Clay dispatcher's ‘last chance' after reportedly not giving CPR instructions, bringing gun to work

A Clay County Fire Rescue employee was suspended and handed a "last chance agreement" two weeks after an Action News Jax Investigation.

In November, Action News Jax uncovered the county’s most senior emergency dispatcher, Ricky McCall, was accused of failing to provide CPR instructions during a 911 call for a patient.

After five days’ suspension, McCall is now back at work.

It took Action News Jax seven emails over nearly two months to get the letter detailing the disciplinary decision and the 911 call from Clay County.

“My husband’s in his lounge chair and I can’t wake him up,” said the 911 caller.

A September memo on an internal investigation into McCall written by Deputy Fire Chief D.E. Motes said McCall “withheld providing CPR instructions where they were clearly appropriate.”

“Is he breathing?” McCall asked the 911 caller.

“I can’t tell. I don’t know,” said the caller.

“OK, can you put your hand on his chest and tell me if it’s rising and falling?” said McCall.

“It doesn’t feel like it,” said the caller.

McCall did not recommend the caller initiate CPR, nor did he provide instructions to do so.

Investigative records show the patient died.

But unlike the investigative memo from September, you won’t find a word about that 911 call in the December letter explaining McCall’s discipline.

Fire Chief and interim County Manager Lorin Mock would not meet Action News Jax for an on-camera interview, saying he’d let the disciplinary action speak for itself.

Mock confirmed over the phone that no separate investigation was done on that 911 call.

The letter explaining McCall’s discipline said he was issued a “last chance agreement.” It said McCall would be fired if he committed any infraction that required discipline again.

This disciplinary letter also said McCall admitted bringing a gun to work and showing it to another employee. The letter said McCall denied doing it in a threatening or aggressive way.

McCall was one of four Clay County Fire employees under investigation for separate issues this fall.

Action News Jax reported in September that Clay County Fire Battalion Chief Raleigh Zike was fired after sending a shirtless photo to a female subordinate.

Zike was also investigated in 2015 for using his lights and sirens to stop a school bus and accuse a student of flashing his wife.

In 2016, Clay County Fire Rescue Lt. Anthony Myrick resigned after the Fire Department began investigating a nude selfie taken in a fire station bathroom.

Earlier that year, Clay County firefighter James Padgett resigned after he was charged with selling heroin.

In 2015, Clay County firefighters Joseph Lancaster and Aubrey Raisor resigned after reportedly having sex in a firehouse while on duty.

Cox Media Group