Louisville Metro EMS Paramedic Ordered to Work Overtime Falls Asleep in Patients Home and is Suspended

Paramedic Patty Greer was placed on indefinite suspension without pay after she fell asleep last Saturday night at a patient’s home while entering the patient’s information into her laptop. Greer says that she bent down to enter the patient’s details and fell asleep.

Greer blames the department’s excessive mandatory overtime for causing fatigue at work.  She also told reporters “I want people in our service not to be tired. I don’t want everybody to be mean and nasty and horrible anymore.”

In the past, the department has told the media that members who are too exhausted to work are allowed to go home, but that claim is disputed by employees. Paramedic Teresa Johnson showed reporters a copy of a written reprimand she received in June for not accepting mandatory overtime.  “We’re being forced to work overtime when we’re vastly too tired to do that”.

Louisville Metro EMS was in the news recently related to a number of disciplinary issues, many of which involved drug related offenses.

When asked about the overtime problem, and some possible solutions, Metro Councilman Kelly Downard stated “New Management”.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 40 years of fire service experience and 30 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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