A man who was allegedly impersonating a firefighter — and even had a badge and much of the required EMT equipment — was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday.
Patrick Fredericksen, 20, claims he had been responding to EMT calls and treating patients before the real firefighters arrived, said United Fire Authority Capt. Gaylord Scott.
As of Tuesday, investigators had not found any patients who claimed to have received treatment from Fredericksen.
The motive appeared to be simply that Fredericksen had a strong desire to be a firefighter but wasn't allowed into the profession because of a previous criminal incident.
Fredericksen was fired from the Huntington Fire Department in Emery County in 2003. Details of that incident were not immediately available Tuesday.
In 2004, Fredericksen was stripped of his EMT certification because of a criminal conviction. Scott said his investigators were sorting through details Tuesday and were unsure if the 2004 problem was related to the 2003 incident.
A check of court records by the Deseret Morning News showed Fredericksen pleaded guilty in 7th District Court in Castle Dale to two counts of theft, both class A misdemeanors, in 2003. Last December, Fredericksen issued a guilty plea in abeyance for a December 2003 violation of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a third-degree felony. Fredericksen also pleaded guilty at that time to one count of class B misdemeanor criminal mischief.
The UFA was alerted to Fredericksen's current alleged impersonation scheme by an East Coast company that sells police and fire radios.
Fredericksen apparently listened to police scanners and responded to call-outs when he heard of an incident. He would then disappear when regular firefighters arrived, Scott said.
But because the UFA was switching to an 800 MHz radio, Fredericksen was allegedly trying to get updated equipment.
"He has been in the process of acquiring and using emergency equipment," Scott said.
The company became suspicious, however, when Fredericksen gave them two different names, Scott said.
The company contacted UFA authorities, who said they did not have a firefighter by either name.
Investigators went to Fred- ricksen's residence Tuesday and found he was in possession of an old Salt Lake County Fire Department badge that may have been taken from the Utah Firefighter's Museum in Tooele, Scott said.
Investigators also found an EMT bag that included an IV kit and emergency lights for a car.
Fredericksen was still being interviewed by investigators Tuesday night as they tried to determine the extent of his fraud and which of the items he possessed were legal or illegal to own, Scott said. When directly questioned about how many patients he worked on, Scott said Fredericksen "gets vague with his answers."
An incident like this hurts all firefighters, Scott said, because the public starts questioning who really is and who isn't an EMT or firefighter at a scene.
Anyone with information on Fredericksen, and those who think they may have been treated by him, can call the UFA at 801-840-4000.
Contributing: Wendy Leonard
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com