Criminal Assault

      In the middle of your town, there's a plain frame house at a common-sounding address on an ordinary street. It's midnight on a Tuesday, and a 40-year-old guy with a name you've heard before is having a full-body seizure. Recognizing his early signs, the man's wife calmly reaches for her cell phone and dials three familiar digits. In no time at all, you're out of bed and on your way. You feel whipped, and the routine is familiar until, driving toward a big urban medical center, you hear a scuffle in the patient compartment.

   You're working with Tim, a 20-year medic who hates wake-ups as much as you do, and despises drunks in particular. He's wrestling with the patient, who is moaning and struggling to get off the cot. You pull over, call the comm center, identify your unit and location, ask for a PD assist, and jump in the back. In no time, three officers are helping you to restrain the man, and you're on your way again.

   Then something goes horribly wrong. Although the patient is safely restrained, you hear Tim yelling at him to lie still; and a glance at your mirror clearly reflects Tim landing several vigorous punches in the man's face. You call the medic's name, twice, but he scowls and points a bloody, gloved finger in the direction of your windshield. At the ED, you open the rear doors to find him sopping blood off the man's face with a towel. Then he lies to the ED staff: the patient had a scuffle with PD. You're shocked; Tim's roughness is no surprise, but this is over the top.

   Q. What do I do? I'm a fairly new medic. I'm pretty sure this is a crime, and Tim has 20 years of experience. If I rat on him, it'll certainly end his career.

   A. There are 20-year medics all over the world who have never assaulted anyone, and would welcome a partner with enough courage to do what you need to do: put yourself out of service, confront Tim directly and then call for a supervisor.

   Q. You don't understand. This is a big-city system that's been around for a long time. You don't just turn in your partner, here.

   A. Or what? You might lose your job? If that's how things are in your system, maybe you can't fix it. But you have to try. Chances are, Tim didn't just do this for the first time on your watch. He's done it before, in front of witnesses who silently protected him. Big EMS is a tough job, but it doesn't change who we are. And no matter where you work, there are systems much bigger than yours, where the public would be helpless if their EMS crews didn't advocate for them. You have no choice. You have to act.

   Q. Actually, I do have a choice. There's a small EMS system not far from here, and they have a really good reputation. I was kind of hoping to get on with them eventually, anyway. I have friends there, and I'm pretty sure they would hire me despite my lack of experience.

   A. Lucky you! A backup plan is a luxury few of us have. You're in a great position to fix this. New paramedic or not, you can be a good paramedic. But make no mistake, you're going to live with your decision for a long time. Every day, for the rest of your life, you're going to face that medic in your bathroom mirror. Will it be someone who faced their own fears and served others? Or will it be someone who played it safe and got the hell out of Dodge?

   Q. Of course, there is a third option. I'm guessing Tim's not going to be able to talk his way out of this situation. The patient has facial fractures, and his face is badly bruised. His wife is going to know he didn't look like that when he left home, and if they question the police they're certainly going to figure out what happened.

   A. Of course they are. If everybody else does their jobs, and if the wife figures things out, and if Tim runs out of luck, and if some other medic speaks up, and if a supervisor gets called, and if the state steps in, somebody will finally realize that Tim needs help.

   Or you could cowboy up, and help them all.

   Thom Dick has been involved in EMS for 39 years, 23 of them as a full-time EMT and paramedic in San Diego County. He is the quality care coordinator for Platte Valley Ambulance Service, a community-owned, hospital-based 9-1-1 provider in Brighton, CO. Thom is also a member of EMS Magazine's editorial advisory board. Reach him at boxcar_414@yahoo.com.

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