Deputy director fired, director suspended with pay pending outcome of review
Senior county administrators are conducting a thorough investigation of Iredell County Emergency Medical Services in response to concerns raised by current and former EMS employees.
County Manager Beth Mull confirmed the investigation, which she said was initiated after EMS staff complained about the “culture” in the department. The scope of the investigation, she added, has widened as a result of information that was obtained in the early stages of the internal review.
“As part of the investigation, we’re going through all of our policies, procedures, inventory — everything,” Mull explained.
According to public records obtained by Iredell Free News, EMS Director Blair Richey was placed on non-disciplinary investigatory suspension with pay on June 12.
Deputy Director Andrew Cardwell, who was suspended with pay on the same date, was fired four days later for “violations of the Personnel Ordinance” and statements he made during a pre-disciplinary conference, according to public records.
Citing state law prohibiting the release of protected personnel information and the ongoing investigation, Mull declined to discuss specific details about the staff complaints or the reasons for Richey’s suspension and Cardwell’s suspension and subsequent termination.
As the investigation was beginning, county administration notified state regulators about the department’s “administrative issues.” As a result, EMS Medical Director Nicholas Petit agreed that EMS personnel would not administer Ketamine to patients and would pause all drug-assisted intubations for 30 days.
Beyond that, Mull said she did not expect any other significant impacts to the services EMS provides.
“We have a really good group that cares about the services they provide,” the county manager said. “They are running calls every day. I have no concerns at all about our staff out there providing patient care.”
Assistant County Manager Rodney Harris, who began working for the county in April, and Human Resources Director Sandra Gregory are leading the investigation, which Mull said would likely be completed within 30 days.
In an interview, Cardwell said he and Richey first became aware of the investigation during the week leading up to his termination, when Harris informed the EMS administrators that the department had a “culture” and “leadership” problem. That statement was made a day after the administrators provided Harris with reports about the inability to fill open jobs because EMS was not offering a competitive salary, Cardwell said.
Richey, who has worked for Iredell County EMS since March 1, 2012, was promoted to EMS director on April 14, 2016.
She declined to comment about the investigation or her suspension.
However, Richey stated that she has never received a warning or been reprimanded during her 12-year career with the county. She also said she received a favorable performance review in the weeks leading up to her suspension. According to county records, she received a $6,500 raise earlier this month, boosting her annual salary to $135,963. All county employees received a 5 percent increase on that date, which takes effect in July.
Cardwell has worked for EMS since February of 2016, when he was hired as a paramedic. He was promoted to deputy director in June of 2020.
He had plenty to say about his termination, the way it was handled and why he believes it happened.
Cardwell said the evidence used in his termination was fabricated. That evidence, he said, includes text messages allegedly sent to Cardwell by another employee claiming she had sold him drugs. Those text messages include references to drug “refills” and sexual misconduct, he said.
According to Cardwell, a former employee also supplied the county with a recorded phone call in which she asked Cardwell several pointed questions about EMS. He said he believes that phone call was part of an orchestrated effort to have him removed from his position.
Cardwell has appealed his termination to the county Personnel Review Board, which is appointed by the Board of Commissioners. A hearing will be scheduled within 30 days of his appeal.
But Cardwell does not hold out much hope that his termination will be overturned.
“My job is already posted,” he said. “They are already hiring for it.”
Instead of investigating what he claims are false complaints against him, county officials should be looking into why EMS has so many open positions, Cardwell said. There are dozens of openings, he said, because top administrators — including Mull and Harris — will not allow EMS administrators to offer a competitive wage to prospective hires, especially candidates with significant professional experience.
He also predicted that EMS would be faced with a mass exodus of paramedics if the county’s plans to dramatically reduce overtime in the department during the next fiscal year come to fruition.
“When someone calls 911, there’s not going to be a truck to respond,” he said.
When asked why he thought he was terminated and Richey suspended, Cardwell said he has come to the conclusion that county administrators want to contract out EMS services to a private firm.
“This isn’t a new game plan,” he said. “Why else would you run it into the ground like that?”
While Mull declined to comment on the information that Cardwell provided about the ongoing investigation, she rejected the former deputy director’s prediction about service levels declining. Interim department leaders are continuing efforts to recruit and hire qualified applicants for all open positions, Mull said.
The county manager also strongly denied that there was any consideration given to privatizing EMS.
In fact, Mull said, senior administration and county commissioners have recently supported efforts to expand EMS by allocating funds for 24 new EMT positions, by including funds for new trucks in the budget and 16 new paramedic positions starting July 1, and by growing the community paramedic program. The county is also preparing to pilot a partnership with Lake Norman Fire Department to funding eight full-time paramedic/firefighter positions that could be expanded to other departments throughout the county.
“We have had absolutely no conversations at all at the staff level or with the elected board about scaling back or privatizing EMS,” Mull said.
As a subscriber to an Iredell Co. Emergency Traffic tracker, it seems there are an increasing number of cancelled dispatch calls due to inaccurate/inefficient ECOM communication. That is wasting resources, cuts into budgets and frustrates responders.
How about investigating that and develop solutions for increased efficiency and responder satisfaction?
If you see an issue with dispatch, you can apply to tour and see everyday tasks in a center & if you think you can assist in making it better, go to the Iredell County website and apply for a job there!
You must be a part of the good ol boys!! Your attitude is just what the public has been dealing with. This is why an investigation is needed.
I totally agree. So many dispatch problems getting units to locations when requested. Time is life. This county needs to improve EMS and dispatch. These folks are an important factor in the county. Hope it isn’t your parent, spouse, child, or yourself that needs emergent help and no one shows up because no one was dispatched or they are short staffed.
Sweet KARMA !!
You got that right. When you run all the older medics off so you can run the rookies like a puppet on a string, you get what you got coming to you. This crap has been going on a long time since she was made director.
Hey, old man, looks like I got out just in time. It looks like the good ol’ boys club was handed over to a dictatorship. I feel like the kind of leadership style I had went down the drain. I know a lot of the “old ones are gone or getting out.” This is a growing pain and I hope that the facts are found out and if appropriate needed changes will be made. Iredell County EMS once was the premier place to work. People need to provide leadership. And then the star will be shining again. My heart aches for all of the ones riding the trucks and running the calls. Trust true leaders and God will help you all thru this. Need more Snows and Uptons. My prayers are with all of you.
I think we need a much broader investigation from an agency outside Iredell County. I mean honestly, does anyone think that the assistant county manager & the HR manager (who both answer to the county manager) are going to find any wrongdoings on her part? This is nothing new in this county. All of this should be very concerning to the people who live here. Spending our money like drunken sailors & running the county like a dictatorship. I challenge all disgruntled former & current county employees to come forward. Tell the truth. Reach out to the county commissioners. They have the power to make the change.
Was Beth Mull trying to accuse EMS leadership of stealing Ketamine? That is under video, lock, and documented thoroughly. We are randomly drug tested. I personally have not been in that closet in over a year. All of which is recorded.
Rodney Harris, Assistant County Manager, stated both to the Director and Deputy Director of EMS, the day before actions were taken, that he had to go to the Board of Commissioners to explain to them the imminent failure of EMS. So how is there not an issue? 40 vacancies. 7 new hires rejected in the last month by County Administration. No management. No overtime. No part-time. Hiring freeze. I might not be the smartest man to live, but that seems pretty obvious. Best of luck when you call 911 after the July 1st fiscal year turnover. I also was not given a pre-disciplinary interview. I was never questioned about the accusations or given a chance to demonstrate that false allegations. I was handed a pieced of paper and told to leave. Then they subsequently suspended the director. In the terms of “she should have known”. At which time, neither of us even knew the allegations. The parties that were allegedly involved are still employees of Iredell County EMS. None of the public records requests have been fulfilled. Our email were turned off immediately to ensure we could not gather evidence to defend ourselves. Along with our cell phones. I was not responded to until 6pm the night before my termination meeting. Still do not have a copy of the recording of the same.
Someone make me feel better that this isn’t the most corrupt county in the state. Beth Mull and Rodney Harris need to be removed immediately.
You deserve everything you get. Stop playing like you and HER are victims. Take some accountability and responsibility. It’s time for Iredell EMS to be what it once was.
Rowan County is the same way. Same thing happened to me and my boss almost exactly the same way.
KARMA has finally come around!!!
Man, this is almost as good as an Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education drama. What a county we live in!
I work for IC and know for a fact that our top leaders are outstanding. They care about the employees and are fair in their decisions. Take a look at Rowan and Yadkin leadership, run by the good ‘ol boys, and see how Iredell compares.
Don’t minimize other people’s experiences. We’re talking about genuine sexual harassment that happened right here in this county. How dare you. Look at other counties? Individuals that are obviously cruel are far less dangerous than those that do it in secret.
Iredell County sure doesn’t pay enough to draw any new employees anyways. Dumpster fire.
This investigation should’ve started in 2018 when my divorce attorney spoke with HR about the previous assistant director and his special employees. People should not be shocked because this behavior and “leadership style” has been going on for many years.