From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore fire officials suspended emergency medical training and locked down an instructional facility after revelations that some student firefighters had cheated on a state licensing exam.

The state agency that oversees paramedics and EMTs notified the fire department last week that it had determined that students cheated on the practical segment of a test administered June 14. During the practical segment of the test, students are required to provide a mock examination and treatment.

The 20 students in the class under investigation make up only the second class to begin at the fire academy in more than a year. The department had ceased hiring until last fall because of city budget cuts; the new hires were expected to help relieve staffing pressures in the department, which has closed fire companies on a rolling basis for years to save money. Read the entire article here.