helicopper

Interesting decision by US Supreme Court - not that pursuit policies here in NY are ever going to change... (from another forum) And this is a great statement by the eight justices who wrote this decision (the ninth justice recommended Trident): "Second, we are loath to lay down a rule requiring the police to allow fleeing suspects to get away whenever they drive so recklessly that they put other people’s lives in danger. It is obvious the perverse incentives such a rule would create: Every fleeing motorist would know that escape is within his grasp, if only he accelerates to 90 miles per hour, crosses the double-yellow line a few times, and runs a few red lights. The Constitution assuredly does not impose this invitation to impunity-earned-by recklessness. Instead, we lay down a more sensible rule: A police officer’s attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the Fourth Amendment, even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injuryor death."

Yes, STEVENS dissent is an interesting read. Obviously he has some issues with emergency vehicle operations. As for the evidentiary value of videotape (or audio tape as the case may be), I know that many law enforcement agencies routinely make their videos available to the court as evidence. San Diego PD is probably one of the leaders as far as aviation video goes. They say that they've successfully used their videotapes from the helicopter to exonerate officers accused of excessive force or other wrongdoing in addition to supporting the charges against the defendant. As for civilian video or media footage, I don't know what the rules would be. Our videos are maintained as evidence and timestamped, etc. I don't know if other video would be admitted as easily. Interesting issues for the future as more and more cameras pop up! Chris

Accompanied by a department issued photo ID a badge may be valid but the # must match the ID and I wouldn't hang my hat on XYZ Ambulance service ID carrying any weight in NYC!

The problem in our business is that we often become numb by the repetitive nature of our work and over time complacency sets in. It takes a conscious effort to avoid complacency and not everyone does that. I don't disagree with ONTHEWHEEL that you can avoid complacency if you try but as ONEEYE and DOC22 point out - complacency is out there - EVERYWHERE!

Amen, brother!

Sorry, just an opinion but there shouldn't be any "bars" or alcohol in firehouses. The overwhelming majority of FF are responsible and wouldn't get on apparatus after drinking but there will always be those exceptions that give the entire industry a black eye. What happens when that jacka$$ jumps in a truck and gets in an accident and its determined he was drinking at the firehouse? Huge problems! The state liquor authority is probably involved because non-members of the FD were drinking in the bar making it a "regular bar" in their eyes and subject to their rules and regulations. They also don't have ESP so someone must have made a complaint to somebody!

Having been on both sides of the radio during requests for assistance, I've come to appreciate that the dispatcher really needs to know where you are. Whether it's a traffic stop, checking an unusual or suspicious condition, or a detective investigation, things can go from blah to OH $H/T in a heartbeat. One of my favorite's was a sudden and unidentified "10-13" (common term used - not my signal code) that I received in communications followed by "shots fired". We started polling cars and everyone was accounted for. Turned out a detective unit was executing a warrant and didn't tell anyone at all - nice, huh? As far as traffic stops, call in the location and plate if nothing else. That way you know where to go or send help if it goes sour. ONEEYE is definitely right - it's really easy to get complaceent when you make a lot of car stops.

Nope, the Community College is a separate property.

Point taken but how about a papa Taser that can stop a car???? No more pursuits in Westchester - just lots of cars with electrical problems.

Yup, I heard that too... Eminent domain so they can build Trump National Park and Airport!

They were preparing for the flyover at Shea. When you go 250 knots, you don't exactly turn on a dime!!!

In response to the mounting number of PM's about it. I categorically deny that the aircraft seen today were the newest edition to the County PD Aviation fleet and they are most certainly NOT armed with long-range TASERS!!! If you hear Air 4 and Air 5 on the radio, it is purely coincidental!!!

I have it from a well placed source in an official government agency that shall remain nameless that it was a military fly-over at Shea Stadium for military appreciation day.

Load this puppy up with those taser rounds!

The power that "fraternal organizations" can exert over a municipality never ceases to amaze me. Why don't the unions have this much clout - at least they represent ALL the members!

So they survive the trauma that brought them there, they're successfully treated in the ER/OR, then they die on the med surg unit???? That's not very encouraging!!! Maybe it is time for an alternative. The following is what I find interesting. Why the big secret? Isn't this stuff all a matter of public record? None of this makes them look very good!

Social members have to buy!

Ooooo, cool! Will it work from a helicopter? Can they increase the range and install a battery of them on our helicopter????? Now, THAT would be a cool toy!

That's freakin' hysterical!!! I hope it was the child that called and not an adult...

The Grasslands Reservation is several hundred acres and includes the County Jail and Pententiary, Westchester Medical Center, Behavioral Health Center, Taylor Care (Nursing Home), several research and clinical buildings housing doctors offices and clinics, etc., the New York Medical College, a juvenile detention facility, juvenile runaway shelter, hospice shelter, Westchester County Police Academy and DES Fire/EMS Training Center. There's probably more that I'm missing but that's the majority of it.

Without offering my two cents on Hatzolah... Based upon the article - it seems as though Sullivan County needs to deal with the two agencies involved. Mobilemedic is a county-wide response service that was probably dispatched. It is unclear if Hatzolah was dispatched or just showed up. But the bottom line is - decisions regarding the treatment and transportation of the PATIENT must be made by the highest trained medical provider on the scene which (again according to the article) was Mobilemedic. There shouldn't have been an argument on the scene especially not in front of the patient and that is the main issue I see here.

I thought this thread was a follow-up discussion to the MV promotions thread....

You mean the ceremony wasn't streamed live via EMTBravo? You could have had thousands in 'virtual' attendance and set a new record!!! Seriously, congratulations and good luck!!!

It is an issue if the patient is discharged from the trauma center with little more than an emergency room visit being required (and this does happen) and the insurance company refuses to pay the exorbitant bill because it was medically unnecessary. Another question is what happens to the bill when someone is transported for other than an MVA and does not have medical insurance? Are they receiving a bill directly? Does anyone give the patient the option of being flown or going by ground? If they are conscious don't they have the right to be informed of, and provide consent for, such a decision?

Rule 5: Make yourself look good online Take advantage of your anonymity I don't want to give the impression that the net is a cold, cruel place full of people who just can't wait to insult each other. As in the world at large, most people who communicate online just want to be liked. Networks -- particularly discussion groups -- let you reach out to people you'd otherwise never meet. And none of them can see you. You won't be judged by the color of your skin, eyes, or hair, your weight, your age, or your clothing. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. For most people who choose to communicate online, this is an advantage; if they didn't enjoy using the written word, they wouldn't be there. So spelling and grammar do count. If you're spending a lot of time on the net and you're shaky in these areas, it's worth brushing up on them. There are plenty of books available, but you'll learn more -- and possibly have more fun -- if you take a course. If you're an older adult , you don't have to take a "bonehead grammar" course with a bunch of bored teenagers. Instead, look for courses on proofreading and copyediting; they usually cover the basic rules of grammar pretty thoroughly, and they'll be filled with motivated students who are there because they want to be. Check your local community college and university extension catalogs -- you'll be amazed at what they offer. A side benefit is that taking courses involves meeting people you can actually see. Know what you're talking about and make sense Pay attention to the content of your writing. Be sure you know what you're talking about -- when you see yourself writing "it's my understanding that" or "I believe it's the case," ask yourself whether you really want to post this note before checking your facts. Bad information propagates like wildfire on the net. And once it's been through two or three iterations, you get the same distortion effect as in the party game "Operator": Whatever you originally said may be unrecognizable. (Of course, you could take this as a reason not to worry about the accuracy of your postings. But you're only responsible for what you post yourself, not for what anyone else does with it.) In addition, make sure your notes are clear and logical. It's perfectly possible to write a paragraph that contains no errors in grammar or spelling, but still makes no sense whatsoever. This is most likely to happen when you're trying to impress someone by using a lot of long words that you don't really understand yourself. Trust me -- no one worth impressing will be impressed. It's better to keep it simple. Don't post flame-bait Finally, be pleasant and polite. Don't use offensive language, and don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation. Q. Is swearing acceptable on the net? Only in those areas where sewage is considered an art form, e.g., the USENET newsgroup alt.tasteless. Usually, if you feel that cursing in some form is required, it's preferable to use amusing euphemisms like "effing" and "sugar." You may also use the classic asterisk filler -- for example, s***. The archness is somehow appropriate to the net, and you avoid offending anyone needlessly. And everyone will know exactly what you mean.