The Associated Press
In a CBS 3 exclusive, a paramedic-in-training claims she was hazed on the job.
The alleged victim says she was forced to quit her training to become a medic because she was being harassed and the fire department is currently investigating the alleged incident.
CBS 3 obtained a letter where a Philadelphia medic claims she was hazed by two people assigned to train her. CBS 3 spoke to her attorney.
“Absolutely I’m calling it hazing. What else can you call it when someone is physically beaten, taunted and as unfortunately happened, stuck with a needle,” said attorney Stewart Bernstein.
The letter was sent to the Fire Department’s Human Resources. In the letter, the medic writes about an incident this month outside a Presbyterian where she says two medics assigned to train her stuck her with a needle as punishment for missing a patient’s vein while starting an IV.
“They held her down and took a 14 gage needle and stuck it in her arm,” said Bernstein.
On that same day, again outside the hospital, inside of an ambulance the medic in training claims the same individuals assigned to train her locked the doors and draped a blanket, blocking the view inside the ambulance. She says a male medic then hit her with a belt.
“They tied her down on the stretcher and literally took a strap and beat her on the buttocks,” said Bernstein.
The medic in training says she was told, "…This is a way for me to learn better and to remember not to make the same mistakes again…" She says in the letter she was told, "…This is not to get out of the truck, meaning no one should know about it…"
CBS 3 spoke with the Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.
“We have been investigating the allegations. We are looking at that. We don’t have anything that would at this point say that this actually did happen or didn’t happen.”
The fire commissioner tells CBS 3 that medics accused are veterans and good medics. But if the allegations are true, the department will not tolerate misconduct.
The fire commissioner says the department has not found any reason to take the medics accused off their jobs. There is no criminal investigation. A union official called the allegations unsubstantiated and unwitnessed.
The investigation continues.