On the falsified EMS timesheets

Dwayne Patton has been one of those faces on emergency scenes for many years in Madison County. But he resigned recently after timesheet discrepancies in the EMS office came to light.

The feelings about the resignation are pretty intense. Part of that is because Patton is genuinely a shirt-off-his-back kind of guy, someone who looks out for others with real zeal. He and his brother, David, the county’s CHAMPS (or long-time DARE) officer, are fixtures of community service in this county, who organize an annual Christmas toy drive for needy Madison County kids. They are both very well respected.

Given Patton’s long work history with the county and his good natured way of dealing with people, it seems strange to write his name along with words like “timesheet discrepancies.”

But the fact remains, there was clear timesheet misrepresentation in the EMS department. So what does that mean? Was this illegal? Well, that question has been turned over to the district attorney for review.

In short, EMS employees were allowed to take time off and pay someone cash to fill in for them. In the meantime, they remained on the timesheet, as if they had worked. That made them eligible for overtime pay that they shouldn’t have had.

On the one hand, it’s not hard to understand a manager’s desire to keep employees happy. There has been great turnover in the EMS department in recent years, with Madison County’s EMS serving as a sort of training ground for other counties where paramedics’ pay is better. A pay system that rewards employees with considerable overtime can offset lower wages and make positions more competitive, giving paramedics more incentive to stay. There is an argument to be made that a greater good is served when there is more stability in the department. The more stability there is, the more experience you have, the better emergency response you have on calls.

Apparently, the cash-for-substitutes pay practice was not solely a Madison County practice. BOC chairman Anthony Dove said he spoke with area leaders and learned that several neighboring EMS departments had employed the practice sometime in the past.

It seems the cash payment system was a type of unofficial institutional perk, something in place for years, not just in Madison County. Was this something done by most employees or only a few? Did employees use this sparingly or did they abuse the perk? Only those inside the system could really answer this.

Nevertheless, all of these qualifiers can’t wipe away a fundamental truth. A timesheet is a contract. It’s your official claim on how long you worked. It is your word. If you falsify it, no matter your reasons, you’re violating a contract. If timecards don’t correctly identify who is actually working, that’s a pretty egregious misrepresentation. An environment in which such actions are routinely condoned will inevitably lead to trouble.

So how much overtime did the county pay out that wasn’t legitimately earned? It may be impossible to get an accurate figure on that, considering that the practice stretches back a number of years.

Perhaps more important than the pay issues are the potential legal ramifications. Think of the legal vulnerability the county unknowingly endured every time a timecard falsely showed who was actually in an ambulance. What if the undocumented substitute who was paid in cash made a significant medical error with a patient? What if that substitute was hurt? What sort of income tax liabilities could arise from such arrangements? There are a number of scenarios in which the county could have faced extremely costly legal troubles due to the timesheet manipulation.

Ultimately, department heads are responsible for how policies are administered in their departments. A leader who doesn’t know of long-standing timesheet manipulation among employees is not appropriately in charge. Likewise, a department head who knowingly accepts such manipulation cannot be blind to the fact that such a policy puts the county as a whole in extreme legal jeopardy. That person is also failing to lead appropriately.

One way or another, falsified timesheets are sufficient cause for Patton to step down. The issue of whether timesheet manipulation rises to the level of crime must be approached, too. There’s no getting around that.

But there is surely no joy in such things. It is truly a sad day when someone who has served so many county citizens in their moments of need finds himself out of a job.

Despite the current problems, I firmly believe you will see Mr. Patton doing positive things for Madison County in the future. I believe he has shown through the years that he has that genuine drive to help others.

Zach Mitcham is editor of The Madison County Journal.