EMT scandal embarrasses Mass. town

SALEM, Mass., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- At least two residents of Hamilton, Mass., say they have been embarrassed by a publicized scandal entangling the town's emergency medical technician program.

Hamilton retiree Lois Davis and architect Anthony DiFrancisco both said news that the police-run emergency service had allegedly falsified training records left them with a bitter taste in their mouths, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

"I'm very ashamed," Davis, 72, said. "People always used to say to me: 'Oh, you live in Hamilton? Do you have horses?' Now I don't want to tell them where I live, because they'll say, 'Oh, you have the crooked police department.'"

"I could see if a few got away with it, but all the way to the top? That's unforgivable," DiFrancisco said, referring to scandal links to Police Chief Walter Cullen.

The Hamilton EMT service's license was suspended this month by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health when the allegations surfaced, the Globe said.

The allegations were focused on the majority of the town's police officers, who are suspected of falsifying records to obtain bonus pay for also serving as EMT workers.