By EMS1 Staff
DETROIT — Two medics told Detroit City Council this week they are being singled out and punished because of exposing apparent flaws with their department to journalists.
Paramedics Wisam Zeineh and Richard Cadoura spoke candidly to FOX 2 News about the Detroit Fire Department’s challenges and shortcomings in September.
A reporter from the station rode along with crews and documented their challenges with broken equipment, poor response times and staffing issues.
After the report aired, Zeineh and Cadoura were allegedly disciplined. They told the council they are being singled out for speaking out.
Zeineh said he got in trouble for smoking, however he says he wasn’t charged with violating the smoking policy.
“They charged me with neglect of duty, wanton and willful neglect of my duty as a paramedic to protect the public by smoking a cigarette,” he said according to the report.
Cadoura said he was disciplined for not having his shirt tucked in prior to reporting to duty.
“We’re out here dealing with the public every day,” he told MyFoxDetroit. “We try to protect people, their lives, and they’re making it really difficult for us to do that.”