PA. Man dies during storm when 911 calls unheeded

Catz Part Deux said:

Bear in mind, though...he's an older guy, in ill health. Perhaps they didn't have nearby relatives or family support. He doesn't own a car. Public transportation is completely shut down. I'm kind of surprised that they didn't describe this as an emergency on the 9/11 call...prior pancreatitis, shortness of breath, etc.

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This may all be true, however, 2.2 miles and 30 hrs.... They should have tried something else... tragic on all levels.

I don't really think they should blame any of the responders for this incident if no actual procedures were in place to handle such a situation. However, I also think it would be a good idea to put into place some sort of system to track the calls that come in to include any obstacles that come up when an ambulance is trying to get to someone. That way if the call gets canceled for whatever reason, it's not just forgotten about. Also, this way responders can know whether they should go help the person or not, if it's safe. And if they don't already, the operators could tell the person why the responders can't get to them, and that if at all possible they really should find an alternate way of getting to the hospital. At the very least the responders, especially the ones that made it within a 1/4 mi, could have taken the time to check the guy out and see how bad he actually was, if they were allowed by their job. I can understand why they wouldn't at least check him if they weren't supposed to risk their own lives and they weren't actually aware of the whole situation, but the procedures could use some improvement to possibly keep this from happening again.

liblady said:

yes, he did call 911 30 hours prior, when he had more pain.

clearly, he had pain when he was released from the hospital, because he was prescribed medication.

if the ambulance drivers advised HIM to walk, they damned well could have walked to get him. i hope they lose their jobs.

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liblady said:

everyone doesn't have equal ability to figure out what's going on. the ambulance drivers could have carried him, too, and they didn't, after 30 hours.

yes, his neighbors may have failed him, but the simple act of making sure sure the next shifts knew about him might have saved him.

like i said, i hope the dispatchers responsible lose their jobs, and the paramedics who wouldn't get out of the ambulance to get him lose their jobs as well.

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Gina said:

While in the throws of an attack of pancreatitis?




Again, while in severe abdominal pain, while able bodied ambulance workers could have made the distance more easily and at least come to the door to check him.



Exactly, he was freaking sick and in pain.




If his neighbors could have carried him, a very treacherous thing to do in a driving snow storm, then again, ABLE BODIED, WELL CONDITIONED ambulance workers could have walked to the door.


This blame the sick victim mentality is ridiculous. He was sick and in severe pain. You guys keep saying he could have walked, should have walked but once more I point out, able bodied ambulance workers were a football field away.

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Gina said:

Huh? What will teach the ambulance drivers?





You don't know the condition of the neighbors, but we know the condition of the ambulance workers.

Some neighborhoods are not so blessed as to have people ready to CARRY someone (which is difficult in dry clear weather) in driving snow to ABLE BODIED ambulance drivers. If you think it was so easy for non-professionals, it would have been even easier for trained personnel to do it.

Even their administrator is appalled and is not placing any blame on a sick man. It was their job to go to aide of a sick person.

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If you read all of my posts, you'll see why it's not so simple as "they should have went and got him".

If it had been me, and I KNEW that it was the guy's second or third call, I'd likely have walked to the door to see what was going on. But no way in hell would I have carried him through that **** unless I was sure he was dying. Not going to risk his life and my job and my health and my livelihood for a non-emergency.

Gina said:

Alternatives in a severe storm are very limited. His wife says she had no idea he was dying. He had taken his sleeping medication so it's not odd for her to assume he was sleeping. They were trying to be patient and reasonable, given the conditions. The story says there was no screaming or yelling as they accepted it would be difficult for the ambulance to get there.

I just can't blame a sick man in this situation. They were told to walk to ambulance. Maybe she should have yelled and screamed, telling them if they think it's so easy for a sick man to get there, they should have no problem being well themselves.

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I agree. They should have at least walked to the guy's house and checked him out. How hard is it to walk 400 meters through the snow?