Paramedic Stabbed Getting ready for duty

[Dominion300]

There aren't many details know, I just was told a paramedic for the local city service was stabbed while getting his truck ready for duty. Here is a link to the story, but not much information. The assailant is still uncaptured at this time. The medic is in stable condition at University.

Just thought I'd post and share that the job we do is still dangerous and to keep this medic and family in your prayers, or thoughts, or whatever religious denomination you affiliate yourself with.

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/0...s.27c6b32c.html (You might have to sign up, not sure)

[FireMedic65]

There aren't many details know, I just was told a paramedic for the local city service was stabbed while getting his truck ready for duty. Here is a link to the story, but not much information. The assailant is still uncaptured at this time. The medic is in stable condition at University.

Just thought I'd post and share that the job we do is still dangerous and to keep this medic and family in your prayers, or thoughts, or whatever religious denomination you affiliate yourself with.

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/0...s.27c6b32c.html (You might have to sign up, not sure)

You can copy/paste the article here so we can all read it if we need to sign up.

Hope he is alright and they catch the donkey that did this to him!

[Dominion300]

Very brief article, actually they've removed about 3/4 of the original post. All I know still at this point was the medic in question was stocking the truck getting ready for shift, a guy came up and stabbed him in the abdomen and ran. I don't know the location he was stocking very well (aside from where it is) so I don't know if there are gates or cameras or what not. I know that in the other locations around town there are no gates leading into the bays (aside from most places bay door which is normally wide open during the day when trucks are coming and going every 15 minutes)

(WHAS11)

WHAS11 News has learned of a paramedic that was stabbed in Middletown. We have been told that the streets are being shut down from the location of the stabbing, to Market Street and University Hospital in an effort to transport the victim quickly.

We will bring you more information as soon as it becomes available.

Here is a better article from a different news source. I haven't read this one till I posted the above.

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A Louisville Metro EMS employee is recovering after being stabbed on the job Thursday night.

According to Louisville Metro Police, around 8:40 p.m., the EMS paramedic was in the rear of the St. Mary's Center in Middletown preparing to start his shift when he was approached by a man asking for Money. When he told the man that he had no money, the suspect stabbed the paramedic in the stomach.

The injured employee was able to call for help on his radio. Police and additional EMS crews arrived on the scene shortly after. The EMS employee, whose name has not been released, but is said to be in his mid 20's, was taken to University Hospital. He was listed as stable with a stab wound to the lower abdomen. Dr. Neal Richmond, CEO of Louisville Metro EMS, said he did not believe any organs were damaged. The injury is not thought to be life-threatening and Richmond said that if everything goes well, he should recover quickly.

"You know, he's a little upset, but he's completely lucid," Richmond said. "[He's] talking to us, his family is around [and] he's doing really well."

Police have not released information about a suspect in the case, but ask anyone with information to call the LMPD Crime Tip Line at 574-LMPD.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Dominion300

[Dustdevil]

Thinking back on all the years that I spent in stations that were smack dab in the middle of the ghetto, with no fences or gates around us, and sometimes not even a bay to park inside of, it's a wonder that I or any of my co-workers was never a victim of this kind of thing. At least in fire stations, we were behind closed doors. But I worked a lot of non-fire EMS locations where our station was often an apartment or motel room in the worst possible part of town, and waking up to nearby gunfire was a nightly occurrence. We had ambulances broken into. We had our stations broken into. We had our personal cars broken into. But miraculously, none of us were ever attacked in the area of the station. I guess some things are still sacred, even in the ghetto.

Gotta wonder if the KY incident might not have been random. The only violence I ever experienced in the station was when my partner's wife showed up and caught him with his girlfriend.

[FireMedic65]

We have a policy were I work, that says something like, no doors are to be left open. All doors locked at all times. You must identify yourself and show your badge at the employee entrance to the camera when you get buzzed in. Does it happen? No, not really.

[Dustdevil]

The 911 dispatch centre for the city I live in is housed in the police station. To get to the floor the dispatch centre is on, you have to show your police, fire, or EMS ID to a police officer, then pass through a metal detector to get to the elevator. Once on that floor, you have to show your ID again to get inside the centre. Just for grins once, I held up my library card, which while having the city logo on it, does not even remotely resemble a city ID. I was let through both checkpoints without question.

[FireMedic65]

The 911 dispatch centre for the city I live in is housed in the police station. To get to the floor the dispatch centre is on, you have to show your police, fire, or EMS ID to a police officer, then pass through a metal detector to get to the elevator. Once on that floor, you have to show your ID again to get inside the centre. Just for grins once, I held up my library card, which while having the city logo on it, does not even remotely resemble a city ID. I was let through both checkpoints without question.

My county dispatch is similar. It is also the EMA office and probably a few other things. You have to show ID, get buzzed in, then walk up stairs... THEN you have to check in your firearm if you are carrying one. FAIL. The dispatch center reminds me of a news station. Each dispatching console has 5 monitors, 1 for cable tv.

Local Ambulance stations, most of which the stations are locked at all times. In nice weather they are propped open and bay doors open. When out on a call, of course they are shut and locked if they remember. Some places you can just walk right in and take a jump kit, defib, heck the whole ambulance.

But, this isn't a discussion on security, it is about safety. A lot of places around my parts are requiring staff to wear bulletproof vests. It's a great idea, but most of them don't protect much against a stab, or offer any protection in your sides (most brands/models).

I wonder what this guy was after. He just walked up and stabbed him, then walked away? Seems kind of fishy to me for a person to do something like that unless there was something premeditated towards this person, or theft was in question and was foiled by another person being around and had to flee. There isn't much to be stolen from a med kit in regards to drugs that will get a person high though. Narcs are supposed to be locked up times 2. Although, they are not where I work and that really concerns me. Druggies I guess, just want the needles, or more likely, the narcan.

[Dominion300]

My county dispatch is similar. It is also the EMA office and probably a few other things. You have to show ID, get buzzed in, then walk up stairs... THEN you have to check in your firearm if you are carrying one. FAIL. The dispatch center reminds me of a news station. Each dispatching console has 5 monitors, 1 for cable tv.

Local Ambulance stations, most of which the stations are locked at all times. In nice weather they are propped open and bay doors open. When out on a call, of course they are shut and locked if they remember. Some places you can just walk right in and take a jump kit, defib, heck the whole ambulance.

But, this isn't a discussion on security, it is about safety. A lot of places around my parts are requiring staff to wear bulletproof vests. It's a great idea, but most of them don't protect much against a stab, or offer any protection in your sides (most brands/models).

I wonder what this guy was after. He just walked up and stabbed him, then walked away? Seems kind of fishy to me for a person to do something like that unless there was something premeditated towards this person, or theft was in question and was foiled by another person being around and had to flee. There isn't much to be stolen from a med kit in regards to drugs that will get a person high though. Narcs are supposed to be locked up times 2. Although, they are not where I work and that really concerns me. Druggies I guess, just want the needles, or more likely, the narcan.

According to the news reports, the guy asked the medic for money and when he said he didn't have any the guy stabbed him and ran. Dunno if theres more to it or not there were no witnesses.

[ERDoc]

At least in fire stations, we were behind closed doors. But I worked a lot of non-fire EMS locations where our station was often an apartment or motel room in the worst possible part of town, and waking up to nearby gunfire was a nightly occurrence. We had ambulances broken into. We had our stations broken into. We had our personal cars broken into.

Sounds like you are arguing FOR fire-based EMS, Dust.

[Richard B the EMT]

It matters not what service based area one works, it makes sense to try and keep any and all emergency vehicles either behind a closed fence or in a garage, while checking out whatever equipment is supposed to be aboard, or the vehicle itself, especially if the neighborhood is, shall we say, "Unsavory".