MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Florida firefighter-paramedic has been suspended without pay and could be terminated following a series of incidents that officials said demonstrate “a serious lack of judgement and self-control.”
Florida Today reported Melbourne firefighter-paramedic Allan Reyna, 43, a 20-year veteran, was suspended after an incident at a nursing home on February 23. Reyna was called to help a patient who was experiencing respiratory distress. Staff at the nursing home said when Reyna arrived he was rude and unprofessional.
As he was attempting to help the patient breathe, he threw an oxygen tank into a nearby bed without looking. The tank struck another patient, causing them to yell out in pain. According to a witness, Reyna used an expletive during a heated exchange with a nurse who asked him to move the tank.
Reyna has since apologized for the incident and a witness said his actions did not seem intentional.
In November, Reyna questioned a doctor’s treatment for a patient in front of the patient’s spouse. In another incident, Reyna left his on-duty post at the station, along with several other firefighters, to drive a fire truck to his girlfriend’s Memorial Day barbecue. In January 2013, while in charge of another station across town, Reyna was issued a written reprimand for taking his crew to go golfing.
Reyna was disciplined in all of the previous incidents. In 2014, he was stripped of his firefighting privileges at Melbourne-Orlando International Airport after driving out onto an active runway for a plane.
“I strongly advise you to modify your behavior in order to meet the standards expected of a public servant and public safety professional. It is essential that your actions earn the department’s and the public’s trust,” Melbourne Fire Chief Charles R. Bogle wrote to Reyna in July 2015.
In an internal department memo, Medical Director John McPherson said “Reyna’s anger and confrontational behavior is accelerating and a cause for great concern.”
It is unclear if Reyna will fight the allegations.