Can You Help?

CAN YOU HELP??

Recently I read something in the news about in reference to a certain fire department here in the United States about the fire department and EMS department being separate but it wasn’t so much as to the being separate departments of being the problem. Here in lies the problem: It’s a policy that’s in effect about the EMS and fire personnel not being able to play together. Now, I’ll go into a little more detail. “911, What’s your emergency?” “My husband is having some trouble breathing, please send someone quickly.”

            The fire department was also dispatched to this detail as first responders and upon arrival they found their patient having respiratory difficulty. The fire department personnel administered care to the patient until EMS arrived. Upon arrival of EMS the patients condition deteriorated so far as to where the patient coded on them at the scene. Instead of having additional help summonsed from the fire personnel already on scene; the EMS crew summonsed for another EMS unit to respond to the scene, all the while the fire personnel are offering their assistance to EMS such as an additional personnel in the back and offered a driver for the ambulance from the engine company. The EMS crew on scene would not and could not take their help due to the policy within the EMS department that the fire personnel could not assist the EMS crew in the back of the ambulance nor drive the ambulance to the hospital. Instead of this patient being a “load-n-go” the EMS crew was on scene for several, several,  minutes more than 10 when the study was completed, just waiting for another unit to show up instead of utilizing the fire department already on scene. Family at this time are also asking fire personnel about why are they not leaving? The distraught family members kept asking fire crews and they had no answers for them.The on scene officer knew at this point the golden hour was used up.  

            Upon finally arriving at the hospital, after the doctors did their work up with the code; the patient expired. Now the family is asking for answers about the the patients death and a lawsuit has begun. Did the actions of this policy contribute to this patients death? Maybe and maybe not. Its hard to tell, but what percentage of codes do we actually get back some would ask? But this is not the real question here about the percentage of codes that we save in the field and looking at all the data for the saves and deaths. This is about something that wasn’t done and a family watching nothing getting done at the time and a long time lapse that’s involved here for what?.....some so called policy?....Its a bunch of sillyness that’s needs corrected right away. Citizen lives are at stake here if your department utilizes this such policy and procedure between fire and EMS crews. If mutual aid would have been called into that scene, how would it have went? Would it have been the same type of scenario? What happens to the patient?....Because would  there be a delay in patient care again because you cant play on my ambulance and I cant play on yours. So what about the patient? What happens here? Wouldn’t you want to utilize every resource possible that your department can provide and then some? THINK CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

            Like the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The whole time during this scenario, the family was at the scene and watching. What do you think that the family’s biggest complaint was that they saw during that scene that fateful day for them when they lost a loved one?.....You guessed it; its not too hard to figure this one out! Its not rocket science folks! The  fire crews standing around not assisting the EMS crew in the back of the ambulance and the ambulance still sitting on the scene for a prolonged period of time. Now for the general lay public, they are not generally in tune with any of our policies within our organizations until that dreaded phone call comes asking for answers from one of our administrative leaders. That’s when they become aware of certain policies from within after they call to complain and someone has to explain to them why and how certain things are done within our organizations. (Explain this policy)!

            This type of policy is not just limited to one department. There are other departments around still utilizing these types of policies for patient care. This type of policy and this “line of thinking” needs to come to a stop. This type of policy is ludicrous! Patient care here is first and foremost. This is not a way of promoting community relations, promoting your department, nor is this a good working relationship between fire and EMS, when for so many years we have all struggled in breaking down those barriers between the two services and for so many now we are combined; the way we should operate. This type of operations is just not good customer service. What if this was one of your loved ones in the back of that unit that day? What would you have done different? How would you have felt about this whole situation? Any patient and or family members that we come in contact with when we are called to the scene of someone’s emergency should be treated with the same courtesy, respect, and aggressive patient care that you would want in an emergency for yourself or your family members.

            The administrative leaders within these organizations that still operate under these types of policies and procedures should take a long hard look at the type and quality of service that their organization is providing within their communities and should be looking at this situation real hard about striving for change within their departments. What would the john q public say about these policies and procedures? If the current leaders of the department don’t want to change this type of setting, then maybe the leaders need changed within these departments. Present this problem to the powers that be in order to aquire the change needed in these policies and procedures before your department finds itself in a huge lawsuit that they may never win and will cost big dollars in order to defend itself; and for what? Something very simple that could have been avoided.

            I would like to touch base with another final note of this initial story that I spoke of. News crews in the area interviewed one of the administrative leaders. His song and dance interview that he provided to the news crews was an entire joke! Two of the biggest reasons for his policy was that someone could get stuck by a needle and that fire personnel wouldn’t know how to control an ambulance over certain road terrains or how to effectively communicate with the EMS crew about the road terrains and other things that’s going on in the back, so that no one would get stuck by a needle. Is that your whole reasoning!!! Its obvious that the administrative leader or leaders are not very in tune or well versed in EMS nor can you call this even old school. Just call it plain stupid!

            Consider your patients, community, personnel, department, and the overall customer service that you provide. Put your loved one at the scene needing assistance in their emergency. Can you change? Will you change? CAN YOU HELP?

Les Allen

 FF/ Paramedic

LSFD