Before we dive in, a quick note: If you want to make Douglas Odney’s day just a little bit worse, feel free to drop even a dollar at our GiveSendGo here: https://www.givesendgo.com/GC4M8. Every cent makes him that much more upset—just something to think about.
The complaint from Douglas Odney? Withdrawn By Douglas.
This isn’t over. It was a frivolous attempt to have the regulating body take my Paramedic
license away. We had called AHS EMS leadership out on their bullshit and they were no
doubt upset. Whether he was encouraged to do this by the team or did it on his own
makes no difference.
They fucked up. Not just by trying to sucker punch me with college discipline but by
running away afterwards. I’m not letting the Alberta College of Paramedics off the hook
either. They made a choice to move this past the complaint’s intake process to an
investigation. I was really starting to look forward to next steps. Frankly, we were
punching up in this fight and winning. The College investigator and I had a brief
conversation on the phone and he seems like a very solid guy. We both knew and had
worked with some of the same people, also sharing some hobbies and interests.
BTW, here’s the response I filed with the College the day after I received the complaint.
This whole process they tried to hurt me with, that was all they’ve got. It’s also the main
weapon they use against their staff. This is textbook toxic management. I’ve worked
under real EMS leaders who stood beside me, not behind me. One of them is George
Porter, who’s spearheading our WMA ‘October Surprise’.
So Doug withdrew his/their complaint. After that goofy word salad, he ran away. I’d be
curious to know at what point EMS managers realized this complaint was a bad idea.
Was it right away after we published the complaint online? Was it the laughter and scorn
from Paramedics across Alberta? Did they read the FOIP data and review the videos of
their presentations to Municipal Councils we posted on the blog proving AHS EMS
leadership doesn’t tell the truth? Or maybe it was our delightful memes? Whatever it
was, they decided to cut their losses and head back under the bridge where they live.
None of them should get too comfortable, we’re just a little more pissed off now. We
would have liked to sit down with Douglas and had a dialogue. We would have
extended an olive branch in the form of an apology and a request for him and the rest of
the management team to ‘do better’. They all sat by, setting this example for their
Supervisors and Staff. They either passively or actively watched supervisors burn
Paramedic careers, like they tried to burn me last week.
If you’ve been at the receiving end of a witch-hunt over a petty complaint from a weak
partner or a patient, especially if you were already hurting, you know what I’m talking
about. Supervisors, empowered by small men like Douglas and even worse HR reps, leaning on the flimsiest defence of a balance of probabilities in kangaroo court like investigations, where that paramedic is guilty till proven innocent. If you’ve watched as managers have run good Paramedics into the ground, forced them to make questionable decisions by either rushing them out of the hospital without completing their paperwork or working them many hours past the end of their shift, then you feel me. If you’ve worked with a full-time partner and watched as they kick the exit door and cannonball into the casual pool with middle fingers in the air… you know what I’m talking about. Blame managers like Douglas.
Let’s be clear: AHS leadership has failed to act long before the last chief left after
‘WTFScandal’ that was. Who’s the real Captain of HMS AHS EMS? If this
Hospital-centric system is run by Nurses, why are any of you ‘gold leaf epaulets’ even coming to work? Wear a damn nurse’s hat, it would at least make you authentic. If you all are just taking order from the Bridge RN for the ship to remain ‘steady as she goes’ while your Paramedic crews are jumping over the rail, you’re incompetent. If trying to take us here at WMA down is all you can think of it might be time to hang up your Bosun’s cap. So your strategy last week was terrible. You only made things worse. If you keep attacking us rather than telling the truth and improving the work… hey, I don’t have a crystal ball.
You and your so-called leadership have been making bank on borrowed time, hoping no
one would stand up to your gaslighting and manipulation. Now you are in the spot and
we’re going to keep on shining that light. Accountability is in AHS’s values, and it’s
time you had some. We wish you had of called us, offered to sit down or at the very
least tried to stop the bullshit. Instead, you filed a flimsy complaint with the regulated
body and tried to take my provincial license.
Until next time.
P.S. We still think most of EMS leadership should be fired. But if you managers decide
to step up and show some real leadership, maybe there’s hope. At this point I don’t
believe it’s likely but there it is. One last reminder before you go: Every dollar donated to our GiveSendGo helps us keep holding leadership accountable. It also annoys Douglas to no end, so if you want to contribute to both those causes, check it out here: https://www.givesendgo.com/GC4M8.