FDNY EMTs do not let Private Medics help with choking child

[Richard B the EMT]

Before you start complaining about the FDNY EMS Academy, think about any training academy. The instructors tell the students what is needed to be known, and actions they are supposed to do.

However, once anyone leaves that academy, they are in the field. Should they follow all the teachings from the academy? Yes.

Will they?

I do not know the Lieutenant who was on scene, and do not think I know the crew personnel involved, so anything I say here is anecdotal, not factual. They made a mistake, got caught royally, and are sent back to the academy to have the training reinforced, of what they are supposed to do. Slap on the wrist, notification to the NYS DoH of the complaints against the personnel, and corrective actions taken by the agency. DoH, on the other hand, can request further sanctions, up to, and including, fines, and revocation of their certifications.

The patient's survivors can sue for wrongful death, both at the criminal and civil court levels, against the FDNY EMS Command, and the 3 individuals, as individuals.

I have to say that, while this is no longer being followed as an active news story, to use the words of Baseball great, Yogi Berra,

It ain't over until it's over!

[Timmy]

I have no beef with the attending EMTs, while they may have made a mistake they shouldn’t have been sent to a call like that! Any pediatric emergency call should have a minimum responding crew of ALS and ICP backup, not a crew of first aiders.

Not knowing the whole story and merely basing this on a newspaper article it may appear that the bashing on the door may have been misinterpreted, the situation was undoubtedly very stressing and traumatic for all involved and the fact that having a dying child in your care, in the back of your ambulance and there’s not a great deal you can do about it is unimaginable.

Why weren’t the crew informed that a private ALS was on the way, in fact on scene? I mean the ALS crew has obviously been paged to the scene, a quick radio message could’ve saved a life.

I slam all involved on this call, from the call talker/dispatcher/command staff and EMTs it was very poorly handled, communication and team work is lacking ever so much. I don’t think clinical training is the issue here merely how to appropriately mange a scene and liaise with others effectively.

[Don1977]

Good point

[Mateo_1387]

I have a question, why did the paramedic crew not open the door and get in? It makes no since to bang on the door unless it was locked. If the door was locked then that would rise to another question, why was the door locked?

[JPINFV]

Well, here's a question. Were the medics responding with lights and sirens, and if so, did the ambulance crew miss it?

[Timmy]

The whole thing seems a tad dodgy

[Dustdevil]

Why didn't they send Fire to help???? CFR.

What exactly would Crash-Fire-Rescue contribute to this clusterfark? :?

I have a question, why did the paramedic crew not open the door and get in? It makes no since to bang on the door unless it was locked. If the door was locked then that would rise to another question, why was the door locked?

That's actually the only smart thing this crew seems to have done. My policy, and that of any intelligent and experienced medic: ALL doors stay locked at ALL times. ALL doors. No exceptions. Including compartments. And if your agency doesn't give your crew enough keys to do that, your agency sucks.

[Asysin2leads]

The reason the doors are locked is because they are always auto-locked. One thing the FDNY does do is build tough ambulances. The openings are all custom made, including auto locking high security keys, one for each partner. To open the door you have to insert a key. It takes a few seconds more, and you'll leave the key in the door here and there and look like an idiot, but all and all it really is worth it for security.

Do you ask why the doors to the ER and the trauma bay are locked too? Or are they locked around your neck of the woods? If not, I'd suggest they do it.

[Dustdevil]

Plus 5 for auto-locking ambulance doors. :thumbright:

Do you ask why the doors to the ER and the trauma bay are locked too? Or are they locked around your neck of the woods? If not, I'd suggest they do it.

I gotta admit, that's a new one to me. Never seen that before, but I do agree that it's not a bad idea at all. Round these parts, they just put a security guard at the dock. Of course, he's 80 years old, unarmed, and completely clueless about who should and should not be admitted, but hey... it's all about appearances.

Of course, at a lot of ER docks, you still just go straight into the same waiting room that every other patient goes into, so there's really nothing to be gained from locking out ambulances, lol.

[akflightmedic]

Locking the ER doors has been a standard for me since the early 90s, never worked anywhere that didn't do that.

Same with the trauma room, have to keep that locked, otherwise you end up with gawkers, distraught family members, or some moron borrowing supplies from the one room that should never, ever be touched.