(Photo via Getty Images, logo courtesy of the State of Iowa)
An emergency medical technician was fired by the City of Monticello in August for sharing with others a video he recorded of a patient’s ambulance ride.
State records indicate Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Curtis Wyman worked for the City of Monticello Ambulance Service on Aug. 14, 2024, when he and responded to a non-emergency call involving an individual who regularly needed transportation to a hospital. The patient preferred to use an ambulance for such rides since it was very uncomfortable for him to ride in a vehicle while sitting up.
According to uncontested testimony given at Wyman’s subsequent unemployment hearing, on Aug. 14, Wyman opted not to ride in the back of the ambulance with the patient as was expected. Instead, he rode up front with the driver and shot a video of a portion of the 40-minute transport call, leaving the patient alone in the back of the ambulance.
The video, Wyman allegedly told his superiors, was intended to document the fact that some non-emergency patients use the ambulance service as a mere taxi service.
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While the video didn’t show the patient, the patient’s voice could be heard on the recording. Wyman later sent the video to his managers, who initiated an investigation into the matter and placed Wyman on leave. On Aug. 29, the city fired Wyman, citing the video and the fact that he didn’t ride in the back of the ambulance with the patient.
During the city’s investigation, Wyman allegedly denied sharing the video with anyone other than his superiors. However, the city claimed its investigation showed he had sent the video to an individual named Danny who shared it with others, leading to the video spreading throughout the community.
The city argued that in response to a text message from one of his superiors, Wyman had allegedly admitted as much, texting her, “Yes, I talked to Danny and he said he didn’t say or show anyone.”
As for why he opted to ride up front with the driver during the call, Wyman allegedly told city officials that during previous transport calls, the patient would expel air from his colostomy bag, emitting strong odors into the ambulance. Wyman reportedly said he was fearful that he’d throw up in the ambulance if he was riding in back alongside the patient.
After his termination, Wyman filed for unemployment benefits which led to a recent hearing before Administrative Law Judge Blair Bennett. In ruling that Wyman was ineligible for such benefits, Bennett stated that Wyman’s explanations for his conduct “all ring hollow.”
Bennett stated Wyman’s “decision to film the transport of a patient is highly questionable, especially in light of mentioning the patient’s name and the distribution of this video to other parties. To act in such a manner would certainly create the impression to the community at large who might have seen the video that the employer did not care enough about patients to ride in the back of the ambulance with the patients, and that employer was willing to publicly expose patients to the world without a patient’s approval.”
Bennett also ruled that Wyman’s “excuse for not riding with the patient — that the (colostomy) bag would smell — is not a credible excuse and only further(s) the employer’s diminished view within the community.”
According to Bennett’s ruling, Wyman received a letter of warning from the state’s Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services as a result of the August incident. State licensing records show Wyman has been an Iowa-licensed EMT since 2017, and his license remains in good standing with no public record of any disciplinary action.
Monticello Ambulance Service covers an area of 160 square miles in Jones, Linn and Delaware counties.
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