California Issues Warning about Former EMT

The state Emergency Medical Services Authority has warned medical administrators across California to be on the lookout for a former Fairfield emergency medical technician who faces a string of criminal charges and restraining orders.

EMSA sent an e-mail alert to county emergency officials late last month after Timothy Lee Gutierrez, a San Francisco Fire Department employee, lost his EMT certification -- issued by Solano County -- and immediately tried to get recertified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

"We alerted the certifying agencies and made them aware of what was going on, but beyond that, we have no legal authority to intervene," said EMSA spokeswoman Shirley Tsagris.

Solano County emergency medical officials at first suspended and in mid-July revoked Gutierrez's EMT certification, citing the need to protect public health and safety. California's EMTs can get certified by any of the more than 61 county, regional and public safety agencies, while their more advanced counterparts -- paramedics -- are state licensed.

Gutierrez was sidelined from his regular firefighting job after The Bee exposed his troubled background and multiple arrests in an investigative report in late May.

Gutierrez has a history of stalking women and arrests on charges of child sexual abuse, indecent exposure, spouse battering and vandalism since 2005, court records show.

Despite his arrests and a Solano County prosecutor's warning last year that he represented "a very serious risk" to the community, Gutierrez had remained an emergency medical technician with the San Francisco Fire Department.

After Solano County withdrew his ability to work as an EMT, Gutierrez tried to get a new EMT certification card from the fire marshal, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Richwine.

In a loophole in the state's patchwork certification system, state fire marshal officials do not perform criminal background checks. Instead, they rely on an honor system in which EMT applicants declare on an application form that they have no criminal record.

In his alert to emergency medical authorities on July 20, EMSA's Sean Trask wrote that Gutierrez tried to get a fire marshal EMT certification card by showing state officials a copy of his Solano County certification card.

Fire marshal staff called Solano to check him out and then rejected his application, according to Richwine and Solano County emergency medical administrator Michael Frenn.

Counties are not required to do the checks, although the Legislature is considering bills to require such checks for all EMTs, including those now certified by the state fire marshal.

Denis A. Honeychurch, a Fairfield attorney for Gutierrez, did not return messages seeking comment for this report. Gutierrez has denied wrongdoing in each of his arrests and stalking cases, although courts have issued three restraining orders against him. He is scheduled to return to Solano Superior Court later this month.

To see The Bee's ongoing coverage of paramedic and EMT issues, go to: www.sacbee.com/paramedics

The Bee's Andrew McIntosh can be reached at (916) 321-1215 or amcintosh@sacbee.com