Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, ALA. — Seven trainees at the Montgomery Fire/Rescue Academy have been terminated from the program after allegedly cheating on the final EMT exam last week.
The trainees were a part of a 23-member class which began in August. Their terminations were effective immediately. One trainee had resigned previous to the incident.
“They were not quite halfway through the program,” said Martha Earnhardt, spokeswoman for the Montgomery Department of Public Safety. “They would have graduated in the spring.”
The Montgomery Fire/Rescue Academy has also initiated termination proceedings against a firefighter following the incident. Earnhardt said the firefighter in question had administered the test at the academy, but no other identifying information was released.
The department received information last week that the examination may have been compromised. The Montgomery Office of City Investigations was called in and they confirmed the test had been compromised and results were invalid.
District Mark Williams, a spokesperson of the department, said the recruits would had to have passed the test, which covered EMT training, in order to continue to the next area of study.
The investigation is ongoing, Earnhardt said. She also added that this is the first case of cheating to occur there in 20-30 years.
Public Safety Director Chris Murphy praised the department’s handling of the matter.
“This is an exceptional agency that provides the highest level of fire services. MF/R has acted immediately and appropriately in keeping with the character and integrity of the department and its employees,” Murphy said.
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