Indiana EMS Cheating Scandal Costs Firefighter His Job

Posted by: Curt Varone December 4, 2019 0

A cheating scandal during an EMT class in Indiana has cost one firefighter recruit his job, and led to the discipline of several others.

The incident involved recruits from South Bend and Mishawaka who were taking an advanced EMT class at Memorial Hospital last summer. According to ABC57, answers to an online open book exam were accidentally given out by instructors. Most of the students turned the answers in, but one of the students, Chad VanOvergerghe, did not. He opted to resign.

The City of South Bend released a statement saying:

  • “Probationary firefighters enrolled in an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician class received discipline as a result of an investigation into irregularities reported to the Fire Department by course instructors. As probationary firefighters, their discipline necessarily was conducted through the Board of Public Safety. The specific infractions varied between each affected probationary firefighter.”

Here is news video coverage I was not able to embed.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 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, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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