Firefighters Run Over Patient

[VentMedic]

If the fire stations in Florida were just fire stations I might take a slightly different stance but even then they are "public safety". The FDs have been providing EMS for many years, doing BPs checks, hosting public safety fairs, have a first-aid symbol out front and are considered a safe place to drop you unwanted baby. People pull into a fire station quite often if they see it before a hospital. People in the neighborhood walk to it if they are feeling ill rather than calling 911. Thus, it is no surprise if someone who needs help of any type might stumble to a fire station. If this guy wanted to commit suicide, there are many other ways to do that in Florida with the busy highways and overpasses. And even if he was suicidal prior to the fire station it doesn't mean he didn't have second thoughts and realized what was going through his mind for ending his life. Thus, again the fire station could have been his destintation to get help.

I don't agree with the comments I have read and heard first hand about this guy just being a worthless. If this person had been some prominent business man jogging by who experiences chest pain and lands in front of the door, this conversation would be different and the focus would be on safety. The discussion would not be about why a drunk landed where he did.

So, doubting that this man used his personal cell phone to call 911, my money would be on the likelihood that they were responding to whichever pay phone is located closest to the station. My guess is that he believed he'd get the brush off is he knocked on the door, but the 'calvary' by dialing the phone.

I haven't seen a pay phone here in Florida or California in at least 2 -3 years possibly longer.

Edited October 17, 2009 by VentMedic

[spenac]

They were lazy. This is another reason there should be no remote controlled doors at fire, ems, police stations. Make someone stand there hit button, watch ambulance, truck, car pull out then hit close, jump in and then go. This ensures people see what is in front before moving. It also delays less than 15 seconds and 15 seconds in the field will not change patient outcome.

[Flasurfbum]

I don't agree with the comments I have read and heard first hand about this guy just being a worthless. If this person had been some prominent business man jogging by who experiences chest pain and lands in front of the door, this conversation would be different and the focus would be on safety. The discussion would not be about why a drunk landed where he did.

But the difference is this guy intentionally placed himself there in an effort to harm or kill himself, knowing what bay Rescue 5 was quartered in, then placed himself in front of it to get run over.

He could have just as easily called 911, and Marchman and/or Baker Acted himself.

[VentMedic]

But the difference is this guy intentionally placed himself there in an effort to harm or kill himself, knowing what bay Rescue 5 was quartered in, then placed himself in front of it to get run over.

He could have just as easily called 911, and Marchman and/or Baker Acted himself.

Do you know this for a fact?

I would hope you are not one of the commentors at the end of the news articles.

Even still, the FFs failed to look. This could easily have been a child. It doesn't matter what the guy's intent was, the FFs did NOT look. As spenac stated, 15 seconds isn't much but if it saves another life, it is everything. Don't be stupid as well as careless. Arguing against safety when you are public safety and then preach this at the health fairs is stupid. This is almost always mentioned by FF/Paramedics to the lay person about checking around their vehicle before moving. Practice what you preach as a public safety employee.

[Mateo_1387]

They were lazy. This is another reason there should be no remote controlled doors at fire, ems, police stations. Make someone stand there hit button, watch ambulance, truck, car pull out then hit close, jump in and then go. This ensures people see what is in front before moving. It also delays less than 15 seconds and 15 seconds in the field will not change patient outcome.

So what are the other reasons you say there should be no remote control doors at these stations?

Why should we remove all the remote controls for garage doors? Really Spenac, how often do people get ran over in front of the fire station garage door? Me thinks the statistics do not prove removing the devices.

[aussiephil]

Remote Controlled doors are not the issue.

The issue is these guys were just too excited to get a job.

Common sense says that you should look at what is happening around you, If they cant see the sidewalk, then what else do they miss on the road?

Problem is that you can teach common sense.

No matter what you do, they will find a way to get themselves into a position of stupidity (they are firemen after all).

The only way to ensure this doesnt happen is proper screening prior to employment, for EMS & Fire. Yes employment, take the whacker out of it & that will resolve part of the problem.

[VentMedic]

Why should we remove all the remote controls for garage doors? Really Spenac, how often do people get ran over in front of the fire station garage door? Me thinks the statistics do not prove removing the devices.

More people are not run over because other FFs do practice what they preach to the public when it comes to vehicle safety. They don't wait for their fire trucks to kill a lot of at their front door before they implement commonsense rules.

Now if only the excessive speed issues, L&S and running 3-4 types of vehicles to every EMS scene could also be addressed, Florida and California might be a little safer for the general public.

[46Young]

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-news/597966-fla-firefighters-cleared-after-running-over-homeless-man/#

Thoughts?

[thrutheashes]

They were lazy. This is another reason there should be no remote controlled doors at fire, ems, police stations. Make someone stand there hit button, watch ambulance, truck, car pull out then hit close, jump in and then go. This ensures people see what is in front before moving. It also delays less than 15 seconds and 15 seconds in the field will not change patient outcome.

Saying that the crew was "lazy" in this case seems overly harsh. Every service, paid or volly, have their policies in place, whether enforced or not. And that is a management issue, not a staffing one. Management provide the right lead, the crew will fall into line. Personally I don't believe that the crew was lazy, so much as complacent. Yeah, I realise, not much of distinction, but a distinction none the less. Additionally, drive out the bay 1000 times with no incident, what is going to make ANYONE think that 1001 is going to be the problem.The entire situation is definitely going to make me re-think how things are done at my service, because we do the same thing, hop in, open the door, and roll. I do agree with spenac though, that 15 seconds will make no diifference in outcome to a pt. I think that it's something I am going to take to the management at my service. Just my two bits.

Edited October 18, 2009 by thrutheashes

[Dustdevil]

I'm going with the lazy angle too. Every place I have ever worked, we opened the door with the wall button, and closed it with the remote, for this very reason. Never done it any different in over thirty years. I'm surprised it was not a written policy at this agency.