INIT915

Forum Moderators
 View profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    1,649

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by INIT915

  1. Posted

    Patient-dumping on Skid Row investigated

    Criminal Investigation into private ambulance company's activities

    www.cnn.com

    LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into suspected dumping of homeless people on Skid Row after police witnessed ambulances leaving five people on a street there during the weekend.

    The city attorney's office is reviewing police videotapes and photographs of the five suspected dumping cases Sunday to determine whether the patients were falsely imprisoned during their transfer and whether the hospital, Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, violated any laws regarding the treatment of patients.

    Two patients told officers they did not want to be taken downtown, said police Capt. Andrew Smith. One was not even homeless, he said. (Watch how five people were left on Skid Row -- 2:34 )

    "There is an expression in the medical profession that is something to the effect of 'Do no harm,"' Chief William Bratton said at a press conference. "When a hospital or an ambulance service takes an individual into Skid Row and leaves them and drives off, they are subjecting that person to considerable risk."

    Medical center officials denied improperly handling the patients.

    "With all of the issues, why would we send someone there who did not ask to go there? It is illogical," John V. Fenton, president and chief executive of Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, told the Los Angeles Times.

    Skid Row has one of the nation's largest concentrations of homeless people, in part because it has a cluster of shelters and services to help them.

    Police have long suspected that several institutions, including law enforcement agencies from outside the city, were using the downtown neighborhood as a dumping ground for homeless people. This is the first criminal probe by the LAPD into the practice.

    In one case, a man dropped off at Skid Row was in fact not homeless, said LAPD Capt. Andrew Smith. A police officer took him home and the man's family was "outraged," he said.

    "Not only did they not know that he was discharged, but the fact that he had been brought to Skid Row instead of being brought home was what further outraged that family," Smith said at a news conference Tuesday.

    The investigation began on Sunday, when an LAPD sergeant saw a patient being left in front of the Volunteers of America homeless services facility. The sergeant called an LAPD videographer, who over the next few hours recorded four more ambulances arriving at the facility and leaving recently discharged patients.

    Fenton said three of the five patients had arrived at the hospital from Volunteers of America or the nearby Lamp Community center, and gave the street addresses on their admission information.

    Officials at Lamp and Volunteers of America, however, said they had no record of any of the five patients having been at their facilities. Police also said the patients stated in their interviews that they didn't want to be left there.

    James Fraley, an attendant with ProCare, a private ambulance company, told police the hospital had hired his company to move discharged patients from the medical center to Skid Row, the Times reported.

    No law prevents hospitals from sending patients to Skid Row after they've been discharged.

    But the city attorney is investigating whether taking homeless people from a hospital to Skid Row would violate federal laws against releasing or transferring patients who are medically unstable and whether hospitals can be sued for unscrupulous behavior.

  2. Posted

    TIPTONVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- The city's fire chief and three volunteer firefighters, including the chief's grandson, appeared in court Tuesday on arson charges stemming from a string of fires over the past two years.

    The men, all members of Tiptonville Volunteer Fire Department, were arrested Monday.

    All four were in the Lake County jail Tuesday afternoon after a judge set bond at $100,000 for Fire Chief James Blackburn and $25,000 or more each for the others.

    Police Chief Norman Rhodes said the investigation had been going on for about two years.

    "We've been pretty sure who it was for about the last year," Rhodes said. He didn't give a motive for the arsons beyond saying the suspects had formed a clique.

    All the buildings were vacant when they were set on blaze and no one was hurt.

    Blackburn, who is also superintendent of the city water plant, was charged with 10 counts of arson. His grandson, Brandon Blackburn, faces two counts of arson; firefighter Floyd Joe Kilburn was charged with four counts; and firefighter Chris Burrus was charged with two counts.

    Rhodes said he called on the state for help with the arson investigation, and James Blackburn, as fire chief, knew about the probe.

    "He was actually giving me static about calling in bomb and arson investigators -- said that was his job," Rhodes said.

    Police said the men are suspected of setting several fires since 2004. Among the buildings burned was an abandoned Victorian-style house.

    "There have been quite a few people who have been upset because this has been going on. They haven't been able to sleep at night," state bomb and arson investigator Ron Powers said.

    Tiptonville, 90 miles northeast of Memphis, has about 2,400 residents.

  4. Posted

    Hundreds mourn hit-run victim in Ossining

    By MICHAEL RISINIT

    THE JOURNAL NEWS

    (Original publication: October 22, 2006)

    OSSINING - By all accounts, Legista Beckford always had a smile, a laugh or a supportive word for family and friends.

    Yesterday, the nearly 300 mourners packing St. Ann's Church in Ossining had their warm memories of Beckford, 33, and also anguish over his Oct. 12 death in a hit-and-run accident.

    "I don't know how to say goodbye to you, because you're not supposed to leave me this early," Sophronia, his wife, read from a letter she penned to her husband, the words almost outpaced by her sobs as she stood in front of the standing-room-only crowd.

    Behind her, Beckford's brother, Summerville, stood leaning into her with his hands on her shoulders. He, like other family members and Beckford's colleagues from Empress Ambulance in Yonkers, spoke of a man who loved family, was known for his generous heart and brought a positive spirit to everything he did.

    "For those reasons, we are so moved by his death," said the Rev. Edward Byrne, St. Ann's pastor.

    Beckford died after a vehicle rear-ended his Dodge Durango on the northbound Sprain Brook Parkway in Yonkers, police said. The collision caused him to lose control and crash into a wooded area. State police charged Lisa Shipp, 44, of the Bronx with leaving the scene of an accident, a felony, and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor.

    She was arrested after a witness followed her into Greenburgh and called the police.

    "We're God-fearing people. So we don't wish (Shipp) any evil. We hope justice will be served," said Leopold Lee, a cousin, outside the church before the funeral Mass.

    Known as "Leggie," Beckford was a onetime Ossining High School football and track star. He worked as a marketing supervisor in Empress' billing department, and his good-spirited ways even overcame the downside of bill collection, an Empress senior vice president said, because clients loved to hear from him.

    An Empress crew had responded to the accident and recognized Beckford, who was on his way home after work to his wife and three boys, ages 10, 7 and 2.

    "He was a great guy, a guy you would want to build a company around," said Mike Minerva of Empress. "It's a tragic loss for his family, but also for the Empress family."

    The Mass lasted more than an hour. When it ended, dozens of cars clogged Eastern Avenue for the procession to St. Augustine Cemetery, led by several Empress ambulances.

    During the funeral, his wife finished reading her letter. She lamented the times the couple argued in their 12 years together, but begged for time to have just one more argument. She pleaded with her husband to guide her in raising their sons: Legista Jr., Malique and Dillon. She also managed to elicit a bittersweet smile from the full house.

    "I don't have anyone to fight over a blanket with," she said.

    TOP OF PAGE | PRINTER-FRIENDLY FORMAT | E-MAIL THIS ARTICLE

  6. Posted

    Weekend one month prior to the start of the Academy is mostly Medical related, not an agility.

    The start of the 194th Session has been tentatively rescheduled for January-February and is also tentatively going to be smaller than originally thought. Meaning many candidates who processed will have to wait for the next class.

    However, nothing typically set in stone until three weeks before the start of class.

  7. Posted

    Anyone know anything about this?

    BREAKING NEWS: Police units respond to an incident in Ossining

    By THE JOURNAL NEWS

    FROM STAFF REPORTS

    (Original publication: October 1, 2006)

    OSSINING — Police are investigating an incident on Stormytown Road that, according to a tip to The Journal News, involves a SWAT team. County and Ossining police are not releasing any information. A reporter is on her way to the scene.

    FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

  8. Posted

    Facility shut down years ago due to lack of funding, only 1 Paramedic class went through there. The land is owned by either by the county or Putnam Hospital ( im almost positive its owned by the hospital).

    I actually believe it is owned by HVHC, not PHC. HVHC entered into an agreement when they were closing to try to keep it open. Also, the now onsite PMD's are affiliated with HVHC.

    It is listed as an affiliate at www.hvhc.org.

  9. Posted

    Date: 09-17-06

    Time: 12:04 AM

    Location: 3469 Lexington Ave, Mohegan Lake, T/Cortlandt

    Frequency: Multiple

    Units Operating: Mohegan VAC, Mohegan Fire, Cortlandt Medics, NYSP, Yorktown PD

    Description Of Incident: 16 year old female stabbed during an argument. Subject transported to WMC via Mohegan with ALS. Female pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Suspect, white female, blond hair, seen fleeing the scene.

    Writer: INIT915 (O/S)

  10. Posted · Edited by INIT915

    Date: 09-16-06

    Time: 6:53 PM

    Location: Originally South Fulton Ave, City of Mount Vernon

    Frequency: Multiple

    Units Operating: Multiple MVPD, Multiple NYSP, Empress

    Description Of Incident: File 1/Stolen Vehicle pursuit. One NYSP unit into a pole, one MVPD unit into the suspects vehicle. Followed by short foot pursuit and subject taken into custody. Operator stole the vehicle two weeks ago from a dealership. Operator is only 16 years old.

    Writer: INIT915 (O/S)

  13. Posted

    Croton teen dies after Montrose crash

    By WILL DAVID AND TERRY CORCORAN

    wdavid@lohud.com

    THE JOURNAL NEWS

    (Original publication: August 21, 2006)

    MONTROSE — A 17-year-old Croton-On-Hudson youth has died as a result of his injuries in a serious accident early today on Route 9.

    Trooper Meredith Govoni, who is investigating, confirmed minutes ago that Christopher McDonough had died. Other passengers in the car were Dylan Franco, 17, of Croton, and Matthew Stanton, 18, also of Croton. They suffered minor injuries.

    McDonough and his passengers were heading south around 3:30 a.m. in a 2001 Volvo when he lost control of his car and struck the median guide rail.

    The car was vaulted into the northbound lanes and overturned, police said. The accident happened just north of the Montrose exit.

    McDonough, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car and landed in the road. Police said that it appeared he was speeding before the crash.

    The passengers were wearing their seat belts and only suffered minor injuries, police said.

    McDonough and one of his passengers were taken by helicopter to the Westchester Medical Center. The other passenger was taken by ambulance to Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow

    Police said all three had been drinking before the crash, which remains under investigation.

    Traffic on Route 9 was halted as police investigated and the injured were air-lifted to the hospitals. However, the road was clear for the morning rush hour, Sgt. Edward Meyers said.

  15. Posted

    Date: 08-16-06

    Time: Approx. 2315

    Location: 9 Bank St, V/Croton on Hudson

    Frequency: Multiple

    Units Operating:

    Croton - 2081, 2082, 2083, 2087, E118, E119, E120, R18, TL44, 55B2

    Croton PD

    OVAC - 36M1

    Ossining - E97

    Montrose - 2272, E121

    Description Of Incident: MVA with large scale gas leak, area evacuated. Con Ed gas to scene.

    Writer: INIT915

  16. Posted

    Stop nick-picking. You're beginning  to sound pathetic here. Take the patient to the nearest APPROPRIATE facility. Who the heck cares where regional this and that are. Grow some testies and do what's right for Pete's sake. Wah, wah, wah. I'm a medic, but I can't make a decision! Wah, wah, wah.

    EMS Buff,

    Actually we were discussing which facility was most appropriate? A trauma center or a reimplantation center that happens to not be designated a trauma center.

    Any input on that subject aside from your extraneous comments?

  17. Posted

    First, page 79 of the WREMSCO paramedic protocols refers to the algorhythm for helicopter transport.

    Also, if we follow the protocol verbatim, then Jacobi is also inappropriate because it is not the REGIONAL trauma center. (Don't worry, my trauma patients from Westchester County go to the nearest appropriate facility- including Jacobi, region be damned. And wouldn't you know, I've never heard a complaint about it.)

    If the patient has life threatening injuries, take him/her to a Trauma Center. Still in doubt?, call medical control and make a sound clinical decision with the physician on the other end. He can allow you to deviate from the protocols (see page 6). But geesh, don't let the protocol stop you from making a rational decision.

    Clutch,

    You are correct the heading for Pg 79 is Helicopter protocols. However, if you skip ahead all the way to Pg 80, you will see the same for ground transport.

    And, if you go past Pg 80, to Pg 84, you will see Jacobi is recognized as a Regional/Burn Trauma Center.

    I do believe everyone is aware you may contact Medical Control for these purposes. But, getting back to the point made earlier, regarding Reimplantation vs. Trauma Center. And which is most appropriate.

  18. Posted

    Huh?  Closest MOST Appropriate facility, right?  Did I miss something.  The WREMSCO protocol defines it as nearest appropriate.  So, where is the problem.  Take the patient where they need to go?  Who will question this or attack your decision?  I am curious why people don't expand the protocol to its limit.  Where is the apprehension?

    WREMSCO states on on Page 79:

    Automatic Regional Trauma Center Criteria:

    On the list, skip to #3, which lists Limb Amputation requiring Reimplantaion.

    Doesn’t seem to me to be much room for interpretation. Maybe the REMAC could look into amending this to include reimplantation centers.

  20. Posted

    Off-Duty Policeman Dies In Crash; Possible Road-Rage Cited

    POSTED: 11:04 am EDT August 14, 2006

    UPDATED: 1:37 pm EDT August 14, 2006

    NEW YORK -- In a possible case of road rage, an off-duty police officer was killed early Monday when his motorcycle was rear-ended by a suspected drunken driver who was flashing a blue emergency light sometimes used by volunteer firefighters, police said.

    It was unclear if the driver of the sport utility vehicle -- registered in New Jersey -- was a firefighter, police said.

    Police said the incident began at about 12:15 a.m. when the officer, Eric Concepcion, and a companion, also on a motorcycle, pulled up next to the SUV on the Henry Hudson parkway in Manhattan. At that point, "Words may have been exchanged," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters.

    The suspect, with lights flashing, followed Concepcion and may have "tried to pull him over" before striking the rear of his motorcycle and running him over, Kelly said.

    The suspect was taken into custody after testing above the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent, police said. Charges were pending.

    Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that Concepcion, who was assigned to the Yankee Stadium detail, left behind a wife and two daughters, ages 1 and 4.

    "It breaks all our hearts," the mayor said.

  21. Posted

    Off-Duty Police Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash

    Ti-Hua Chang

    Reporting

    (CBS) NEW YORK An off-duty police officer died 10 hours after a red SUV collided with his motorcycle on the West Side Highway Monday. Police removed the Jeep Grand Cherokee and twisted remains of the motorcycle around 133 Street.

    While traffic was stopped on the northbound West Side Highway, those driving southbound said the SUV looked like it devoured the motorcycle. The SUV was literally on top of the motorcycle, and as the vehicles were removed, the top half of the motorcycle had been broken off from the force of the impact.

    The officer, whose name has not been released, was rushed to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center alive, sources said, but died a short time later.

    Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that the officer left behind two young daughters.

    “It breaks all our hearts,” said Bloomberg.

    Police said the driver of the SUV was drunk. He has been identified as 23-year-old Robert Derian, a volunteer member of the Upper Saddle River Fire Department Rescue Squad. The red SUV had both flashing blue and white lights in the windshield and a captains’ sign. Sources said the lights may have played a role in the tragic turn of events.

    Police were searching for the officer’s gun, but did not find it.

  22. Posted

    Use this link to find NREMT Test dates and sites:

    http://www.nremt.org/EMTServices/candidate...xam.asp?secID=1

    BTW: New York is not yet a Registry State, so you will still have to either take a Challenge or Full Recert Course, either way, bringing you back up to New York at some point. If your VA EMT stays Valid, you can just use that for Reciprocity purposes if/when you move back to New York, thereby making the need for the NR exam mute.

  24. Posted

    Does that mean you'd give up a good felony collar because you happened across a robbery (for example) at an MTA train station?  I know that I wouldn't give it up if I caught it.  If it is within your geographical area of employment you can certainly take action regardless of "primary" status and if its a crime it doesn't even matter if you're in your geographical area you can still take action.

    Turf is just that - turf.  It belongs on the golf course not on the streets in emergency services!

    Sometimes "taking action" is responding because you are nearby and holding the situation down until the agency who will ultimately deal with it arrives. Just because you are only holding it down does not mean you are looking the other way.

  25. Posted

    Date: 07-24-06

    Time: 4:40 PM

    Location: Sprain Brook Pkwy S/B, j/s/o Central Avenue

    Frequency: Multiple

    Units Operating: YPD 1st Pct, ESU, DD; YFD Sq311, R1, L75, B2, Saf-Batt; NYSP; Empress

    Description Of Incident: Elderly male driver traveling on shoulder of highway rear ends NYSP unit on a traffic stop. No injuries to Trooper.

    Writer: INIT915