One of these guys was a certified EMT. It says in the article that his certification was revoked over this. Makes it especially egregious that he neglected to check any vitals.

I personally know a lot of firefighters who have EMT certifications despite having no interest in medicine. They find it super gross. But firefighting is very competitive to get into, and a lot of them get their EMT certification to improve their chances of being hired as firefighters.