D.C. Emergency Services Fails Another Test

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4:37 p.m. : "The instructor was removed from the training academy. I have not seen the answers and did not compare them -- but the investigation did."

Who gave the instructor the sample questions?

5:09 p.m. : "It was a list of questions compiled from what was on past tests. I'm told the questions came from one of the students in the class."

Who?

June 21, 11:10 a.m. : "There was a student identified as being the originator of the document, but we can not identify him or her for the press because that person never faced disciplinary action . . . the student prepared the document based on his or her previous experience with the test."

Asked June 20 if the sample questions had been compared with the actual test questions, Etter said he did not do it, but "the investigation did." A day later, however, Fire and Emergency Medical Services -- through Etter -- reversed itself.

June 21, 11:10 a.m. : "Because Ms. Shanklin shredded the document, we have to rely on what the instructors said regarding its contents. It is unfortunate that Ms. Shanklin chose to shred the document."

So it's all her fault.

At one point during the exchanges, I asked Etter, who is a respected communications professional, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but do you still believe what you are being told?"

Wrote Etter: "Well -- you ask me questions -- I ask them -- they tell me -- and I tell you. It's a process."

It's also called the D.C. Boogie.

Not so at the D.C. Health Department, where I turned for answers this week.