Scanlon will appeal firing from Lee EMS
Suspended Fort Myers Beach Fire Commission chairman John Scanlon will appeal his termination from Lee County Emergency Medical Services.
Scanlon, who was suspended from his elected office by Gov. Charlie Crist in early March following an arrest on drug charges New Year’s Eve, will follow the grievance process available to employees of the county agency, according to Kim Dickerson, the department’s operations chief.
Scanlon was terminated from his paramedic position by Lee County EMS on April 6 for allegedly not following county protocol following his arrest on Dec. 31, 2008.
In a notice of corrective action issued by the county, the Beach resident reportedly failed to notify the employee health nurse and the EMS medical director about a prescription for a controlled substance officials say he had with him during the arrest. He was originally charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; cocaine; and a controlled substance without a prescription. He later produced a prescription for the controlled substance and the State Attorney’s Office did not file formal charges on that count .
According to Samantha Syoen, spokesperson for the State’s Attorney’s Office, Scanlon has been on pretrial diversion which has been monitored by the State Department of Corrections. If he fulfills all of the terms outlined by the diversion, his case may be dismissed and he could be reinstated as the Beach fire chairman sometime this fall.