American Medical Response says it has fired one of the EMTs involved in kicking a man out of an ambulance.
In a statement, AMR says two other members of the crew have undergone "corrective action."
They're also updating company policies.
Video from the November 30th incident shows the man collapsing on the sidewalk and lying face-down for two minutes before first responders tended to him.
He died about two weeks later.
Investigations by the city and the police department are ongoing.
From AMR:
In our January 19, 2024 media release, American Medical Response (AMR) relayed our actions following the tragic incident on Seneca Avenue in November of last year. In that media release, we also promised ongoing transparency and accountability.
In that spirit, we want to provide updates to the information we’ve already shared. First, we continue to convey our deepest condolences to the family and community affected by the November 30, 2023 incident. While patient privacy laws limit our ability to discuss the specific details of the incident, we have taken several steps in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability.
Within 24 hours of viewing the city’s body camera video footage of the incident, AMR independently contacted the New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS and Trauma Systems and requested a formal investigation. Their team started gathering information and conducting interviews with all involved AMR employees on January 16. This investigation is still ongoing and could take up to 90 days to complete.
Additionally, the City of Rochester is conducting an independent investigation, and we have a direct and ongoing line of communication with City leadership. We look forward to receiving the results of this investigation and working collaboratively with Mayor Evans, City leadership and the Rochester Police Department (RPD) to assess and understand the circumstances surrounding this incident.
At the same time, AMR initiated its own comprehensive and extensive investigation, conducting multiple in-person interviews with each of the employees involved and examining all other available evidence. Based on the results of our internal investigation, AMR has terminated one of the employees and initiated remedial training and corrective action for the other two employees involved.
As first responders, we work to instill in all our employees a fundamental respect for and dedication to preserving human life. We realize our standards for providing compassionate care and upholding human dignity weren’t met on Seneca Avenue on November 30, 2023, and we pledge to do better.
AMR is taking immediate steps to update and enhance our company policies, offering clear guidance to responders in managing the patient-provider relationship. A detailed evaluation of our company’s operational protocols, policies, procedures, and training programs is underway, as is an examination of human factors that may come into play. At the conclusion of our review, we will promptly implement any and all necessary changes. AMR commits to company-wide education and training on crisis patient management, addressing cognitive biases to ensure all patients receive respectful and dignified service under our care.
AMR remains committed to enhancing health outcomes in Rochester and will make every effort to prevent these types of tragedies from happening in the future. We are dedicated to working collaboratively with the residents of Rochester, advocacy groups, elected officials, and others. We are engaging with community organizations to seek feedback about how we operate, identify areas for improvement, build relationships, rebuild trust and drive accountability.
We would like to reiterate our heartfelt condolences to all those in our Rochester community affected by the November 30, 2023 incident on Seneca Avenue. We will continue to share updates as information becomes available.