Did the AMR ambulance company in the LA County area recently terminate approximately 30% of its employees for failing to comply with the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate? No, that's not true: The Emergency Medical Technician union, IAEP, in Los Angeles released a statement saying the rumor is "false" and there are only 3.5% of its members on leave related to the vaccine mandate and they have not been terminated.
The claim appeared as a post (archived here) where it was published on Instagram on October 3, 2021. It opened:
WHERE IS THE AMBULANCE?? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED...
Readers saw this post on Instagram:
(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Tues Oct 5 16:22:43 2021 UTC)
The caption on the post regarding an alleged delay for an ambulance in Los Angeles had the following misinformation, with the word vaccine shown with "V" and an "axe" symbol, a tactic used to avoid being flagged on social media:
AMR ambulance in the LA county area recently terminated approximately 30% of its employees due to failing to comply with their company's V🪓 mandate.
Michael Diaz, president of IAEP R12-77 LA County, the International Association of EMTS and Paramedics union, shared a image on his Instagram page on October 3, 2021 which debunked the claim about the number of EMTs on leave related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The letter had the subject "Vaccine mandates and staffing issues" and was dated October 3, 2021. It read, in part:
The purported number being circulated is 50% reduction in workforce due to the vaccine mandates. This is false. Our Los Angeles County local, who works in partnership with AMR Los Angeles County, is currently 91% vaccinated. While 3.5% of our members are on temporary leave related to the vaccine mandate, they have not been terminated."
