More Collier County - FF/EMT not licensed

[VentMedic]

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=22293&z=3

State investigates unlicensed EMT

Originally posted on: Thursday, October 16, 2008 by Kara Kenney
Last updated on: 10/16/2008 6:26:46 PM

NAPLES: The State of Florida is investigating if a Collier County fire department broke the law and put public safety at risk.

Records show an unlicensed EMT responded to dozens of medical calls - some of them serious - in North Naples.

The North Naples Fire Department calls it a "clerical mistake" that put Jon Steffen, a two-year veteran, on an ambulance for six months before anybody caught the mistake.

Steffen responded to 46 medical calls, administering oxygen, taking vital signs and doing blood glucose readings.

"It was an unfortunate mistake," said deputy chief Jorge Aguilera. "Was he working without a license? Technically (yes)."

Aguilera says Steffen simply forgot send in his application and no one caught it - but patient safety was not put at risk.

A state spokesperson says chances are it will be the firefighter who would face fines or a formal reprimand, rather than the county.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=22293&z=3

 

[marineman]

Wow, that's bizarre. That's one heck of a clerical mistake that could have cost citizens some serious pain, suffering or death. It's really been a bad couple of months for Collier county fire. Anyone interested in heading down there to start a private service with me? I think we'll be well accepted.

 

[VentMedic]

This is the 2nd incident this year involving an unlicensed provider in Collier County. The other was a Marco Island FF/"Paramedic" who failed to get his Paramedic license and provide a fake one that nobody verified initially.

These are not large FDs and it makes one wonder about how they track the rest of the training for both fire and EMS.

 

[marineman]

That's insane that it happened twice in the same county and nobody took the time to double check their work after the first incident. Do these departments honestly have no regards for their patients well being. If I ever have a stroke down there I'd be better off if they just sent me to the hospital via fed-ex.

 

[JPINFV]

Strange. To think, I've always thought that practicing medicine (albeit prehospital medicine) with out a license was a serious offense. Heck, if all it was was a formal reprimand, I could have saved myself a few hundred dollars.

 

[cvb7873]

The firefighter had his National Registry EMT, but not his State. Still a bonehead move. Not defending him in anyway. Still, it's not like the Marco case, where the guy made up a state paramedic # and never graduated from paramedic school.