Fired Rowan EMS battalion chief hired by private ambulance company in Salisbury

Published 1:21 pm Friday, February 4, 2022

SALISBURY — A former Rowan County Emergency Services battalion chief fired for misconduct and currently under investigation by the state is now working for a private ambulance company operating in Salisbury.

Rowan County fired EMS Battalion Chief Daniel Robinson on Sept. 27 for “sexual and racial harassment, harassing and indecent communications sent, received and stored utilizing county technology, endangering the safety of Rowan County citizens, violation of the Technology Use Policy,” his termination letter states.

Robinson was also said to have been in “violation of the Public Records and Retention Policy, insubordination, and violation of the County P-Card policy.” A “P-Card” is a procurement card that can be used by Rowan County employees to purchase items for county business, not personal use.

Robinson was hired by Rowan County government in 2004 when he was first hired as an emergency medical technician. He was promoted to paramedic in the same year and elevated to EMS lieutenant in 2015. Robinson was promoted to captain in 2017 and EMS battalion chief later that year.

EMS Division Chief Lennie Cooper was terminated on the same day as Robinson for “sustained sexual and racial harassment with a culture of silence, unethical conduct and perpetuating the culture of silence, dishonesty, spreading false rumors (defamation), and violation of the County Technology Use Policy.”

Robinson was hired last month as director of North Carolina operations for American Transmed, a South Carolina-based company that maintains offices in Harrisburg and Salisbury, according to an internal announcement provided to the Post. Robinson started with American Transmed starting on Jan. 26, according to a publicly accessible database on the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services’ website. American Transmed has a franchise that allows it to operate in Rowan County. The company primarily provides non-emergency transportation to the VA Medical Center and responds to 911 calls.

Rowan County Manager Aaron Church and Emergency Management Services Director Allen Cress declined to comment when asked about Transmed’s hiring of Robinson, citing public record laws about personnel information. Transmed officials didn’t respond to multiple request for comment.

Although Robinson maintains a paramedic credential, he is listed as being under investigation by the N.C. Office of Emergency Medical Services, which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. When an individual is under investigation, staff members from the NCOEMS review them based on a complaint received or a pending criminal charge.

The exact matter for which Robinson is being investigated is not clear.

He was charged in 2020 with reckless driving, driving while impaired and felony serious injury by vehicle in connection with an off-duty incident. Robinson is scheduled to appear in Rowan County District Court on the charges in July.

Penalties resulting from the NCOEMS investigation can range from no action to credential revocation. The penalties are determined after an investigation, hearing and subsequent recommendation by the EMS Disciplinary Committee and final determination by the chief of OEMS. A communications manager from the state said the NCOEMS cannot comment on ongoing investigations. There is no timetable for how long an investigation may take.

About Ben Stansell

Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com.

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