** Two Oregon paramedic/firefighters charged with illegally accessing coworkers’ emails
** Alberta Paramedics Association lobbying for all EMS providers in province to be trained to
administer naloxone
UNITED STATES NEWS
** Two Sunriver, Oregon paramedic/firefighters were arraigned Tuesday on charges they illegally
accessed coworkers’ email accounts. The Bend Bulletin (Claire Withycombe/December 9) said
former practitioner Jason Arnold, who was also the head of the local fire union at the time, stands
accused of computer crime and illegally accessing the content of communications. Current
practitioner Jeffrey Ruthardt, who remains on paid suspension, has been tagged with criminal
conspiracy, interception of communication, and official misconduct. According to the newspaper,
Ruthardt did not appear in court as he remains under inpatient treatment for an undisclosed
illness. Though details are scant, initial information indicates the emails of interest to the pair
involved ones pertaining to labour negotiations. No contact orders have been issued mandating
the pair have no interaction with four employees who were allegedly threatened. The two men will
plea to the charges January 12th.
CANADA NEWS
** The Alberta Paramedics Association is lobbying for all EMS providers in the province to be
trained to administer the anti overdose drug naloxone. That is the word from CBC (December 9)
which quoted association PR rep Amanda Spearing-Rayner as saying news that narcan kits will be
more available to the public is just a first step in combating fentanyl overdoses. According to the
news site, Spearing-Rayner said having all 4,200 Alberta EMTs able to administer the antidote
is critical, especially given the health minister’s declaration that the misuse of fentanyl is a major
public health problem. Currently, only physicians, certain paramedics, and drug users with a
prescription for narcan can use it. Between January and May of this year, Alberta saw
213 people die from fentanyl overdoses.
