HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. -- Four Hillsborough Fire Rescue paramedics have been suspended for botching a 911 call that resulted in a woman's death.
- The incident occurred on the 4th of July
- 30-year-old Crystal Galloway died from a stroke
- Paramedics would not transport because she couldn't afford it
The suspended paramedics are Lt. John "Mike" Morris, Fire-Medic Justin Sweeney, Fire-Medic Andrew Martin, Lt. Courtney Barton.
Thirty-year-old Crystal Galloway died from a stroke. The incident happened at an apartment complex on the Fourth of July.
The county says the victim's mother called 911 and by the time paramedics arrived, there was confusion about the transport.
The County Administrator said the victim's mother told paramedics she wanted to transfer her daughter because of the cost.
However, the mother said that the paramedics told her, "We are not transporting Crystal because she cannot afford the ambulance ride."
The administrator says the mother had a discussion with Hillsborough deputies about cost and not the paramedics.
Regardless, the administrator says the paramedics violated a number of procedures, including not getting the patient to sign a formal refusal, failing to document the true nature of the call by stating they never found the victim, and failing to properly assess the patient when they arrived on scene.
"They didn't take any vitals. They didn't do any assesment of her. That is a violation of standard operating procedure," said County Administrator, Mike Merrill.
Merrill previously spoke with Dr. Michael Lozano, the Medical Director of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, as part of the internal investigation.
Merrill said, "Based on, as I said, the review of Dr. (Michael) Lozano, he concluded that based on these three points, I'm quoting him now, 'I cannot trust these individuals to work under my medical license. I feel they do not meet the minumum standards set by myself and the department.'"
The mother said she ended up having to drive her daughter to the hospital herself.
Crystal was then airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. Following a coma, Crystal died a few days later.
The mother said she's very upset about this incident and wants the paramedics fired.
Those paramedics will attend a preliminary discipline hearing next Tuesday.