Moscow-Pullman Daily News
MOSCOW, Idaho — The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department is investigating what went on during a recent training session for emergency medical technicians.
An anonymous email writer accused the trainer, Bill Brocklesby, of placing a charged cardiac arrest monitor on a student.
Then Brocklesby reportedly “pretended to hit the shock button multiple times,” according to the email.
“If his hand would have slipped and really hit the shock button, he could have killed the student,” the writer stated.
The correspondence was sent Sunday morning to Moscow city and other government officials, including Idaho Emergency Medical Services, as well as to the Daily News and Lewiston Tribune.
Moscow Fire Chief Ed Button announced in an email response sent out just after noon Monday that he and Dave Reynolds, the Emergency Medical Service division chief, have initiated an investigation into the allegations. The investigation will include interviewing those involved and examining “all procedures reported in the email,” Button wrote in response to the writer of the correspondence.
Brocklesby also is accused of attaching an airway to a student as well as telling the class “he was going to sedate one of students with a paramedic drug, ‘etomidate,’ just for fun,” the author stated.
An airway being placed inside a person is described by the email writer as “a painful procedure.”
Etomidate is often administered intravenously, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
“Isn’t there any over site (sic) in this class? Isn’t this a dangerous procedure? Can a paramedic give a drug ‘just for fun,’ ” the email said.
“I am just a concerned firefighter wondering if this is legal and shouldn’t something be done about this. If you look in the past classes, there were many complaints about Bill Brocklesby as an instructor.”
Button, when contacted Monday afternoon by the Daily News, said he’s always concerned with safety and “it’s our No. 1 priority.”
Button said he was “disappointed” the accusation was made in an anonymous email.
Brocklesby will no longer be conducting training but he will continue his normal duties while supervisors look into the matter, Button said.
Moscow City Attorney Ron Hall said the city will reserve comment until the fire department has completed its investigation.
Attempts to contact Brocklesby late Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.
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