Yesterday I was listening to the local news...They had a story about a man who had called 911 because his 37 year old girl friend was choking. On the recorded phone call you can clearly hear this man obviously frantic. He has no idea what to do for this woman. OK..I understand not everyone knows the Heimlich Maneuver ...And even someone who might know of it..at the point during an emergency might not have a clear enough head to actually attempt to use it.
Lets face it....not everyone remains calm cool and collected in those type of situations. Which is why some of us are cut out to be rescue help, while others are the rescued. However....you would think that when you call emergency assistance you would at least get someone on the other end of the phone who could assist you. Someone with the minimal and basic first aide instruction.
I know these people are mostly there to assess and send out medical help. But this 911 operator didn't know the Heimlich either. And while they were polite on the phone...polite is the last of my concerns if I am calling you because someone I care about is dying in front of me.
To make matters even worse in my eyes...The supervisor of this 911 operator who did in fact know the proper way to assist someone who was choking...refused to get on the line and assist the caller. In fact, could be heard in the background of the call almost making fun of the way the call was going.
REALLY?
It took 11 minutes for an ambulance to arrive...and by the time they got there the mans girlfriend was dead.
Maybe its just me but if you have the need to call 911...You do so because you have an emergency that your skills or knowledge cant solve or handle on your own. You are calling for help...assistance. Not to speak to someone who is nothing more than a glorified telemarketer.
I realise there are probably some legal ramifications I'm not aware of if you provide someone with verbal medical assistance and they screw it up. I will be honest with you..if there are and what they would be... I couldn't begin to tell you. But considering you cant breath air anymore with out fear of being sued, nothing would surprise me.
I will say this...If this were me.....I would much rather be in trouble for attempting to help save someones life...Than to remain legally safe while I sit back and let them die.
Maybe its fortunate I'm not a 911 operator.
6 comments:
Or perhaps unfortunate?
I'll go for unfortunate. I rather suspect the supervisor will lose his (or hers)job as will the operator.
(probably too much to hope that they would actually train people to help in situations like this)
sonja and exmi
I was told today by a girl that had wanted to be trained as a dispatcher...that they are supposed to have a huge reference type book next to them. This book is supposed to be catagorized by situation...example choking, drowning..etc..
She told me that you just flip to the page and it gives step by step instructions that you can read to someone to talk them through first aide procedures.
It sounds like it would be a no brainer as long as you can read.
But in my thinking...even if the operator taking the call was untrained or had no such reference book...the Supervisor should have been able to step up and handle the call.
The supervisor title sort of implies that this person is supposed to know more than those who they out rank...right?
Because these people lacked the education or intelligence to preform their jobs a woman lost her life. If all that happens is that they loose thir jobs they got off easy.
That breeze you feel is my eyelashes because I cannot stop blinking over this story.
That may be the most awful story I have heard this year.
megan
I know what you mean.
Well put, Jen. In these overtly PC times lawsuits apparently are more dangerous than death. Kinda like I was saying about expressing yrself on my blog. But I tip my hat to ppl like you with the strength and idealism to carry on. I do so as well, but that is because I have already lost everything and have nothing left the government and/or others would care much for.
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