CLEARWATER, Fla. — Two west-central Florida paramedics were suspended after pronouncing a man dead who was later found to be still breathing, authorities said.
The paramedics, from Clearwater Fire and Rescue, were placed on administrative duty after Wednesday’s incident, WTSP-TV reported.
The paramedics, from Station 47, responded to a call about a 65-year-old man in cardiac arrest at a private residence in unincorporated Pinellas County, according to WFLA-TV.
The responders pronounced the man dead “shortly after their arrival,” Clearwater Fire and Rescue said in a statement. They left the area once deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrived to investigate, according to the television station.
According to the news release, a deputy “noticed the patient was breathing and requested medical crews to return to the scene.”
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Largo Fire Rescue crews were called and reached the scene, WFLA reported. About 28 minutes elapsed between the initial call and Largo medics’ arrival, according to Clearwater Fire and Rescue.
The man was taken to the hospital and was still recovering, according to WFLA.
“Upon notification of this incident, we immediately removed both fire medics from their normal duties and discontinued their abilities to provide patient care, in conjunction with the county’s medical director,” Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said in a statement. “On behalf of the city, I apologize for the actions and the inactions of our crew during this incident. We have strict policies and procedures in place that were not followed, according to our preliminary review. These two did not perform to the standard of care that our citizens expect and deserve. We will address this incident swiftly.”
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Jennifer Poirrier, Clearwater’s interim city manager, told WTSP that the actions of the two paramedics were “not up to the city’s standard.”
“Our first responders proudly serve our community each and every day, and they are expected to help people when they need it the most,” Poirrier told the television station. “When this does not occur at the level at which we expect, it is incumbent upon us to determine exactly what happened, why it happened, and then ensure it will never happen again.”