Texas Medic Fired for Alleged Job Impairment

March 04--An Austin-Travis County EMS medic has been fired after officials say she was impaired on duty.

The medic, Julie Hamilton, also seemed impaired while conducting EMS-related business three times following the October incident she was fired for, according to a disciplinary memo made public Monday.

Hamilton and her partner were dispatched to a 911 emergency call in Manor on Oct. 13 but left after the patient refused to be taken to the hospital, according to the memo. Later that day, a complaint was filed with Manor police that pain medication was missing from the home.

After Hamilton's partner let a commander know about the complaint, the commander spoke to Hamilton "and quickly became concerned by her voice and demeanor," the memo says. "Her vocal tone was animated and happy, but she slurred her words and sounded very impaired, unlike her demeanor during his station visit earlier that day."

A commander expressed his concern to a division chief, who in turn called Hamilton and confirmed the commander's observation, the memo says. They met at the station with a second commander and determined that Hamilton was "obviously impaired, including but not limited to slurred speech and a lack of fine motor skills."

Much of the memo is redacted, and details about the drug test were not released.

A Manor police official said Tuesday that the department's case on Hamilton is closed, and that she was not charged in connection with the incident.

"A medic who is impaired while on duty is a liability to the city, to her co-workers and to the public that ATCEMS serves," EMS chief Ernie Rodriguez said in the memo. "Hamilton's impairment while on duty on October 13, 2013, brought discredit on ATCEMS."

Copyright 2014 - Austin American-Statesman