At least it seems like the scandal is never ending.

Five indicted in EMT training scandal

BOSTON — Five men, including two from the Lowell area, were indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury yesterday in a growing scandal over allegedly bogus recertifications for emergency medical technicians.

Former EMT instructor Thomas Codair Sr., 49, of Cambridge, is accused of creating and submitting training records that falsely showed dozens of emergency personnel attended courses they were required to complete to maintain their certification, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.

…

Yesterday’s indictments are the third in a series of indictments since the attorney general’s office began probing EMT recertifications late in 2008.

I expect that this will continue to grow as more indictments are handed down. People will be eager to share lists of other people who took shortcuts on their recertifications in order to receive lighter sentences.

None of which changes my opinion that most refresher training, not just in Massachusetts, but throughout the country is pathetic. Still, it is what it is, and if you think it’s not worth attending you have two options. Either get out of the field or agitate to make the training better. One of the people who was indicted was the president of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association. As such, he could have spent effort working with OEMS to change the training standards. IF the allegations against him are true, he has little reason to complain. He could have been instrumental in changing the status quo.

This is just a sad situation all around. Not only will public confidence in EMS providers be undermined, but those of us who don’t cheat will be under tighter scrutiny from OEMS when it comes to training.