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Members of the Bellingham Fire Department reportedly used the body of a recently deceased patient to undergo training.
(Bellingham Fire Department)
According to a new report, a fire department in the state of Washington is feeling a different heat after an investigation revealed that some employees were using the body of a recently deceased person to practice medical treatment. multiple intubations.
In July, the unidentified body was taken to Barracks 1 of the Bellingham Fire Department waiting to be picked up at a funeral home. Meanwhile, several members of the department, including a division chief and EMS captains, performed several intubations on the body, reported the Bellingham Herald, citing information received from the city's director of communications.
The fire chief confirmed the report to the newspaper, saying in a prepared statement that he first learned of the incident in early August.
"This incident was neither normal nor acceptable," said Fire Chief Bill Newbold. "The CEO of this activity was immediately put on administrative leave pending the outcome of a comprehensive and thorough investigation."
He added: "The investigation confirmed to me that the acts of the personnel involved were unacceptable and constituted serious misconduct".
Vanessa Blackburn, the city's director of communications, told the newspaper that the fire department had neither requested nor received permission to perform the medical procedure of the deceased's family, adding that officials had acted under the direction of the chief officer present. She stated that the police chief mistakenly believed that the situation was an appropriate training opportunity.
"This direction was inappropriate and inconsistent with our expectations of the chief officers," she said.
Staff involved in the incident was suspended without treatment or letter in his personal files, depending on the extent of his involvement, Blackburn said. An officer who had been working in the department for 28 years has retired, while another officer, a 23-year veteran of the ministry, has resigned, she added.
The names of the employees involved were not disclosed.
"These actions could undermine the trust between our service and the community we serve, which we have gained through a century of exemplary service," said Mr. Newbold. "In the future, firefighters, paramedics and Bellingham Fire Department staff will continue to work hard in the service of our community."
Mayor Kelli Linville told the newspaper in a prepared statement that she was "very disturbed" when she learned of the incident and praised Newbold's quick actions.
"We took this very seriously, taking the necessary steps to ensure that those responsible were held accountable," she continued. "What happened was wrong and I want to assure the community that it will not happen again."
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