Cliffside Park Officials Accused of Retaliation in EMT Lawsuit

Cliffside Park officials are facing a lawsuit from former EMT Timothy Horner, who alleges he was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about politically motivated and improper directives from EMS leadership. Horner, a military veteran, was hired as an EMT in June 2023 but was terminated in January 2024 after being suspended for questioning these directives. The lawsuit, filed on March 3, names EMS Director Michael Russo, Assistant Director William Bringas, and dispatcher Danielle Betts as defendants.

Horner claims that in October 2023, he was offered a full-time position as part of a “quid pro quo” arrangement after he questioned a directive to transport a political associate of Russo to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Montvale. The trip left Cliffside Park without ambulance coverage for nearly four hours. Horner argued that the directive violated public policy and proper patient care standards.

In another incident in September 2023, Horner was dispatched to a home for an intoxicated individual, where a Cliffside Park police officer allegedly told him the person was a relative of a “high-ranking, elected official in the borough.” Horner was instructed to take the person inside their home and leave them there despite the individual’s impaired state. After raising concerns that the directive violated patient care standards and could affect his EMT certification, Horner requested a meeting with Russo—but the meeting was never scheduled.

The lawsuit alleges that Horner faced retaliation after raising these concerns. In October 2023, he was directed to transport someone to the VA Clinic in East Orange for a non-emergency appointment. Russo allegedly told Horner to use emergency lights despite no medical need and instructed him not to maintain a patient chart or generate a bill. When Horner objected, the offer for full-time employment was withdrawn. He was later accused of being insubordinate and abandoned his post, leading to a two-week suspension. Horner says the stress from the situation triggered a serious medical condition requiring emergency care.

An anonymous EMS source has since criticized Assistant EMS Director William Bringas, alleging that Bringas’ career was politically handed to him despite lacking real EMS experience. According to the source, Bringas quickly became director of EMS in West New York and then in Cliffside Park due to political connections. “He has zero real EMS experience and should be the last person advising on patient care,” the source stated.

The source highlighted a broader issue within municipal EMS agencies, where political influence undermines proper patient care. “Political connections should never determine how EMS operates,” the source said. “Every patient should be treated equally and held to the highest medical standards, regardless of race, gender, or political affiliation.”

Horner’s lawsuit underscores concerns about the politicization of EMS leadership and raises questions about accountability and ethical practices within Cliffside Park’s emergency services.