When Public Trust Meets Public Conduct

Last night we ran a story that stimulated a lot of public discourse.  For one, this is exactly what our articles are supposed to do.  Circumstances are the clear decision maker in the articles I write.  For our new readers, old readers and those that just like to complain, I do thank you for your engagement.  Understand Whisper Networks LLC is not here to win popularity contests.  We are here to report the truth and inspire change.

When a person is arrested for driving under the influence with an eight-month-old child in the vehicle, it becomes a public safety issue, not a private family matter. This is especially true when the individual is the spouse of a public safety official whose role directly affects community trust. Naming the fire chief was necessary not to shame him, but to provide context. When someone closely connected to a public safety leader is involved in dangerous conduct that could have killed a child or anyone on the road, the public has a right to understand the full scope of the event, including why the story matters. Transparency protects the community, reinforces accountability, and upholds the same standards that every resident would face under identical circumstances.

Lets take a quote from the comment stream of that article

Yes, it’s necessary! Coming from a COMA SURVIVOR OF A DRUNK DRIVER! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! Thankfully you have not been A VICTIM OF A DRUNK DRIVER! I had 3 babies that damn near lost their mother!!!!

MY BABIES STILL NEEDED ME! Yes it’s necessary! CAST THAT STONE!!!

**A Look At Professional Standards In Pendleton County EMS**

There are moments when a story is not about the people involved but about the standards they carry. Pendleton County has spent the past year arguing over budgets, policies, councils, councils arguing with citizens, mayors arguing with citizens and citizens arguing with each other. Somewhere in that noise many forgot a simple truth. Some roles in a community do not stop at the end of a shift. Some positions require composure even when no one is watching. And when that composure fails in a public setting it becomes more than a personal lapse. It becomes a question of trust.

Last night that question arrived in the form of a comment thread. It came from a member of Pendleton County EMS John Lucas, a former fire chief.  It was loud. It was aggressive. It was directed at citizens engaging in a public discussion. And it came from a Pendleton County EMT.

The comments were not mild. They included profanity aimed directly at residents and repeated personal attacks. They mocked citizens and dismissed legitimate concerns with contempt. It was not an argument about facts. It was not a debate. It was a meltdown delivered from an account that belongs to someone who carries the responsibility of responding to emergencies in this county.

When an EMT speaks in public the uniform is not visible but the role still echoes behind every word. That is not my opinion. That is what the Kentucky State EMS Protocols and Professional Standards Handbook states plainly.

The section on conduct is direct and unambiguous. EMS personnel are to maintain behavior that reflects positively on their agency. They are expected to avoid actions that undermine public trust.
They are to refrain from behavior that can be perceived as hostile threatening or unprofessional toward members of the public.

This is not a suggestion. It is not a guideline. It is the baseline expectation for anyone who carries the responsibility of responding to people on the worst days of their lives. The reason is simple. A community must trust the people who arrive when the phone call comes. That trust does not survive open hostility in a public forum.

Nothing in this article is an accusation about the individual’s skill as an EMT. This is not a judgment of character. It is a question that every county agency in Kentucky already knows the answer to.

Does publicly attacking citizens, using profanity toward residents and openly mocking people in a community forum align with the conduct standard required by state protocol?

Yes or No.

Because when you hold a role that rests on the foundation of public trust the line is not blurred. The standard does not bend. And the expectation does not disappear simply because someone logged into Facebook.

One comment in that thread said something revealing. “People like you just want to be heard.” Yes. That is exactly what citizens want when they speak in their own community. They want to be heard without being ridiculed by someone who carries the authority of an emergency role. They want to voice concerns without being mocked by the people who may one day hold their life in their hands.

A single EMT does not represent an entire agency. Pendleton County has many dedicated and professional responders who live up to the standards that the handbook lays out. But that is precisely why these moments cannot be ignored. When one person publicly violates the expectations of the role the entire profession feels the weight of that choice.

This is not about outrage. This is about accountability. This is about the standards the state has already written. And it is about whether Pendleton County expects those standards to be honored.

The Whisper will attach the screenshot at the end of this article and upload it on Facebook with the other article images.

Here is the link to the Kentucky EMS Handbook

https://kbems.ky.gov/Medical-Direction/Documents/Kentucky_EMS_State_Protocols_2025-04-30.pdf

Residents can see the comparison for themselves. For those on Facebook we are also attaching a picture of the vehicle that was ran into from our commentor who was a victim of a drunk driver. No interpretation needed. The public can read the policy and read the comments and decide whether they match.

Professionalism is not a uniform. It is not a badge. It is not a patch on a sleeve. It is conduct. It is restraint. It is the ability to treat the public with the dignity that the profession demands.

When that line is crossed the question is no longer whether someone had a bad night. The question becomes whether that conduct reflects the values that Pendleton County wants in the people who answer its emergency calls.

That answer will not come from the Whisper. It will come from the public and from the agencies entrusted to uphold the standards written in their own handbook.

Whisper One Out