"Resign Or Be Fired"

Last week was an eventful week at the Cannon County Ambulance Service.

It began Saturday afternoon, January 30^th, when Cannon County Executive Brent Bush individually contacted four county ambulance employees, including ambulance director Dek Sissom. Bush called Sissom, along with Charles Nokes, Randy Burnett and David Pitts, and gave each the option to resign or be fired. Further saying by the end of Monday their service would no longer be required.
By Wednesday, Bush reached out again to each of the four to find out which option they would take. Sissom opted to resign, Burnett opted to retire, Nokes and Pitts were fired. No official reason was given by Bush for the firings.
The firings came a month after three of the four, Nokes, Sissom and Burnett were named in sexual harassment incidents in a civil suit filed by three women who worked at the ambulance service. The incidents allegedly occurred between 2005 and 2018. Burnett was not named in any of the factual findings of the case and Pitts was not named in the suit or factual findings.
Monday morning, Brent Bush officially named himself interim director of the ambulance service even though then current director Dek Sissom had not turned in his resignation. The following day Bush removed himself from the position and named Abbie Howell as the interim director. Neither are qualified EMT's, or Paramedics.
Thursday night, several ambulance employees were at the monthly meeting of the Cannon County Commission to speak during the public comment period.
Randy Burnett who was forced to retire after 37 years of service spoke first.
"As of this coming Monday I will be officially retired from EMS. I've been at it going on for 37 years. I received a phone call from Mr. Bush last Saturday. He told me I was being terminated and my services were no longer needed. I had my retirement in so rather than get fired or whatever measures they felt to take I went ahead and took my retirement, I haven't ever been fired from employment."

Burnett was an advance EMT with the ambulance service.

"I have enjoyed all these years of taking care of Cannon County's citizens. I hate it that it has to end this way. I appreciate the dispatchers, police departments, and the support. I have received numerous text messages and phone calls. People offering their advice on legal counsel, nobody wants to have to go through that, but people have told me I'm crazy if I don't go the route. It's hard. I've treated and transported hundreds and hundreds of people in this county. I hate it ends this way, it's wrong. We have people who don't care if there is EMS and it's sad but it can't be helped."
The emotions started to build when paramedic Jaylene Johnson spoke.
"I've asked God to try to guide my words because I really want to be professional. I am an EMS provider and there's men sitting in this room I no longer work with. Everybody knows who I am for the record." she stated.
Johnson turned her attention to Bush. "Brent Bush, I have been a supervisor before in my 17 years before coming to Cannon County EMS and I have fired numerous people and I have never called anyone on the phone and gave them the option to resign, retire or be fired over the telephone. I have always called them in for a face to face meeting and done it in person. The way I see it, you are sitting up there higher than everybody else in this room, but you need to be sitting in the basement sir. Because that is a cowardly move. There are people sitting around the commission table whose intent is to destroy this county. They do not think EMS, Fire or Rescue Squad are necessary services. As far as they are concerned, they want this county to go away. They want to see this county fail. I seriously suggest we look at these people and figure out what their beliefs and true intentions are. We elected all of you to make decisions based on what is best for this county not to destroy."
Johnson concluded "Four men 86 years of service for this county. You don't let 86 years of tenure and expect it not to cause changes and problems. I'll speak for the rest of my EMS family, we are going to stand together and we are going to do our level-headed best to see this ambulance service through and make it work."
Mandy Jo Edwards, 911 dispatcher gave the commissioners and audience some insight on the events leading to the four being let go.

"I'm speaking on behalf of David Pitts Jr. today who after 16 of years of employment was called by Bush on Saturday and told he had the option to resign or retire on Monday followed by Bush telling him he did not want him to have to decide for Pitts. He told David it was due to his level of involvement in the civil lawsuit. David's only involvement in the case was as a witness called in by the county's attorneys to testify on behalf of the county, under oath which he did on October 20th."
Edwards continued. "I have copies of the court findings from December 3rd if anyone wants to have them. David was not accused of touching, harassing or found guilty of such as far as this lawsuit goes. In fact, I have copies of messages where Ms. Peeler (one of the plaintiffs) from December 13 and 14th where she apologizes to David for getting him mixed up in this mess. By her actions and how she thinks he should understand out of any of the medics he should keep his job and be treated fairly."
Edwards offered another piece of information which happened during the hearings.

"Crystal Mason's mother Karen Melton (Mason is another of the plaintiffs) was present in the courtroom when David testified. She approached him and discussed him and her other daughter's son who David had previously dated and helped raise. Melton offered updated pictures of the son while they were talking. I don't think she saw David as a predator of her daughter (Mason) or anyone else that day. Mr. Bush stated to David he had paperwork to state otherwise of his involvement, but refused to state what was in the paperwork. David did receive a separation with the reason were plainly stated his service was no longer needed. David has lost 16 years of longevity and all the benefits. Lastly I say Mr. Bush is an elected official with the duty to serve our county, but no matter how he thinks, this man is not God."
Former Cannon County attorney Chris Coats who, backed Brent Bush's decisions challenged the audience when he spoke.

"How many have read the judge's final order?" Then when Edwards acknowledged she had copies, Coats then replied "I would like to see them."

Coats also stepped into his attorney role when he offered advice. "You can't hear part of a case. I advise you all to read everything. Some of the commissioners are quite bored with what I am saying I do apologize" and he sat down.
Karen Melton got her chance to speak and said, "I want to thank some of you commissioners, Jeannine Floyd, Ronnie Mahaffey, Jim Bush, Brent Bush, for coming to nearly every court hearing. Here's the only thing about the firings. Why did it have to take three and a half years? When the commission was sworn in, the very first thing you should have done was fire those workers. You knew the complaints, you knew the lawsuit. Why weren't they laid off?"
Later commissioner Corey Davenport addressed the question. "This body has no authority to hire or fire anybody. We don't have the authority to lay anyone off. That resides with Brent Bush and Brent Bush alone."
Melton who had thanked Brent moments ago for her support, then turned to ask Brent why he didn't lay off the ambulance employees who were involved in the lawsuit. Brent gave no answer.
Melton concluded by asking the audience who was going to apologize to Peeler and Mason, who were in the audience, and sincerely expected someone to throw a barbecue in support of them.

Ultimately, no one in the audience offered their support.