By Shawn Regan
The Eagle Tribune
HAVERHILL, Mass. — Police Chief Alan DeNaro has finished his investigation of 30 Haverhill firefighters implicated in the statewide EMT training scandal and his report has been turned over to the Attorney General’s Office for possible criminal charges, Mayor James Fiorentini said.
Fiorentini said he is waiting to hear back from the Attorney General’s Office before disciplining firefighters locally. The mayor declined further comment, but in July he said firefighters found to have fraudulently obtained their emergency medical technician recertifications can expect to face severe penalties, including the likelihood of lengthy, unpaid suspensions and fines and possible termination.
Last month, the mayor fired firefighter Jeffrey Given, calling him the “facilitator” and “bagman” in the scheme that allowed emergency medical technicians to lie about their training.
According to authorities, Given visited the city’s various fire stations to collect money and signatures of his EMT colleagues and passed them on to another person in a downtown garage, who then provided the recertifications.
“A number of firefighters, sadly, decided to take shortcuts and to cheat the Commonwealth and the city,” Fiorentini wrote in his ruling that followed Given’s appeal hearing at City Hall. "(These) firefighters had not attended any such classes and they submitted false certification to retain their jobs and qualify for a yearly stipend.”
A city ordinance requires firefighters to be state-certified EMTs as a condition of employment. In Haverhill, firefighters receive an extra $1,800 per year to be EMTs and $3,100 extra to be paramedics. EMTs and paramedics are supposed to attend 58 hours of training on their own every two years to be recertified, according to state guidelines.
Late last week, City Councilor David Hall said the firefighters believe the mayor is preparing to “come down on them soon.” Hall also said he was told several local firefighters were recently given subpoenas to testify in the case. The Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the matter for possible criminal changes against those involved.
The Haverhill firefighters are among more than 200 statewide who have been suspended from working as EMTs by the state for allegedly falsifying records that they completed EMT recertification without taking the required training courses. In all, 12 municipalities and 10 private ambulance companies, including Trinity EMS in Haverhill, have been affected.
Under the local process for disciplining firefighters, Fiorentini has said fire Chief Richard Borden will make the initial punishment recommendation.
The police chief invited each of the 30 firefighters to give him their side of the story during his investigation, but they all refused, the mayor said. The Haverhill firefighters union has refused comment on the scandal.
The firefighters have the right to appeal any discipline recommended by Borden or the mayor. That process calls for first a local hearing, and if that appeal fails, they may appeal to the Civil Service Commission or to an arbitrator with the state Division of Labor Relations.
Republished with permission from the Eagle Tribune