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Nov. 28, 2007
Second EMT's license reinstated by state
By CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT
Rodd Fernandes, former EMT for the Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue Service, had his paramedic license reinstated by the Nevada Health Division. Fernandes was one of two emergency responders who were arrested by the sheriff's office for their alleged involvement in the death of Linus Wendler. Both paramedics were booked on charges of criminal neglect of a patient and exploiting older persons, however, formal charges have yet to be filed. The paramedics both lost their employment with the town as a result of the incident. The other emergency responder involved in the incident, Carrol Meeks, has since had his paramedic's license reinstated by the Nevada Health Division as well. "We're ecstatic, we're happy," Fernandes said, speaking for himself and his wife. "It's what we've been saying all along, that we didn't do anything wrong. Now we got the state behind us." Wendler had called 9-1-1 in November of last year reporting that he was having breathing problems. When the EMTs arrived on the scene, they heard a gunshot come from the trailer. Meeks testified at his appeal hearing that when he looked in through the screen door, he saw that Wendler had shot himself in the head and was not showing signs of life. The paramedics waited for a deputy to arrive on scene prior to entering the trailer as the presence of a gun turned the residence into a crime scene. After sheriff's office Det. David Boruchowitz (a deputy at the time of the incident) arrived on the scene and secured it. Eight minutes later, according to testimony at Meeks' appeal hearing, Boruchowitz and Fernandez noticed Wendler chest breathing and what the health department identified as "agonal respiration," or two or three short breaths a minute. Meeks was then called in to the trailer and confirmed there was a pulse. The sheriff's office alleged that the paramedics refused to treat Wendler at that point despite being ordered to several times. Meeks and Fernandes have denied the allegation. Wendler was transported to Desert View Regional Medical Center where he died within minutes after arriving. |
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