Firefighters Run Over Patient

[VentMedic]

St. Petersburg firefighters accidentally run over victim they were sent to help

By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, September 25, 2009

http://tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/st-petersburg-firefighters-accidentally-run-over-victim-they-were-sent-to/1038961

ST. PETERSBURG — The callers to 911 Thursday afternoon said there was a man bleeding from the face near the fire station. Two firefighters piled into Rescue 5 to go help him. They opened the garage bay door, turned on the emergency lights and pulled forward.

Then they heard a "thump."

The firefighters accidentally ran over the very person they were sent to help.

"They never even saw him," said St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Joel Granata.

Authorities said the man who was run over is Ted Allen Lenox, a 41-year-old homeless man. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was at Bayfront Medical Center Thursday night.

Alcohol was a factor, according to a St. Petersburg police report, which was not specific.

The accident took place about 3:45 p.m. outside Master Fire Station 1 at 400 Dr. Martin Luther King St. S. The facility houses St. Petersburg Fire Rescue's headquarters and two fire companies.

Lenox was struck as he lay outside garage bays on the north side of the building. Vehicles coming out of those bays exit onto Fourth Avenue S.

According to police and fire officials, Emergency Medical Technician Jason Springer, 36, climbed into the driver's seat of Rescue 5. Paramedic David Bucholz, 32, rode shotgun.

But neither apparently knew that Lenox was lying just 2 to 3 feet in front of Rescue 5's bay, authorities said.

It was unclear Thursday whether the 911 callers said how close Lenox was to the station, and if they did, whether that information was relayed to the crew.

"Neither Springer or Bucholz saw, or could have seen, Lenox in the position he had placed himself in," the police report states.

The vehicle that ran over him is a Ford F-650, a 10-ton truck with a boxy rear bay used to store medical equipment and treat patients. The vehicle sits high.

"They couldn't see him in front of the truck," said Lt. Granata. "You can't see the ground."

Rescue 5's front wheels didn't hit Lenox, but the undercarriage caught and rolled him. The crew stopped after they felt the truck's rear tires roll over his legs.

He was pinned underneath. Firefighters raised the vehicle, pulled the injured man out and treated him. His condition was unavailable Thursday.

Lenox often hung around downtown, police said. His family could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The firefighters involved in the accident remain on duty, Granata said.

He wished that the crew would have been told prior to leaving the station that the man was right at the foot of the garage.

"We would have just walked out the door and looked," he said.

[rock_shoes]

So they didn't recognize the firehalls address as the call location? Maybe looking out the bay door before pulling out the ambulance might have helped?

[spenac]

So they didn't recognize the firehalls address as the call location? Maybe looking out the bay door before pulling out the ambulance might have helped?

You mean you don't exit the station with your eyes closed?

[VentMedic]

You mean you don't exit the station with your eyes closed?

Apparently some do if you read the comments at the end of the article.

Claire from OR

Sep 25th, 2009 12:14 PM

Being in the fire service..with the same scenario..the same thing would have happened to me. YOU CAN'T SEE THE GROUND WHEN YOU ARE IN THE TRUCKS! YOU GET IN, OPEN THE DOORS AND GO..seconds count!

This one knows her truck has a blind spot and still "open the doors and go".

Anyone working in a residential or urban area knows you check for curious kids wanting to see the big fire truck or ambulance and tourists (Florida). In Florida, you also know there will be someone coming to the station for a BP check at all hours of the day and night especially if there is a condo community across the street.

If this had been someone who ran over a person with their POV in their driveway, these FFs would want them locked up for life for being stupid/careless and not looking behind/in front of their vehicle.

[HERBIE1]

In most rigs there is a blind spot directly if front of the rig. I have no idea how they receive calls, but clearly they had to be given an address to respond to or how would they know which direction to go once leaving the station?

[Richard B the EMT]

This is one time I am GLAD to know the FDNY's policy of nobody but the chauffeur in the vehicles as they leave the station, everyone else stopping traffic until the vehicle clears the bays, and someone hits the button to bring the bay door down. Then, everyone stops holding traffic, jumps in, and they respond to whatever the call.

Not always successful, as one time as they were doing that, a driver cut them off as they were all on board. I was not working that day, and caught up with the driver at the traffic signal. When I yelled at her, she told me, as they were "just standing there", even with all the E-Lights and siren running, she "thought they were parked!"

[Dustdevil]

YOU GET IN, OPEN THE DOORS AND GO..seconds count!

FAIL!

Seconds do not count. And you open the doors, THEN get in, THEN go. Takes no more time.

[AnthonyM83]

Realistically, this could easily happen even if no one was in a hurry.

Depending on the setup, you might walk into apparatus bay, push the open button, walk to the doors and get in. The doors may open kind of slowly and you're already either inside or opening the rig doors from the side. By that point, you've lost view of the floor directly ahead of you (for a certain distance).

Also, why is everyone assuming they didn't recognize their own address?

How do you know it was dispatched to their address (especially when the article said they were responding to a location NEAR the station)?

I'm down for slamming those who are lazy about their EMS responsibilities, but realistically this could happen to many responsible people. EMS or FD

[aussiephil]

You see, they dont have intelligence tests to be a smokey, just the ability to watch reruns of rescue me.

[FireMedic65]

What a bunch of morons!

I agree with you there Dust. Even when I ran fire, someone always looked to make sure the bay was clear for exit. We had a nicely paved pad that kids liked to play catch and kick a ball around on. We didn't care, and they knew better to move when the sirens went off. But there is always that .001% chance one didn't move. I adopted that technique when I started with EMS. Open door while driver got the vehicle started and called responding, while the passenger took a look around to see if it was clear, then hop in and leave, close door with remote.

Ignorance is no excuse here. "I didn't see them", is a piss poor excuse, because YOU DIDN'T FREAKING LOOK!

*edit* Hope this guy pull through ok, and wins a nice settlement/lawsuit against these donuts.

Edited September 28, 2009 by FireMedic65