Jason Green, EMT

[Richard B the EMT]

My experiences in the old communications center at (HHC) EMS Headquarters was, we got two 20 minute breaks, and a 40 minute meal break. The breaks were, per published orders, never in the first or last hour of the 8 hour tour.

The only time we canceled breaks or meals, was when the CAD (Computer Assisted Dispatch) system crashed. We'd go to a system of handwritten cards on a belt delivery system, one per borough (county), and one for returning calls to the screening nurses. When the belt was removed during a renovation, we'd have personnel assigned to act as runners between the call takers and the dispatchers in the next room.

If you were already outside the building, you were envied, but if not, you'd work until relieved, or after a short period when we'd match up the cards with the CAD, to try to insure nobody who called had been missed, on the CAD.

[tskstorm]

My experiences in the old communications center at (HHC) EMS Headquarters was, we got two 20 minute breaks, and a 40 minute meal break. The breaks were, per published orders, never in the first or last hour of the 8 hour tour.

The only time we canceled breaks or meals, was when the CAD (Computer Assisted Dispatch) system crashed. We'd go to a system of handwritten cards on a belt delivery system, one per borough (county), and one for returning calls to the screening nurses. When the belt was removed during a renovation, we'd have personnel assigned to act as runners between the call takers and the dispatchers in the next room.

If you were already outside the building, you were envied, but if not, you'd work until relieved, or after a short period when we'd match up the cards with the CAD, to try to insure nobody who called had been missed, on the CAD.

Thank you for the insight.

One thing that I'm curious about and totally nothing to do with this thread, was how many times these 2 dispatchers asked crews on facilities if they were available for an assignment? They fully knew that there's no guaranteed break. Well here nor there. RIP sir.

[daedalus]

Thanks for the continued kick in the pants daedalus.

But seriously, where in the original posters post did it say the guy was a dispatcher? It didn't.

ONe can assume and that is where we all get into trouble here, one can assume that if he's an emt and on his break that there was an ambulance somewhere near him. The articles did not state he was not working on the ambulance.

In fact the articles don't really go much into detail about the previous problems he had, just that he was the emt who walked away from a sick lady and told them to call 911.

To me, if you are in uniform and you don't do anything to help or assist someone who is 10 feet or so from you and you walk away after telling others to call 911 which I think that is the way this went down then I am ashamed for you. You said in your post that you would have done the same. I'm sorry but that's not a good attitude to have.

Ruff, sorry. I posted that from my phone after I had read your post calling my response "ridiculous". I didn't see that there were followup posts. I generally find you to be a knowledgeable forum poster and enjoy reading what you have to say.

Indeed, if Mr. Greene had an ambulance outside I would have expected him to give O2.

Edited July 24, 2010 by daedalus

[Richard B the EMT]

FDNY Headquarters is located roughly 2 blocks from both the building with the Au Bon Pain and EMD in it, and the nearest fire house, which is in the opposite direction. I am unsure where either the nearest FDNY EMS station, or street corner that one of our ambulances is staged at, in relation to the Au Bon Pain. The nearest hospital, which also supplies a few BLS and ALS ambulances to the NYC 9-1-1 system, is roughly a mile away.

It was a hospital based ambulance that eventually responded, from that hospital.

Per a New York Post article on the incident, when the FDNY ALS ambulance arrived, they found the crew from the hospital based BLS in the process of running back to their ambulance to get the Defib, in violation of the rules of the NYC 9-1-1 system, that the Defib is to be brought in on ALL calls.

Edited July 25, 2010 by Richard B the EMT

[k_emt13]

My heart goes out to the family and the EMS community. Its so hard hearing about one of our one dying.

[Richard B the EMT]

My heart goes out to the family and the EMS community. Its so hard hearing about one of our one dying.

...Which is where we should be keeping our thoughts!

[Richard B the EMT]

I was just advised of an update to this story. Seems the shooter just got shot!

NY Post story, at

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/man_charged_in_emt_death_critically_KF1ZddKY8dKRsW0WLLRcvJ

My apologies for some gibberish appearing at the end of the posting, I can't get it off.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Richard B the EMT