State Investigates More Training Irregularities at Muncie, IN, Fire Department
All Muncie firefighters and EMTs must retake a CPR class following allegations that a previous course wasn't conducted properly.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the American Heart Association launched a probe following an e-mail from three high-ranking officers who alleged improper training, according to WTHR.
The CPR class was "not within the approved guidelines of the AHA [American Heart Association]. In fact, the recertification process was so egregious that we are compelled to report this to the State of Indiana," officers wrote in the e-mail.
Training has been suspended for now at the department following a meeting involving the AHA and IDHS officials and Fire Chief Dan Burford.
The state agency will also send its training director to monitor the classes to make sure it's done correctly.
The American Heart Association said there could be consequences for CPR trainings that fall short of the organization’s guidelines.
“In the event that an instructor does not offer trainings that meet American Heart Association course standards, we may offer the instructor remedial training, suspend their instructor certificate or revoke their instructor certificate,” said American Heart Association communications director Tim Harms, adding that high-quality CPR can double or triple the chances of person’s survival during cardiac arrest.
The new probe comes as the department is still dealing with an ongoing controversy involving Muncie EMTs and firefighters cheating on other certification exams.
Capt. Troy Dulaney -- who remains on paid administrative leave -- was at the center of the investigation, accused of telling EMT recruits they should share with him actual test questions and answers from their national certification exams.
An administrative law judge later ruled the state failed to prove some of its key claims against Dulaney, recommending more lenient sanctions. He still faces the possibility of stiff discipline by state regulators and the fire department.
