Denver FFs Suspended for Declaring Alive Woman Dead Sans Contact

Two Denver firefighters have been suspended after declaring a woman dead without actually seeing or examining her.

9News reported when the crew arrived on June 24 for a welfare check, a Denver police officer allegedly told them they didn't need to go inside because she was 'obviously dead.'

The officer described the patient as having lividity, bodily fluid leakage and an odor.

Based on that description, Denver Fire Lt. Patrick Lopez told Firefighter Marshall Henry to contact Denver Health for a field pronouncement by a doctor. That request was granted based on the information he relayed.

The firefighters went in service and left. The officer went back into the home and was looking for weapons when he saw the woman moving. He called for the crew to return. 

The station reported that Henry realized his mistake and notified his district chief and an EMS educator while Lopez also told his superior. 

The officer denied telling the firefighters not to go inside, and the investigation revealed it was more likely than not that Lopez had lied to his supervisors in order to shift blame, according to the published report.

Lopez was demoted from lieutenant to firefighter and given a 14-shift (336 hour) suspension without pay.

Henry was given a 10-shift (240 hour) suspension without pay.