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The emergency room was fired after the video of the ambulance patient went viral in the community. • Iowa Capital Dispatch

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The emergency room was fired after the video of the ambulance patient went viral in the community. • Iowa Capital Dispatch

In August, an emergency medical technician at the City of Monticello was fired for sharing video of a patient’s ambulance ride with others.

State records show Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Curtis Wyman was working for the City of Monticello Ambulance Service on Aug. 14, 2024, when he responded to a non-emergency call involving a person who required regular transportation to the hospital. The patient preferred to use an ambulance for such trips because he was very uncomfortable traveling while sitting in the vehicle.

According to undisputed testimony at Wyman’s subsequent unemployment hearing on August 14, Wyman chose not to get into the backseat of the ambulance with the patient, as expected. Instead, he went ahead with the driver and took a video of part of the 40-minute transfer call, leaving the patient alone in the backseat of the ambulance.

The video, Wyman allegedly told his superiors, was intended to document the fact that some non-emergency patients were using the ambulance service only as a taxi service.

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While the patient was not visible in the video, the patient’s voice could be heard in the recording. Wyman then sent the video to his managers, who launched an investigation and placed Wyman on leave. On Aug. 29, the city fired Wyman, citing the video and his failure to ride in the back of the ambulance with the patient.

During the city’s investigation, Wyman allegedly refused to share the video with anyone other than his superiors. However, the city alleged that the investigation sent the video to a person named Danny, who shared it with others, which led to the video being disseminated throughout the community.

The city claimed Wyman also admitted this in response to a text message from one of his superiors, who texted him: “Yes, I spoke to Danny and he said he didn’t tell or show anyone.”

As for why he chose to ride in the front with the driver during the interview, Wyman allegedly told city officials that during previous transport calls, the patient had released air from the colostomy bag, releasing strong odors into the ambulance. Wyman reportedly said he was afraid he would vomit in the ambulance if the patient got in the back with him.

Wyman filed for unemployment benefits following his termination, leading 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 behavior were “completely hollow.”

Bennett stated that Wyman’s “decision to film a patient’s transport was highly questionable, especially in light of the mention of the patient’s name and the distribution of this video to other parties.” Acting in this way will create the impression to the general public who may have watched the video that the employer does not care enough about the patients to ride in the back of the ambulance with the patients and that the employer is publicly willing to do so. Revealing patients to the world without the patient’s consent.”

Bennett also ruled that Wyman’s “excuse for not traveling with the patient – the (colostomy) bag smelling – was not a credible excuse and only furthered the employer’s diminished public standing.”

According to Bennett’s ruling, Wyman received a warning letter from the state’s Bureau of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Services for the incident in August. State licensing records show Wyman has been an Iowa licensed EMT since 2017 and his license is in good standing with no public record of any disciplinary action.

Monticello Ambulance Service covers 160 square miles in Jones, Linn and Delaware counties.

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