State Office Of EMS Suspends Credentials Of Two Paramedics

FRANKLIN COUNTY, N.C. — The State Board of EMS is taking action in the wake of a Franklin County man who was mistakenly pronounced dead.

The agency summarily suspended the credentials of Wade R. Kearney II of Henderson and Paul Kilmer of Louisburg for EMS rules violations. Their suspension orders note that the agency cannot permit them to continue performing as credentialed emergency medical services personnel.

Last week, Larry Donnell Green was pronounced dead after he was hit by a car in Franklin County. Hours later while in a body bag, Green started to show signs of life. He was eventually taken to a hospital and remains in critical condition.

In addition, the agency found that Kearney made his determination of death without conducting a thorough assessment of the patient. The agency found that Kilmer made his determination of death by taking the word of Kearney, an off-duty paramedic responding to the scene as a first responder.

The agency also found that both Kearney and Kilmer failed to use proper equipment available that could have identified life functions before making a determination of death.

"We cannot emphasize enough the critical importance of following all the established protocols for the safety of the patient," said Drexdal Pratt, chief of the N.C. Office of Emergency Medical Services.

On Monday night, Franklin County officials will convene in a closed meeting to talk about a report from the county attorney detailing the incident. It is unclear if the report will be released to the public.