervisors for 17 months. 



> Teel was placed on leave when AMR discovered he was uncertified. He then resigned. *AMR did not report the situation to police or prosecutors, who began investigating after 9NEWS uncovered Teel's actions. *


 
Hopefully AMR has learned something about the law when it comes to the safety of patients.


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## csly27 (Oct 24, 2008)

That is nuts, how long was he an emt-b before he decided to play medic? He must have done something right to get away with it for so long. not saying what he did is right because it was not,  and he should definaltly get in trouble,but 17 months come on now.


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## abriggs (Oct 24, 2008)

LucidResq said:


> Well duh.... why would they make any effort to verify that he was really a paramedic when he already worked for them?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm shocked they allowed this to happen. My day job runs a healthcare registry for a diff healthcare profession, and it CAN be a federal/state offense if they don't verify. That's some crazy shizno.


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## NRCCEMTP26 (Oct 24, 2008)

firecoins said:


> I do not understand how AMR did not check the state and NR records.



EVER HEARD OF THE GOOD OLE BOY SYSTEM?:sad:


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## daedalus (Oct 25, 2008)

VentMedic said:


> Hopefully AMR has learned something about the law when it comes to the safety of patients.


AMR learning a lesson? Thats doubtful. 


AMR Ventura County just had a paramedic supervisor arrested for stealing all of the Morphine and Versed and filling the syringes back up with saline.


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## iNFaMoUs (Oct 25, 2008)

17 months...damn!


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## firecoins (Oct 25, 2008)

LucidResq said:


> Well duh.... why would they make any effort to verify that he was really a paramedic when he already worked for them?



He was not born working for AMR. He had to be hired. That is when an such checks occur.    Article says he was there for 17 months.  So no one in HR checked at month 1?  It shounds like 2 people should be getting the boot here. 

Somone mentioned the good ole boy network.  I guess they run HR.


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## LucidResq (Oct 25, 2008)

I was being sarcastic and referring to the fact that AMR justified their failure to verify his EMT-P by saying that he had already been working for the company as an EMT-B and had a satisfactory work record as such.


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## firecoins (Oct 25, 2008)

LucidResq said:


> I was being sarcastic



I wan't sure.


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## tydek07 (Oct 26, 2008)

That is some crazy stuff. I cannot beleive he went that long without being caught! I bet AMR may be just a little more careful when it comes to hiring... at least I hope so.


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