SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The state has told medical administrators not to certify an emergency medical technician who is facing criminal charges and restraining orders.
San Francisco Fire Department employee Timothy Lee Gutierrez lost his EMT certification last month after regulators discovered that he had been arrested on charges of child sexual abuse, indecent exposure, spouse battering and vandalism. The charges stem back to 2005.
Gutierrez immediately tried to get certified by the state fire marshal, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“We alerted the certifying agencies and made them aware of what was going on, but beyond that, we have no legal authority to intervene,” said Shirley Tsagris, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority.
California EMTs can get certified by any of the more than 61 county, regional and public safety agencies, which makes it difficult to track individuals who have had their qualifications revoked.
Gutierrez was sidelined from his San Francisco job after The Sacramento Bee published his arrest record in a May story. He has denied wrongdoing and is scheduled to appear in Solano Superior Court later this month.