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EMT suspended for saving little girl's life

by SteveJohnson
15 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
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EMT suspended for trying to save choking girl - Fox 5 NY | WNYW

The company's website is down, and they've already earned a ton of 1-star Google reviews.

Dumbasses. What were they thinking?
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Not thinking, apparently. They should have known this wouldn't fly and that it would make news.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
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  • Profile picture of the author whland
    Against company policy to stop and help someone? That's ridiculous.

    If I were this guys boss I'd be applauding him for stopping to help. I'd want them to stop and help someone.

    It shouldn't matter if they were called or not.

    This EMT did a great thing. Shame on them for suspending him. He was saving a life which is in his Job description.

    I applaud you EMT for helping this girl.

    I would've stopped and helped the girl too.
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by whland View Post

      Against company policy to stop and help someone? That's ridiculous.

      If I were this guys boss I'd be applauding him for stopping to help. I'd want them to stop and help someone.

      It shouldn't matter if they were called or not.

      This EMT did a great thing. Shame on them for suspending him. He was saving a life which is in his Job description.

      I applaud you EMT for helping this girl.

      I would've stopped and helped the girl too.

      I would have also tried to help but they have policies for a reason. If the patient in the back went into cardiac arrest sitting in the street, they'd be up shit creek without a paddle with just a driver. Those ambulance services have 2 people for a reason.

      Funny thing about company policies, no matter how strange they are, someone at some point in time caused an accident. That's the only reason businesses have policies in place.

      No doubt the paramedic also signed papers when they were hired saying they agreed to company policies.

      The catch-22 in a court room will be that when a medical professional gets their license they agree to stop & help anyone that needs medical help. I'm sure the guys lawyer will use that in court.
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      • Profile picture of the author butters
        Originally Posted by yukon View Post

        I would have also tried to help but they have policies for a reason. If the patient in the back went into cardiac arrest sitting in the street, they'd be up shit creek without a paddle with just a driver. Those ambulance services have 2 people for a reason.

        Funny thing about company policies, no matter how strange they are, someone at some point in time caused an accident. That's the only reason businesses have policies in place.

        No doubt the paramedic also signed papers when they were hired saying they agreed to company policies.

        The catch-22 in a court room will be that when a medical professional gets their license they agree to stop & help anyone that needs medical help. I'm sure the guys lawyer will use that in court.
        I agree with this but would like to add, some times a judgement call could be made in the situation. The elderly lady in the back was obviously not of high concern because if she was, they wouldn't of stopped but I get why companies have these procedures.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by yukon View Post

        I would have also tried to help but they have policies for a reason. If the patient in the back went into cardiac arrest sitting in the street, they'd be up shit creek without a paddle with just a driver. Those ambulance services have 2 people for a reason.

        Funny thing about company policies, no matter how strange they are, someone at some point in time caused an accident. That's the only reason businesses have policies in place.

        No doubt the paramedic also signed papers when they were hired saying they agreed to company policies.

        The catch-22 in a court room will be that when a medical professional gets their license they agree to stop & help anyone that needs medical help. I'm sure the guys lawyer will use that in court.
        You KIND of have a point, but she was probably stable, and ATTENDED! Such people have a BETTER chance in an EMT vehicle than they do waiting to be admitted to the hospital. SERIOUSLY, the admittance in a hospital is a JOKE! They could probably save THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS per hour at EACH hospital in the nation by just taking such things SERIOUSLY! I would figure that the average admittance takes like 3 hours. It takes far longer to be seen by anyone meaningful. I was once abandoned, BY THE HOSPITAL, in front of that hospital for like 6 HOURS!(The airline rescheduled my flight no less than 3 times, because I never managed to get there, since I couldn't even walk 3 feet, much less the maybe 20 miles to the airport) I was left there to die of thirst, hunger, and exposure. LUCKILY one of the persons I BEGGED, as they entered the hospital, actually got someone to get a taxi. I probably should have recorded that whole event, and sued the pants off the airline, airport, and hospital. Unfortunately, about all I knew of that I could due, outside of risking all I had, including my leg, was to maybe make 1/2 a phone call, as my phone was VERY low on power. I probably should have called 911!

        And YEAH, ambulance services need at least 2 people, but that is WHEN they are moving. Ideally, BOTH should be qualified EMTs!

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    The greed in this country has become deafening.

    I very strongly hope our dollar crashes and everyone has to re-learn how to work together to have to survive. I'm thinking we don't have much longer to do that if we're going to prevent global destruction of every life form on it.

    In the meantime - a lot of times these kinds of stories get people hired for better jobs. I hope this is one of those times.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Well, I think ****SOME**** medical professionals, like doctors, take the Hippocratic oath to "first do no harm". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath And I don't know why NOBODY tried to help, though perhaps they feared a law suit in any case. But it was nice of him to stop and of benefit to all that he did, so he should be commended and perhaps given a raise, or a bonus, and NOT fired.

    As for the company, mandating such a stop in such times of lawsuits is DUMB! If the woman was stable, there is no reason to not stop for the few minutes needed to dislodge the object and validate that things are alright.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author webmarketer
      I applaud the EMT. Common sense trumps policy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    I think the Ambulance administrators fail to realize that had it become public knowledge that their ambulance was asked to help and they refused....they'd be swimming in far greater scathing public outcry than they are even now...and they'd all be losing their jobs to placate the mob demands.

    If this were my child...In my anger, I might have to make it my mission in life to see that every school employed adult in that lunchroom be unemployed and banned from ever working in any capacity dealing with children.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I understand the business, and legal liability of the situation.

    I also understand that we might not want to live in a society where someone can look at child in this kind of emergency and simply walk away -- because a corporation said so.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    Very wrong that the girl was already turning blue and apparently the school's plans
    for such an emergency were to hope for somebody to come by.

    911 very likely could have talked a lay person through what to try to do to save the girl.

    I had 911 start to talk me through trying to save a guy who was very clearly already
    dead. Lucky for me the first responders arrived at that moment.

    Since it was obvious to both people on the ambulance that the patient being transported
    was not in dire straights, there should be protocols within the ambulance company that
    allow for more flexibility.

    I know there are situations where a Dr. will not respond because of malpractice issues.
    Suppose they give Benadryl to a stranger in an emergency and that person turns out
    to have a severe allergy to Benadryl. I have a Dentist who stays at my hotel every year
    and that's the example he gave after not responding to a minor medical emergency.
    It might be different because he is a DDS, not an MD, but would still be a target if
    something did go awry.
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author allegandro
    New York City EMT suspended without pay for leaving ambulance to aid choking girl

    More on the story/

    For me it's shocking. Yes, rules are rules, but acceptions have to be made.
    Also, the reaction of the school is shocking for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I reckon there should be a way to collect some money to reward him for his quick thinking. Who knows how much money he will lose and he deserves a re ward, not a penalty when he was doing his job.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    School says:
    "Speaking on behalf of the teachers and staff of P.S. 250," Principal RoseAnn LaCioppa wrote in a letter to parents of the school, "I want to reassure you that our school personnel has been trained in response to emergencies and we will always follow all protocols and procedures to ensure the safety of all our students."
    EMT Says:
    Reid told the station he believed a choking girl took priority over the transport, and, against his partner's urging, administered aid to the 7-year-old, who he said had already turned blue. No one at the school was assisting the girl, he said.
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