Catskill emergency responders have been fired from duty after a video shows apparent abuse of a disabled patient

Two emergency medical providers in the city of Catskill were fired from duty after they were caught on camera appearing to abuse a disabled patient during a recent call.

Several Nest home monitoring videos were shared on Facebook Friday by a person who said the patient had a partially amputated foot and had previously suffered multiple strokes.

The video shows workers driving up to the home in an ambulance with the words “Catskill Ambulance” on the back doors. They then get out of the vehicle. A worker can be heard shouting: “Who are we here for?” Come down. I can't carry him down the stairs. He needs to get on his butt and get down.”

Another surveillance video shows the patient apparently sliding down the stairs step by step on his buttocks. At one point, the man can be seen being escorted by the arm to the ambulance by the rescue workers, who then audibly instruct the patient to climb into the back of the ambulance himself.

“Let's go,” a worker is heard saying. Both paramedics are seen standing by as the patient struggles to climb to his knees alone. Eventually, the patient is seen collapsing in the back of the ambulance before climbing onto the stretcher.

“You have to get up,” one worker can be heard saying. “I will not do that.”

Another can be heard saying: “I literally saw you laying on the ground on purpose. I’m not playing this game with you.”

“It’s horrific and difficult to watch and difficult to process as a provider,” said Ashley Lurie, EMSPAC Hudson Valley division chief.

Lurie said ambulances are equipped with stairs and have state-required equipment to help in situations where patients cannot walk.

“It’s called a stair chair. The state has a set of requirements that list at least what an ambulance should have,” Lurie said.

Lurie said the behavior of workers in the videos appears to highlight the need for more mental health resources in the workplace this National EMS Week.

“I don’t think they started this job with that mindset,” Lurie said. “What might have been a good provider at one point – post-pandemic, there are a lot of things that could have caused that.”

Catskill City Manager Patrick McCulloch said the workers have been taken off duty and the incident is under investigation. Officials say the behavior is not an example of the service emergency responders are known to provide.

The person who shared the videos says the patient remains in the intensive care unit after being admitted to the hospital, but his condition is improving.