Father's death is blamed on 911 flaws

[MariaCatEMT]

Death blamed on 911 flaws

Father's death is blamed on 911 flaws

Fire Department defibrillator did not reach scene in Kenner

Wednesday, April 12, 2006
By Mary Swerczek
Kenner bureau

David Letellier Sr. died of a heart attack recently, but his daughter believes it wasn't just her father's heart that failed him. She thinks the Kenner 911 system is also to blame.

Letellier collapsed in the yard of his Kenner home, less than a block from a Kenner fire station and its portable defibrillator. Police arrived immediately and an ambulance also was dispatched. But the Fire Department was not called.

"My dad's dead because the Kenner 911 system failed him," said Marie Scavo, a nurse, who pleaded recently with the Kenner City Council for help. "Something happened that's terribly wrong here."

Around 2:30 p.m. on March 4, Scavo's mother saw her husband, a retired Jefferson Parish fire captain, collapse. She called 911 immediately. The emergency operator alerted the Police Department and, in turn, East Jefferson General Hospital Emergency Medical Services.

"I can only tell you that we didn't get a call," said Fire Chief Mike Zito. "We did not get that call."


Read more here...

[TTLWHKR]

The wasn't for an ambulance, and it wasn't cardiac? What?

It was for a person collapsed... That could be anything, you can't diagnose from a dispatch panel.

If all of the fire apparatus in the six fire houses carry AED's, then why don't the police cars?

Even the local cops here carry AED's.

[podmedic@mac.com]

Originally Posted by TTLWHKR

The wasn't for an ambulance, and it wasn't cardiac? What?

It was for a person collapsed... That could be anything, you can't diagnose from a dispatch panel.

If all of the fire apparatus in the six fire houses carry AED's, then why don't the police cars?

Even the local cops here carry AED's.

Every time someone dies, people look for a reason.

People die all the time within minutes of lifesaving care. It happens on the operating table, in the ER, in the back of our units, and within blocks of a fire truck equipped with an AED.

The 911 system cannot always get the call right. I recently responded on a call for a sick subject. Additional from dispatch gave us general weakness per the caller. It was a full arrest!

The husband was standing there saying, "She just didn't have any strength when I got up this AM."

I feel bad for the people and maybe some changes will be made to enhance some responses but there is no way to stop these kind of sad coincidences from happening.

[TTLWHKR]

Originally Posted by TTLWHKR

The wasn't for an ambulance, and it wasn't cardiac? What?

.

The call was for an Ambulance, and it wasn't cardiac?

That's what I meant.

Every time someone dies, people look for a reason.

People die all the time within minutes of lifesaving care.

Oh, really? You don't say. The point is.. Selective dispatching. I'm against selective dispatching.

[podmedic@mac.com]

Oh, really? You don't say. The point is.. Selective dispatching. I'm against selective dispatching.

I think most of us are, but resource management issues mean that we all have to deal with it.

How many calls do you think it will take before the hose draggers complain that we're wasting their time dispatching them for medical assist calls. In my area, they run the county emergency services and we have to put up with whatever they are willing to give us with regards to EMS dispatching. Too much info relayed on the air interferes with their fire scene management on a crowded radio system. We can't even get them to relay hospital diversion status on dispatch, we have to remember to specifically ask about it or we don't find out until we're already En Route!

[TTLWHKR]

The hose draggers?

Another Anti-Fire Service person?

[Jon]

it is a shame...

Around here, the PD all have AED's - what is embarrising is at the Squad, we are short 1 AED and have 1 truck without one now... but the PD have 1 in every car!

[Firechic]

The hose draggers?

Another Anti-Fire Service person?

That jumped off the screen for me too........

[Ridryder911]

Displaced anger & grieving, although, there needs to be something changed. My F.D (full time >55 a shift stafffed) & has paramedic squads that 1'st respond only between 0700 & 2300... then they turn into pumpkins, and only will respond if needed & requested by EMS (3'rd party agency). The reason.. the union contract, that they will be disturbed at nightime, only if it is a REAL emergency.

Now, some Batillon Chiefs will immediately dispatch to MVC's etc. but, there are some that will not. Ironically, F.D. makes only 1/4 of the number of calls that EMS makes... must be nice.. oh, yeah they have nap time during the day as well....

We have a good realtionship with them except in this area....

R/r 911

[MMiz]

Where I grew up, in a middle class neighborhood, one PD unit of two would carry an AED. In the city over, which is about three square miles, it's the same deal. In the city my ambulance service got a contract with, they had no AED units with PD.

As an EMT, it is my belief that every PD unit should be mandated to carry an AED.

As a teacher, it is my belief that every child should receive a quality education.

I'm not sure either of those are realities right now.

All of our ALS and Paramedic First Responder units carry LifePak 12s. All of our BLS units used to carry LifePak 500s, but there has been a supply shortage and currently we're a few short.

I can tell you that every single AED we have has been used in the field. In general, our BLS units are only dispatched for "BLS" calls.

We're the only private ambulance service in the county that carries AEDs on BLS units.