KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the wake of the tragic death of firefighter paramedic Graham Hoffman, the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department is re-evaluating its protocols for routine emergency calls.
“There is a rise in first responder and emergency room workers taking abuse,” said KCFD Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.
He said his observation hasn’t resulted in a change in the protection firefighters wear, but he believes a mindset shift is necessary.
“We don’t want to just rely on saying, ‘It’s the nature of the job, that’s how it is.' So we definitely want to look at everything,” Hopkins said. “There’s a lot that goes into deciding how we want to move forward on this and what we want to ask our lawmakers to move forward with.”
Shanetta Bossell, 39, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Hoffman’s death.
Hoffman, 29, died after being stabbed in the back of an ambulance while treating Bossell for a laceration.
This incident marked an unprecedented and tragic moment in the department's history, according to Hopkins.
"This is the only incident I can think of where an individual’s life was taken by the patient they were trying to treat," he said.
The call began as a routine response, with Bossell agreeing to ride in the ambulance to the hospital rather than having police take her home.
“We don't have a specific policy for our members on pat-downs,” Hopkins said.
Typically, these searches are reserved for detained individuals, a designation that did not apply in this instance since Bossell was not being detained.
"Our medics do have the autonomy to request police assistance if they feel a patient may become combative or if additional safety measures are needed," Hopkins explained.
Court documents indicate officers at the scene informed paramedics they would follow the ambulance to the hospital, a common procedure for patients being detained, less common if not.
"PD would have a better explanation as to why they decided to follow the ambulance,” Hopkins said.
A Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department spokesperson responded to KSHB 41’s inquiries about the department's protocols for patting down ambulance patients.
“We follow the legal standard as it pertains to the 4th Amendment regarding search, frisk and seizures," a KCPD spokesperson shared via email.
KCPD also provided its policy regarding calls for service with people suffering from mental health, drug or alcohol issues.
The policy includes several definitions, including EDP, or an emotionally disturbed person. KCPD defines EDP as “a designation to refer to a person in a crisis situation who displays an emotional and/or behavioral disability that impacts the person’s ability to effectively recognize, interpret, control and express fundamental emotions.”
KCPD did not respond to KSHB 41’s question about whether or not Bossell was considered an EDP by department standards.
Hopkins said a person’s mental state does weigh into how KCFD approaches a call.
“That kind of changes the situation a little bit,” Hopkins said. “If we’re dealing with a patient who maybe is highly intoxicated on drugs or alcohol or has a mental health issue — or we know is going to be combative because they’ve been combative from the time we arrived — at that point is when we would request PD, and that patient, if they are deemed that they need to go to the hospital even if they’re not wanting to go, at that point, then they can be physically restrained. And they would be patted down by PD at that point, possibly detained by PD, to give us that authorization to take them.”
He said there’s nuance in brainstorming policies, particularly when it comes to looking closely at what exact condition the patient is in.
“Someone who’s having a diabetic emergency who may hit a paramedic or a nurse maybe doesn’t necessarily need to go to prison,” Hopkins said. "There was a medical issue causing that behavior.”
KCPD did not answer questions about whether they were aware of Bossell’s prior encounter with law enforcement, where she allegedly bit an officer just days before Hoffman's death.
"Firefighter Hoffman did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Hopkins said. “He was following the medical protocols and procedures in place."
His death could set a precedent for protocols that don’t exist.
“While we would like to just, with a stroke of a pen, make it better, it’s a process, and you have to get a lot of people involved and a lot of input,” Hopkins said. “We don’t want to make a unilateral decision by one person.”
That means getting input from Local 42, the area firefighters' union, Local 3808, the union for chiefs, and fire admin.
Hopkins said the department has already begun reaching out internally for ideas.
“If someone has a suggestion that they think will work and can be implemented job-wide, that’s part of it,” Hopkins said. “We have almost 1,300 employees, and almost 1,000 of them out on the streets.”
Ensuring the public and department’s safety is paramount for KCFD, and conversations about protocol are already happening, per Hopkins.
“Definitely, during this time, while we’re reviewing what happened and what we can do better, we will reach out to other departments, see what they’re doing to combat these issues,” Hopkins said. “This is a very unique incident that will have to be looked at critically, and there’s a lot of nuance that goes into that.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
