Village, town tell department to clarify policies
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Darien village and town boards voted unanimously July 28 to reinstate Emergency Medical Services Chief Eric Sladek, who had been removed as chief and suspended from the EMS board of directors June 18.
Sladek was removed and suspended for allegedly violated department policies regarding department organization and the job description of the rescue chief, the department policy organization chart, a review of department rules and regulations, the member code of ethics and department representation.
Sladek appealed the decision of the EMS board to the joint village and town boards July 21 in a hearing that lasted three hours before it was suspended because of its length. At that meeting, Molly Jo Baars represented the EMS department. Her questioning of witnesses showed that the main concerns of the EMS board and EMS members were that they had no voice in decisions Sladek made, and Sladek appeared before the joint village and town board at a special meeting May 24 representing the board without informing anyone he intended to do so.
The hearing was continued July 28 and lasted another four hours before the joint board rendered its decision. First Assistant Chief Cheri Krueger, who served as interim chief while Sladek was suspended, questioned Sladek to open the hearing. Krueger established that Sladek was an “at-will” employee and that he had the opportunity to sign the department’s policies and procedures when he became chief in January.
Krueger asked Sladek to identify the department’s organizational chart which shows who reports to whom within the department. Sladek said he recognized it, but said it has never been enforced and is confusing. He also said EMS members did not follow the chart themselves when they came to him to express concerns without going through the chain of command listed on the chart.
Krueger asked Sladek if he picked up his policy manual and asked where in it members had a say at a meeting in June. Sladek said he asked where it said they had a vote, not a say. Sladek also said he made scheduling changes some members were not happy with, but the chief has scheduling power. He said some members followed his schedule and others did not.
Krueger asked if Sladek had ever used a policy cover sheet to make policy changes as is required. Sladek’s attorney, Steven Harvey, objected saying Sladek never made any policy changes himself. Harvey said Sladek only instituted changes the joint board had approved and he notified the EMS board about those changes more than 14 days before they went into effect as required. Harvey also said changes to department rules and regulations need a cover sheet and a 14-day notice, not policy changes.
Krueger then asked Sladek about his attendance at the May 24 meeting and if he believed he needed EMS board approval to represent the board at the meeting. Sladek said he acted as the EMS chief and talked to the joint board about the response time of the department.
Sladek also said he has attended many other meetings as chief without getting EMS board approval, and it was never an issue. Krueger said changes were made at that meeting the EMS board knew nothing about.
Krueger asked what was to gain by attending the May 24 meeting without EMS board knowledge. Sladek said it was to save lives and protect public safety. At that meeting the joint board approved changing from Paratech to Medix for advanced life support services. Sladek said Medix provides a service that Paratech does not.
Krueger asked why Sladek had not called any EMS board meetings since April. Sladek said there had been conflict at previous meetings, he felt the board needed a break, and there was nothing related to hiring to put on an agenda for discussion.
Krueger asked if Sladek gave up any funding for the department by requiring Darien members to also be on the roster of the Sharon department but not requiring Sharon members to be on Darien’s roster. Sladek said he might have but he did not want to have to guess who from Sharon would show up for calls.
Krueger asked about bias related to Sladek being an employee of Medix. Sladek denied having any bias or receiving any benefits of the switch to Medix other than a company-wide raise everyone received that had nothing to do with Darien’s switch to Medix.
Brandon Nance, an advanced emergency medical technician and EMS board member, testified next and said he had concerns about the switch to Medix. He said he was concerned about the reliability of Medix equipment and vehicles and said some Medix vehicles lack state-mandated equipment like a cardiac monitor.
Harvey began his defense by questioning Dr. James MacNeal, who works for Mercy Health System and serves as the medical director for Darien EMS. MacNeal said Medix is qualified to perform some procedures that Paratech is not qualified to perform and he has been encouraging Paratech to get qualified for years. MacNeal said he also encouraged Sladek to make the change to Medix and appeared at the May 24 joint meeting to provide information to the joint board. He also said he knew of no issues with Medix equipment and said the state does not require cardiac monitors.
Krueger said under cross examination that some procedures require two paramedics, and Medix does not always have two on a call. She also said Medix is not always available, and some of the procedures Medix uses have complications.
Harvey then questioned Sladek. Sladek said under direct examination that he was motivated to make changes because he did not feel the department’s response time was good enough, a problem he said is nationwide, not just in Darien. He said the department took 18 minutes to arrive on scene to a call in December before he became chief. Sladek said response time is very important and his changes were made with public safety and department liability in mind.
Sladek said Paratech was not providing the best care it could to the citizens. He said he tried as assistant chief three years ago to get the department to change and his concerns were disregarded. Sladek said he did not bring the idea of switching to Medix to the EMS board before taking it to the joint village and town board because he had been shut down by the EMS board on multiple occasions.
Sladek said he looked at the department rules to see if he was required to inform the board and found that he was not. He said he decided it was more appropriate to bring it to the joint board than the EMS board because he trusted that board more to make an unbiased decision.
Sladek also said the department should not be run like a democracy because it is a municipal department under the guidance of the village and town boards. He also said he did not make unilateral changes himself. The changes he made were voted on and approved by the joint board May 24 or already existed but had not been followed.
Attorney Kim Howarth read the joint board’s decision to reinstate Sladek. He said, “The joint board finds that given the potential discrepancies in the policy and procedures, and given the chief’s record of service, that the proposed discipline does not reasonably relate to the alleged violations.”
The statement also directed the EMS board and department to implement a policy that mandates that a matter is brought to the EMS board before it is brought to the joint board by the chief. It also directed the board and department to conduct a thorough review of all policies and procedures to more clearly define the roles of chief and the board of directors.
After the hearing, Sladek said he is happy the joint board made the decision to reinstate him and found that he had not committed any violations. He said he was looking out for the people and public safety issues. He said he applauds Paratech for working toward getting qualified to perform the services Medix already provides, but the move to Medix was in the best interests of the people the department serves.
“They can provide a higher level of care,” Sladek said.
When asked if he might have tried to change too many things too quickly, Sladek said he believes the department is seven years behind in some areas and that needed to change. He said change is hard but is also necessary.
“I will look to improve our response time in any way I can,” he said. He also admitted that he has been aggressive in moving forward on issues that deal with public safety and response times.
Sladek also said he fought for his changes and hired an attorney at his own cost knowing that he probably does not have the popular vote to get re-elected as chief in January. He said getting re-elected is not the point. He wants what is best for public safety.
Sladek said he is eager to move forward. He said his No. 1 priority is helping people by providing the best medical care and preventative services the department can provide. Sladek said he plans to sit down with the EMS board and discuss what he and board members feel is appropriate, and they both have been challenged by the joint board to clear up confusing policies.
“I will work with them, and the new policies will be voted on by the EMS board and then the joint board,” Sladek said. “I will try my best to do that with them.”
