Investigators say the 17-year-old senior left Bronx Regional High School in Morrisania for lunch around 12:30 p.m. when he was shot in the shoulder by a man wearing a ski mask
The teen was treated by FDNY EMS then taken to Lincoln Hospital where he is expected to recover.
Former EMT Mark Musarella is accused of taking a cell phone picture of the victim's body and posting it on his Facebook page. He was fired after the incident and pleaded not guilty to charges of official misconduct.
"This EMS had no right to take a picture of my daughter being strangled and put it on the Internet for all the morons to look at," said Wimmer.
"It was the tears of Marty on the day we met that made me be stupid enough to be involved in this case because you have to be stupid to take on a cause."
A spokeswoman for Facebook could not comment on pending litigation, but said it has always been their policy to remove such photos as soon as they are reported.
Musarella, a retired NYPD detective, was fired from his job at Richmond University Medical Center. He faces up to a year in prison.
The campaign urges New Yorkers to come up with a plan and prepare emergency kits in case of a disaster or terrorist attack.
"There are simple items to go inside: a little bit of cash, important papers, medications, an extra pair of eyeglasses, the things that if you run out in your pajamas, you wish you had in those minutes after a disaster," said Terry Bischoff, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Greater New York.
"I think the people of New York City can be confident that the emergency planning for any type of scenario, but particularly a terrorist scenario, is as robust here as any place I've seen in the country," said Napolitano.
Officials say 40 percent of New Yorkers feel they are not prepared for an emergency.
"She was hurt and angry that after all this time married, he was stepping out on her," a police source said. "She wanted to shut down that possibility forever because he had treated her with such contempt."
The painful wakeup call left Emmanuel Ojofeitimi, also a nurse, screaming in the bedroom of the couple's home on Milburn St. in Springfield Gardens.
"I could hear it through the ceiling," said a mother of two, who rents an upstairs apartment in the feuding couple's house. "It was a physical altercation. It was the woman screaming and him in the background."
"They took him out on a stretcher," said another neighbor, Felix Smith.
The woman immediately regretted the assault and called 911, cops said. She was treating him with cold compresses when paramedics arrived. Her husband, 67, suffered second- and third-degree burns from his knees to his abdomen, police said. He was being treated at the burn unit at Nassau University Medical Center.
Oyinda Ojofeitimi told cops she recently had learned her husband of 20 years had been unfaithful.
Fed up and furious, she awoke at 6 a.m. and boiled a pot of water on her stove, cops said. As her husband slept, she poured the pot on his privates, cops said.
Arrested on assault charges, the betrayed wife, an immigrant of Grenada, was awaiting arraignment Monday night.
Fire officials say the man fell from the first floor of a Hells Kitchen building into the elevator pit. They say the doors opened, but the elevator was not there.
The man fell about 25 to 30 feet.Saint Vincent paramedics treated and transported the construction worker to Saint Vincent's Hospital.
Firefighters receive state-of-the-art training to battle raging infernos, dangerous building collapses and even terrifying terrorist attacks.But sometimes it's just as rewarding to rescue a 2-year-old Brooklyn boy who got his head wedged in a metal park fence.
Precocious toddler Leon Stanley's unexpected adventure began just after 11:30 a.m. when he and his father went for a walk near their Red Hook home.
Enjoying the sunshine, the pair strolled along Van Brunt St. toward Mother Cabrini Park. Stanley, 38, turned his head for a moment and suddenly heard his son cry out.
"It all happened so fast," the dad said.
"We were just walking in the park, and the next thing you know, there he was, crying, his head stuck."
Leon had crouched in front of the fence and placed his head in the 8-inch gap between its bars, his father said.
Not realizing the gap narrowed near the top, the boy quickly stood up, jamming his head.
"He was a little excited, a little upset," said his father, a carpenter. "He tried to move but was stuck."
As Stanley tried to keep Leon calm, a woman rushed over and called 911. Engine 202 responded minutes later.
The three men and two women were stabbed in front of the Deco Lounge St Vincent paramedics and EMT's treated the victims then took them to nearby St. Vincent's Hospital. All are expected to survive.
New York City Police arrested 21-year-old Mario Olmedo on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon in relation to stabbing a 23-year-old man in the head and a 21-year-old woman in the neck, the New York Daily News reported.
Round the clock day and night, about 250 ambulances operated by the fire department are on duty all over the city, ready to respond to all kinds of medical emergencies.In an internal memo obtained by NY1 last week, the department plans to eliminate 30 of those ambulance tours, effective July 1, to save money. Now, the president of the union that staffs those ambulances warns that's a bad idea.
"When you reduce the number of ambulances available, you drive up the response time, and somebody will die. Somebody's gonna die," said EMS Union President Patrick Bahnken.
Bahnken says this is the worst possible time to cut back since EMS call volume goes up significantly during economic downturns -- a result of people losing their jobs and their health insurance which leads to people not being able to afford medications. He also says anger and frustration lead to spikes in violence that result in more ambulance calls.
The FDNY's own statistics show EMS responded to an all-time high of 1.2 million 911 calls in 2008. That's 100,000 more than in 2003, with the number of calls increasing every year since then.
At any given time, about 20 percent of EMS tours are staffed by personnel working overtime, which the department is hoping to eliminate. The department and the union agree the tours that are cut will likely be picked up by private ambulance companies, although union leaders say that's not a real solution.
"It's a knee-jerk response that ignores a lot of other problems that are created by it. Hospital-based ambulances bring patients back to the hospitals they work for," said Bahnken.
Bahnken says private ambulances like Transcare hurt the bottom line for the city's public hospitals, which lose out on patients and Medicaid and Medicare revenues. He says reducing ambulance tours could have a detrimental impact on public safety.
"I shudder to think that we go back to the 1986, 1987 period when people with major medical emergencies were waiting for 10 minutes or better for an ambulance," said Bahnken.
The FDNY insists the budget cuts have not been finalized and says it plans to meet with the EMS union February 17 to discuss the budget.
The doors of two Queens hospitals were boarded up Sunday with graffiti-scarred wood planks, the latest victims of the tanking economy.The message, say critics: Don't get sick in Queens.
"You already have overburdened hospitals," said Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens). "Good luck trying to get a loved one to emergency care."
Ambulances stood at the ready outside St. John's Queens Hospital in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica in case patients showed up unaware the hospitals were closed.
They shut their doors late Saturday night after budget woes sent them into bankruptcy. Some 3,000 workers lost their jobs at the facilities.
"It's a real failure of government to set priorities and manage them properly," Gioia said. "They throw up their hands when the money runs out and say, 'What can we do?' That's not good enough."
Mayor Bloomberg called the closures "sad" and said the city has to do more with less in these tough economic times.
"Having said that, there is no reason for us to ... walk away from our basic functions of government," he said, adding that the Fire Department will dispatch more ambulances in Queens and for other hospitals to fill the void.
Carlos Quiles, a nurse who lost his job at St. John's, said the next best option for care in Queens is Elmhurst Hospital Center, which is already filled to capacity.
"I can't understand the wisdom behind closing the hospitals," he said. "The politicians clearly have no understanding of the ramifications."
Quiles is worried about finding a new job in a tough economy.
"I just have to leave it all in the hands of God," he said.
A US Airways plane crashed into the frigid Hudson River on Thursday afternoon after striking a bird that disabled two engines, sending 150 on board scrambling onto rescue boats, authorities say. No deaths or serious injuries were immediately reported.Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown says the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport enroute to Charlotte, N.C., when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
Brown says the plane, an Airbus 320, appears to have hit one or more birds.
A law enforcement official said that authorities are not aware of any deaths and that the passengers do not appear to be seriously injured. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rescue was still under way.
The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows. Rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats surrounded the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking.
Government officials do not believe the crash is related to terrorism.
"There is no information at this time to indicate that this is a security-related incident," Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We continue to closely monitor the situation which at present is focused on search and rescue."
Witnesses said the plane's pilot appeared to guide the plane down.
"I see a commercial airliner coming down, looking like it's landing right in the water," said Bob Read, who saw it from his office at the television newsmagazine "Inside Edition."
"This looked like a controlled descent."
New York City EMT's and Paramedics responded to the crash.
Distraught family members say Carolyn Fraiser Atta, a mother of four daughters, arrived at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn at 3 p.m. Tuesday complaining of shortness of breath; was admitted; and given a nebulizer used to treat asthma.
They say she then was not seen by a doctor or nurse until seven hours later, around 10 p.m. Two hours after that, Frasier Atta was dead.
"They robbed us of a mother; they robbed us of a sister; they robbed us of a friend, an aunt," said Atta's daughter, Ashley Omoarukhe.
Her older brother, Melvin Fraiser says he had tried repeatedly to get a doctor to see his sister.
She didn't have anything. No oxygen tank or anything, said Frasier. "She was just laying on the bed waiting to see a doctor.
One of her daughter's, an EMT, says her mother should have been seen by a doctor immediately because she had shortness of breath.
If vital signs were done, even just auscultation, the nurses would have detected fluid in the lungs," said Ashley Omoarukhe.
Fraiser says his sister was talking and coherent when she left the hospital around 7 p.m. The family phone rang after midnight.
They called my sister Ashley at 12:25 in the morning. She was home alone and told her over the phone. They did not know if she was a child or a minor," said Monica Omoarukhe. "They didn't ask her, they didn't know if she was an elderly person. They called her said 'Is this, who you are? You're the daughter? Your mother went under cardiac arrest she did not make it.
When they arrived at the hospital, the family says a nurse took them aside and advised them to get counsel.
"A nurse said, 'you know what, between us, and I don't want to put this on record, you need to get a lawyer. You're mom should not have been sitting there not able to breath and not been attended to.
Ninety-six trainees were promoted to emergency medical technicians, and 18 others will take on the job of paramedic."The technology and the hardware and new equipment are important, but we need people like you willing to work hard for others, day or night, rain or snow,” said Scoppetta. “You are what makes this department great."
All graduates have completed training at the EMS Academy and will be assigned to various stations throughout the city.
After 1 Year $28,840
After 2 Years $29,355
After 3 Years $33,990
After 5 Years $39,179
Work hours 50+ hours
2 extra hours every shift.
The EMT and a police officer swam to the SUV, smashed a window and pulled out the driver.
He is in the hospital with minor injuries.
The patient you are treating has white,waxy skin on both hands.The patient hands feel as if they are frozen.They are swollen and you notice that blisters are forming. Which of the following would you NOT want to do in caring for this patient?
(3) Battle signs bruising
(2)Rub the hands
EMT-B EMT-I Test EMT-P NREMT
Where to Obtain EMS Training in New York State
Emergency Care Programs
872 East 29th Street
Brooklyn NY 11210
Courses Approved to Teach:EMT
Modern Health Resources
P.O. Box 190
Bronx NY 10463
718-432-1666
Courses Approved to Teach:EMT
NY Methodist Hospital Paramedic Program
Center for Allied Health Education
1401 Kings Highway, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn NY 11229
917-952-1860
Courses Approved to Teach:EMT AEMT CC AEMT - P
Regional EMS Council of NYC
475 Riverside Drive
Suite 1370
New York NY 10115
212-870-2301
Courses Approved to Teach:None at this time
N.Y. Hospital Medical Center of Queens
Dept. of Emergency Medicine
56-45 Main Street
Flushing NY 11355
718-670-1361
Courses Approved to Teach:EMT AEMT-P
Code One
731 White Plains Road
Bronx NY 10473
718-542-5866
Courses Approved to Teach:EMT
Institute of Emergency Care
St. Vincent's Hospital
170 West 12th Street
New York NY 10011
212-604-2595
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR & EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC AEMT-P
Western Turnpike Rescue Squad
200 Centre Drive
Albany NY 12203
518-456-3600
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Hudson Mohawk Regional EMS Council
1653 Central Avenue
Albany NY 12205
518-464-5097
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
HVCC - Prehospital Emergency Medicine
80 Vandenburgh Avenue
Troy NY 12180
518-629-4895
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC AEMT-P
Town of Colonie Depart of EMS
Public Safety Bldg
312 Wolf Road
Latham NY 12110
518-782-2645
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
City of Albany Fire Department
165 Henry Johnson Blvd
Albany NY 12210
518-447-7879
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Allegany County Emergency Services
Public Safety Building Room AD14
4884 State Route 19
Belmont NY 14813
585-268-7658
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
Yates County BLS Training Center
227 Main Street
Penn Yan NY 14527
315-536-5537
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Finger Lakes Community College
4355 Lakeshore Drive
Canandaigua NY 14424
585-394-3500
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC AEMT-P
Finger Lakes Regional EMS Council
63 Pulteney Street
Geneva NY 14456
315-789-0108
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
LaSalle Ambulance
Rural Metro Medical Services
481 William Gaiter Parkway
Buffalo NY 14215
716-882-8400
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
Wyoming County Community Hospital
1829 Church Road
Darien Center NY 14040
585-591-1718
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I
Southern Westchester BOCES
Center for Career Services
Valhalla NY 10595
65 Grasslands Road
914-761-3400
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Westchester Regional EMS Council
4 Dana Road
Valhalla NY 10595
914-231-1685
Courses Approved to Teach:Nothing at this time
Irvington Volunteer Ambulance Corp
80 Main Street
PO Box 101
Irvington NY 10533
914-591-5151
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Mohegan Volunteer Fire Ambulance
PO Box 517
Mohegan Lake NY 10547
646-208-0404
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
City of Yonkers Fire Department
5-7 New School Street
Yonkers NY 10701
914-377-7540
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Mobile Life Support Services
P.O. Box 471
69 Dickson Street
Newburgh NY 12551
845-562-4368
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
Hudson Valley Regional EMS Council
259 Route 17K
First Floor
Newburgh NY 12550
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Woodstock Rescue Squad
P.O. Box 222
Woodstock NY 12498
845-594-2132
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Ulster County Ambulance Association
PO Box 231
High Falls NY 12440
845-256-1222
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT
Dutchess Community College
Hollowbrook Park Bldg 4
31 Marshall Road
Wappingers Falls NY 12590
845-298-0717
Courses Approved to Teach:CFR EMT AEMT-I AEMT-CC
Authorities say the infant was in cardiac arrest when the officers arrived at the 14th floor apartment in the Van Dyke Houses, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, just after 9 a.m.
The two officers, assigned to the 73rd Precinct, reportedly took the boy from his mother and ran to the elevator.But as it was descending, the elevator stopped for an unknown reason, trapping the two officers inside.
After 20 seconds of not being able to make the elevator move, the two police officers forced open the doors, officials said.
Police say they climbed out of the elevator onto the eighth floor and ran, with the infant, down eight flights of stairs. They then hopped into their patrol car and rushed the boy to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The building is part of the Van Dyke Houses, maintained by the city Housing Authority, which was looking into the matter.
In order to provide the level of care that most closely matches the perceived need of patients requiring interfacility transport, the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC) of New York City developed Interfacility Treatment Protocols. This document reflects the changing field of out-of-hospital emergency medicine and the continuous attempts of the emergency medical and trauma communities in all provider sectors (municipal, voluntary hospital, proprietary, and volunteer), acting in concert, to provide high-quality, state-of-the-art, out-of-hospital emergency medical care to urgently ill and injured adults and children in the New York City region.
For more information, submit comments and/or questions to the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC) of New York City at....LINK
Happy Thanksgiving
A chaotic chain of gunfire.
It happened around 1 a.m. on Atlantic Avenue in East New York.
Police said the havoc began when one man, whose age wasn't known, shot three others, killing one, on Atlantic Avenue near the East New York neighborhood.
Then the gunman was shot himself by a second shooter who ran off with an accomplice, police said.
Two officers and a sergeant heard the gunfire and chased the second gunman, who was still armed, down Atlantic Avenue before the sergeant shot him while endeavoring to arrest him, police said.
A 21-year-old man, believed to be a shooter, was also shot in the leg as officers placed him under arrest.
Of the other wounded men, one, whose age wasn't known, was in critical condition with three gunshot wounds to the torso.
FDNY EMS Paramedics said the wounds to the other two, aged 20 and 17,appeared life-threatening.
Albany County EMS
Ambulance Services
Air Methods Corporation 405 Myrtle Avenue #206, Albany
Lifenet NY, Stat Flight
Altamont Fair Ambulance 129 Grand St., Altamont
Altamont Rescue Squad 767 Route 146, Altamont
Bethlehem Volunteer Ambulance Service 1121 Route 9W, Selkirk
Capital District Ambulance Service 89 West Street, Albany
Colonie Emergency Medical Services 312 Wolf Road, Colonie
Delmar Fire Department 145 Adams Street, Delmar
Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance 1400 Washington Ave Suite 116, Albany
General Electric Co Selkirk 1 Noryl Avenue Selkirk
Helderberg Ambulance Squad 978 Cole Hill Rd, East Berne
New York State Police Aviation 739 Albany Shaker Rd Albany Airport
Onesquethaw Volunteer Fire Company 2178 Tarrytown Rd, Clarksville
Physician's Ambulance Service 89 West Street Albany
Ravena Rescue Squad 1 Bruno Blvd Ravena
Rensselaerville Vol Ambulance 380 Fox Creek Rd Medusa
Voorheesville Area Ambulance Service 21 Voorheesville Avenue Voorheesville
Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department Building 22, Watervliet
Westerlo Rescue Squad 571 CR 401 Westerloo
Western Turnpike Rescue Squad 200 Centre Drive Albany
First Response Services
Advanced Life Support Albany County Eagle St. Rm 92 Albany
Albany International Airport Fire Department Albany Shaker Road Albany
Albany Department of Fire & Emerg Svcs 165 Henry Johnson Blvd Albany
Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation Coeymans Hollow 1290 SR143
Cohoes Fire Department Mohawk & Ontario Sts Cohoes
Fuller Road Fire Department 1342 Central Avenue Albany
Green Island Fire Department 7 Clinton Street Green Island
Guilderland Emergency Medical Service 5209 Western Turnpike Guilderland
Maplewood Fire Department 61 Cohoes Road Watervliet
Menands Volunteer Fire Company 1 250 Broadway Menands
New York State Police State Office Campus Bldg 22 Albany
New York Task Force 2 4240 Albany Street Albany
North Bethlehem Fire Department 589 Russell Road Albany
Pepsi Arena EMS 51 South Pearl Street Albany
Schuyler Heights Fire District 900 First Street Watervliet
Shaker Road Fire Department 550 Albany-Shaker Road Loudonville
Stanford Heights Fire Department 2240 Central Avenue Schenectady
NY Latham Fire Dept 226 Old Loudon Road Latham
Verdoy Fire Department 988 Troy Schenectady Road Latham
Watervliet Fire Department 116 13th Street Watervliet
Hitting kicking and biting
Among children of mothers with low education levels, those who receive regular care from other adults during preschool years may be less likely to have problems with physical aggression.
Hitting, kicking, biting and other forms of physical aggression are central features of a severe conduct disorder.These behaviors may be associated with social, physical and mental health problems.The origin of physical aggression problems can be traced back to early childhood, and studies have specifically shown that maternal characteristics, especially low levels of education, are among the best predictors of high physical aggression from early childhood to adolescence.
Sylvana M. Côté, Ph.D., of the University of Montreal, and colleagues studied 1,759 infants representative of all children born in Quebec in 1997 or 1998. Mothers were interviewed yearly from the time the children were age 5 months to 60 months, answering questions about family, parent and child characteristics and behaviors. This included details about non-maternal care services, provided to care for a child, usually while the mother is working. This may have involved center-based day care, family arrangements or other non-maternal care provided regularly during preschool years. Physical aggression levels were evaluated at 17, 30, 42, 54, and 60 months.
Of the 1,691 children who were followed for the whole study, 111 (6.6 percent) received no non-maternal care before preschool, 234 (13.8 percent) received some type of non-maternal care beginning before age 9 months and 1,346 (79.6 percent) received non-maternal care beginning at age 9 months or after. Children whose mothers had a low education level (i.e., did not have a high school diploma) were less likely to receive day care. However, children who did receive non-maternal care had lower levels of physical aggression, and the association was statistically significant among children who started day care before age 9 months.
Children of mothers who graduated from high school were at lower risk of developing physical aggression problems, and non-maternal care had no additional effect on their behavior.
In summary we provide robust evidence that the provision of non-maternal care services to children of mothers with low levels of education could substantially reduce their risk of chronic physical aggression, and that the protective impact is more important if children begin to receive these services before age 9 months," the authors conclude. "Because the children most likely to benefit from non-maternal care services are those less likely to receive them, universal programs involving the provision of non-maternal care should include special measures encouraging the use of non-maternal care services among high-risk families.He was lucky to have NYC FDNY EMT's save his ass
It was hand-to-hand combat in an all-out, bloody brawl. We asked the store owner if he'd do anything differently. He said next time, he'd have two machetes.
"Whether it was to rob or to kill him, but then after he hit him with the machete, the robber said, 'Just call the cops, please just call the cops,'" Johann Marte said through his translator, Queens Assemblyman Jose Peralta.
Hiding his face for now, in case someone seeks revenge, the bodega owner justified reducing the robber to a bloody mess last night.
Marte, a father of four, said the alleged criminal walked in his Woodhaven corner store with guns blazing, then wound up begging him to call the police.
"He was aiming for the gun," Peralta said. "As soon as he saw the gun, he was aiming for the gun, and that's all he was aiming for. He started swinging away at the gun, and it was lucky for him he ended up hitting the hand.
"He had to protect himself," one said. "You do what you can."
Local legislators warn store owners not to fight violence with violence. They're pushing for bodega safety measures, like panic buttons, connected to local precincts.
"He was very lucky to endure what he did, but we want to teach bodega owners not to do what he did," Peralta said. "Because unfortunately, nine times out of 10, they will end up dead."
Still, an eye-for-an-eye, says Marte, who was fired at four times before his machete beat the bullets.
The store has been robbed three times in the past, and it seems the Queens district attorney will treat this as self-defense and not charge Marte with anything. The robber-turned-victim is still recovering. He faces a number of charges.He was lucky to have NYC FDNY EMT's save his ass
(585) 753-3760 (Office)
(585) 753-3781 (Fax)
E-mail: tczapranski@monroecounty.gov
Regional EMS Council: Monroe-Livingston REMSCO
Regional EMS Program Agency: Monroe-Livingston REMSCO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnard Fire Department---3084 Dewey Avenue, Rochester
Beacon Transportation, Inc
Rural/Metro Medical Services 177 University Avenue, Rochester
Brighton Volunteer Ambulance 1551 South Winton Road, Rochester
Brockport Fire Department Ambulance Corps 38 Market Street, Brockport
Chili Fire Department 3231 Chili Avenue, Rochester
Churchville Volunteer Fire Department 25 East Buffalo Street, Churchville
East Rochester Volunteer Ambulance Corps 254 West Ivy Street, East Rochester
Gates Volunteer Ambulance Service 1600 Buffalo Road, Rochester
Greece Volunteer Ambulance Service 867 Long Pond Road, Greece
Hamlin Volunteer Ambulance Corps 1483 Lake Road,Hamlin
Henrietta Volunteer Ambulance Service 280 Calkins Road, Rochester
Hilton Fire Department 135 South- Avenue, Hilton
Honeoye Falls Ambulance 210 East Street, Honeoye Falls
Irondequoit Volunteer Ambulance 2330 Norton Street, Rochester
Kodak Park Emergency Medical Service 1669 Lake Ave B-8, Rochester
Monroe Medi-Trans Ambulance 318 Smith Street, Rochester
National Ambulance & Oxygen Svc Rural/Metro Medical Services
177 University Avenue, Rochester
Penfield Volunteer Emergency Ambulance Service 1585 Jackson Road,Penfield
Perinton Volunteer Ambulance Corps 1400 Turk Hill Road, Fairport
Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance Service 40 Tobey Road, Pittsford
Point Pleasant Fire District 55 Ewer Avenue, Rochester
Rochester Institue of Technology Ambulance 117 Lomb Memorial Drive,Rochester
Rush Fire Department 1971 Rush-Mendon Road, Rush
Scottsville Volunteer Fire Department 385 Scottsville-Munford Road, Scottsville
Sea Breeze Volunteer Fire Association 4657 Culver Road, Rochester
Spencerport Volunteer Ambulance Service 116 Lyell Avenue, Spencerport
St. Paul Boulevard Fire Association 433 Cooper Road, Rochester
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnard Fire District 3084 Dewey Avenue, Rochester
Brighton Fire District 3100 East Avenue, Rochester
Bushnell's Basin Fire Association 683 Pittsford_Victor Rd, Pittsford
Egypt Fire Department 7478 Pittsford-Palmyra Road, Fairport
Fairport Fire Department PO Box 66124, Fairport
Gates Fire District 2355 Chili Avenue, Rochester
Gates Volunteer Ambulance ALSFR 1600 Buffalo Road, Rochester
Greater Rochester International Airport Fire Dept 600 Airport Way, Rochester
Greece Lakeshore Fire Department 545 Ling Road, Rochester
Hamlin Fire Department 1503 Lake Road,Hamlin
Henrietta Fire District 850 Bailey Road,West Henrietta
Honeoye Falls Fire Department PO Box 332,Honeoye Falls
Irondequoit Volunteer Ambulance Service ALSFR 2330 Norton Street,Rochester
Laurelton Fire District 405 Empire Boulevard, Rochester
Marine Fire Department PO Box 12792, Rochester
Mendon Fire District 101 Mendon Ionia Road, Mendon
Monroe County Sheriff Dept Marine Unit 130 South Plymouth Ave,Rochester
Monroe Medi Trans Monroe Ambulance- ALSFR 318 Smith Street, Rochester
Morton Volunteer Fire Company PO Box 129, Morton
Mumford Fire Department 1013 Main Street, Mumford
North Greece Fire Department 1766 Latta Road, Rochester
Northeast Quadrant ALS 945 Publishers Parkway, Webster
Penfield Fire Company 1838 Penfield Road, Penfield
Pittsford Fire District 8 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford
Ridge Road Fire District 1299 Long Pond Road, Rochester
Ridge-Culver Fire Department 2960 Culver Road, Rochester
Rochester Fire Department EMS Office 1190 Scottsville Road,Rochester
South East Quadrant Mobile Critical Care Unit 210 Turk Hill Road,Fairport
Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department 175 Lyell Avenue, Spencerport
University of Rochester Emergency Squad Merrill,Wilson Commons,Rochester
Walker Fire Department 1420 Walker-Lake Ontario Road, Hamlin
Webster Volunteer Fire Department 35 South Ave., Webster
West Brighton Fire Department 2695 West Henrietta Road, Rochester
An ongoing landlord-tenant dispute took a violent turn in Brooklyn Tuesday.
Two people were treated for burns after being splashed with a chemical in the Bath Beach section.
This confrontation unfolded in the first floor of the building on Bay 16th Street. Police and witnesses say an irate knife-wielding tenant left his apartment and headed to the super's apartment. The tenant's girlfriend reportedly followed him, begging him to calm down.
Coincidentally, the super was leaving his apartment to unclog a sink at another unit when he was confronted.
Both the tenant and his girlfriend were burned. Authorities say the fire department had to cut their clothes off of them on the street. They were treated by NYC EMS and taken to Staten Island University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both the tenant and the super are facing charges.
Ambulance Committee Meeting
Host : The Regional EMS Council of New York CityAddress 1 : 475 Riverside Drive
Address 2 : Orthodox Room
City, State, Zip : New York New York 10115
Date Information:
Date : 11/27/2007
Time : 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Contact Information:
Organization: The Regional EMS Council of New York City
Name: Michelle S. Klemm
Phone Number : 212-870-2301
Michael Bloomberg's security detail was attacked today
A police officer in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's security detail was attacked on a subway platform Monday. He was treated By NYC EMTS for minor injuries.Related Links
It all happened around 1:20 p.m. at the Fulton Street station in lower Manhattan, according to the NYPD.
Mayor Bloomberg was unharmed.
City officials who were with Bloomberg said the mayor and most of his entourage were walking along the platform, and passed the disheveled-looking man as the train was pulling into the station.
The mayor was already about 15 feet past the man, and about to board the train, when the man shouted toward the officer, "I hate you," followed by profanity.
He then lunged at the uniformed officer, who was part of Bloomberg's entourage that protects him when he rides the subway. They scuffled - rolling around on the platform - before the man was taken into custody.
The 30-year-old suspect was taken to Bellevue Hospital hospital for observation. Officials said there was no reason to think he had targeted the mayor.
Bloomberg had just come from a Brooklyn event where he was showcasing his environmental agenda, which includes a plan to get more people onto mass transit to reduce traffic and congestion.
"I took the subway over here today," he said earlier Monday. "You know, it's a nice ride, and the bottom line is I didn't have to deal with a lot of traffic."
Bloomberg had just left the A-train and was on the 4/5 platform when the incident occurred.
He later called the injured officer at Downtown Hospital to make sure he was ok.
Stair chair of the future
Caterpillar stretcher unit provides ergonomic and time saving transportation
How did this design improve life and for whom?:
80% of patients being moved to the hospital by ambulance are not acute cases. They are conscious and aware of what is happening. However carrying a stretcher downstairs, with a 100-kilo person is not a pleasant experience for a patient or the paramedics, furthermore the weight load makes it difficult for women to manage the job. The patients feel insecure, and often in panic react by grabbing the stair railing which can result in a fall for all three involved, especially as they are often carried downstairs in a backwards position. Because it takes two paramedics to carry out this task, they must make extra trips up and down to fetch equipment and patient’s belongings. With the Caterpillar Scoop it is possible for one paramedic to move a patient downstairs, and the reduced weight load allows women to work as paramedics on an equal basis as men. The second paramedic can carry the equipment. Thus the product improves the work lives of both the paramedics as well as the patients.
This project started with the task of redesigning the ambulance interior. During the initial research it became clear that the stretcher and its placement in the ambulance were decisive factors. In studying the stretcher and observing its use by the paramedics, a number of weak points and paradoxes were discovered. These were problems that the users (ambulance workers) accepted as given work conditions, and the possibilities for improvement had not been identified or even considered before the designers analysed the work process and began suggesting alternative ways of doing the job. This design analysis brought the users into the problem identification process and was a significant factor in the problem solution.
resources, user kindness, aesthetics etc.:
The user studies phase of the design process was a significant element in identifying the problem. What started out as a routine ambulance redesign, ended up with an analysis of the work processes involved in the use of the ambulance, and the most significant was the use of the stretcher in connection with the ambulance. The design aspect in this case was thus, the designer’s ability to perceive problems from a holistic point of view and see the product in the context it was being used, which in this case involved strong considerations to function and user friendliness. The new stretcher design resulted in a completely different approach to patient movement and thus became the most important problem to solve. By concentrating on improving the personal experience of using the product a new technical design evolved, which led to the final solution and improvements in other associated aspects of the entire patient transport situation.
The process used to create the design:
The project was developed with the Swedish Ambulance Academy in collaboration with the user group – the ambulance staff. Extensive research during the problem identification phase included user studies, interviews, competitive and analogous product research, technical research and prototype exercises. This user research identified a number of problems, which were evaluated. One of the greatest design opportunities involved improving patient transport to and from the ambulance. The current situation involves a number of heavy lifts and patient maneuvering. Especially moving down stairways and on difficult terrain, the situation involves heavy and even dangerous lifting for the ambulance staff – a factor that also creates a sense of insecurity for the patient. Therefore the problem was to evaluate the current situation seen from the staff and patient’s point of view and develop a better, safer work environment for the staff and a more comfortable and secure situation for the patient.
The Caterpillar stretcher allows a safer, more effective work environment via the stair climbing capabilities due to the caterpillar track system, which brings the patient down stairs without heavy lifting and by one person. A viscose clutch controls descent and the lightweight construction, rear wheel steering and large wheels, greatly improve manoeuvrability. The unit also has a detachable “scoop” element eliminating an extra product and making the rescue situation faster and more effective.
FDNY EMT Pamela Falco arrested!
Drunken dialing's always a bad idea, especially when the number you're dialing is 911.
An off-duty FDNY emergency medical technician learned that lesson firsthand yesterday morning, after she supposedly made several fake emergency calls a few hours after police wouldn't arrest a bartender she thought had wronged her.
Pamela Falco, 48, was "out cocktailing in the Bay Street area" Wednesday night, according to a police source. Around last call, a bartender took her car keys, afraid she might get behind the wheel drunk, the source said.
Ms. Falco called the police at about 5 a.m. yesterday, telling them the bartender had assaulted her, according to court papers. But the officers who responded soon realized she was telling tales and wouldn't arrest him.
About an hour later, she made her way to her emergency band radio, and started ranting - on an NYPD frequency - about the quality and intelligence of Staten Island cops, the source said.
"Staten Island cops know nothing!" she allegedly said over a restricted radio band, according to court papers.
By 7 a.m., she had made her way to a pay phone near her Maryland Avenue home in Rosebank, and that's when she started calling 911, cops allege.
In a span of maybe 10 minutes, she made three bogus calls - two of them reporting that someone had jumped into Lower New York Bay, and a third reporting that a man with a knife had stolen her purse on Hylan Boulevard at Bay Street, according to the police source.
The man-in-the-water calls drew a massive response from police and the FDNY, who searched the bay near Edgewater Street for close to an hour, looking for a drowning man.
The police response to both incidents.Court papers don't detail the bogus water rescue call, but they describe another phony emergency cops say Ms. Falco concocted at about 7:40 a.m. That time, she claimed that someone took her purse at gunpoint.
Cops were able to trace the calls to the pay phone, and when they arrived, Ms. Falco was still there, the source said.
"I guess her hangover was still with her," the source said.
Ms. Falco is charged with reckless endangerment, falsely reporting an incident and obstructing government administration.An FDNY spokesman confirmed that Ms. Falco works as an EMT for the department, but wouldn't say where.
So far, the spokesman said, no disciplinary action has been taken against her, but FDNY officials will investigate the incident.
Ms. Falco has been an EMT for about two years, the police source said.
She's expected to be arraigned today in Stapleton Criminal Court.
REMSCO-hazmat tests
Bruckner Expressway crash up derby!
It is not clear what caused the crash, which backed up eastbound traffic.
Look at live cameras in Manhattan
Instead of cops on the beat, wireless video cameras peer down from lamp posts about 30 feet above the sidewalk.
The city already has about 1,000 cameras in the subways, with 2,100 scheduled to be in place by 2008. An additional 3,100 cameras monitor city housing projects.
http://nyctmc.org/xmanhattan.asp#
South Bronx NYPD Shooting
NYPD officers say they were forced to shoot an armed man when he turned his weapon on them overnight in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
The latest shooting came after plainclothes officers noticed the 19-year-old man and his gun early Saturday in the South Bronx, according to police. After a short chase, one of the officers fired at him.
Police said the man was hit once in the leg and was in stable condition at a local hospital. Officers said they collected a .380-caliber gun at the scene.
A police officer was taken to Bronxs-Lebanon hospital with a hand injury, but the officer wasn't shot, police said. The officer was treated for his injuries by NYC paramedics he was listed in stable condition.
The shooting came nearly 24 hours after officers shot a 45-year-old man in the northern Bronx early Friday. Police said he threatened officers with a kitchen knife during a traffic stop of a stolen car.
That man, also hit in the leg was treated for his injuries by NYC paramedics.He was transported to the hospital in stable condition and under arrest on charges including attempted murder and attempted assault.
Your kids will hate you!
For better or worse, baby boomers approach retirement with more complex marital histories than previous generations.Temple University researcher Adam Davey, Ph.D. has found the impact of these events -- divorces, widowhood, and remarriage -- can predict if a child will provide more involved care in the future.
A divorce may have happened over 30 years ago, but the changes it caused can have a long lasting effect for the child into adulthood.
More specifically, divorce predicted an adult child would be less of involved with day-to-day assistance later in life for the aging parent. These activities include the child helping the parent maintain chores in the home.
"It's not the divorce itself that affects the quality of the parent-child relationship, but it's what happens afterwards such as geographical separation," said Davey, a gerontologist who studies trends in the baby boomer generation and other aging issues.
Davey analyzed data from 2,087 parents, aged 50 and older, who reported on their 7,019 adult children in the National Survey of Family and Households. Information was collected between 1987 and 1994.
"Marital transitions affect families in a number of ways," Davey said. "They can interrupt the relationship of support between a parent and child, and the evidence suggests that the continuity of support by parents and to parents matters.
The study also found marital disruptions earlier in a child's life can be less detrimental to the relationship than those, which occurred in adulthood. This also means children in the same family can be affected differently by the same event, Davey said.
The results suggest that both the type of transition and when in a child's life it occurs are important. A father's remarriage early in a child's life makes it more likely that the child will provide help later in life, but the same transition when the child is an adult reduces the chances of a child helping the father.
There is also evidence that the more a child's life was spent with a divorced mother, the higher the chances that child will provide assistance when the mother is older, Davey said.
One surprising finding was that both mothers and fathers are only half as likely to get support from a non-biological child. This has important implications for those who reach old age anticipating help from step-children.
"Society does not yet have a clear set of expectations for step-children's responsibility," Davey said.
Despite the findings, this does not mean these potential effects damage the parent-child relationship as a whole, Davey said.
While marital transitions don't seem to cause irreparable damage to the support that children provide to parents in later life, they do disrupt the needs and resources of both generations. Each child in the family can experience the same event differently in ways that can still be seen when the parents reach old age, he said.
Given how common marital transitions have become, and how complex families have become as a result, it's surprising that the effects aren't even more pronounced.
Hillary Clinton the ass wipe.
Senator announced a sweeping health care reform plan on Monday in Iowa a plan aimed at ensuring coverage for all Americans......Link
Central Park Horses got spooked and ran wild.
The peacefulness of a late summer Friday night in Central Park was shattered when horses got spooked and ran wild in front of tourists and through the streets.
Police say two horses went out of control and one of them was killed.
About six protestors heckled the operators of horse drawn carriages as they passed by. On Friday night, this Central Park mainstay was the target of animal rights activists who say the accident should not have happened.
"Horses shouldn't be in traffic ... this is a two thousand pound horse probably," said protestor Elizabeth Forel.
Witnesses say someone beating a drum spooked a horse shortly around 4:40 p.m. The horse began to gallop east on Central Park South. The 12-year-old Gelding -- named Smoothie -- was hooked up to an unattended carriage at the time.
"I saw the horse running ... in full gallop," said eyewitness Chubby Seeberan.
Near the corner of 6th Avenue and Central Park South, the horse hit a tree and another horse was startled by the commotion.
"The other horse jumped across the carriage and landed on this man's Mercedes," said eyewitness Roger Watkins.
The 12-year-old Gelding died at the scene.
Members of the coalition to ban horse drawn carriages hope the accident serves as a wake up call.
In 2006, a horse pulling a Central Park carriage to a stable on the far West Side became spooked in traffic and galloped down a busy street until it collided with a car. The carriage driver was injured, and the horse had to be euthanized.
Check out subwayblogger.com He talked to a guy who witnessed the whole thing.
Stabbing death of a pregnant woman.
Suffolk County Police arrested a North Bay Shore woman for the stabbing death of a 26-year-old pregnant woman.
Barbara Santos and Shantelle Scruggs both reside at Project ReDirect, a homeless shelter, located at 16 Pine Aire Drive,North Bay Shore. Both women are eight months pregnant and live in the home with 20 people.
Police say Scruggs confronted Santos in a bedroom of another resident, Friday and stabbed her in the chest.
The project manager called 911.NYC Paramedics transported Santos to Southside Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Attempts to save Santos' unborn baby were unsuccessful.
Homicide Squad detectives charged Scruggs, 21, with Manslaughter.
Baby living in a shoe box.
A mother in Brooklyn is under arrest this morning after police removed her 4-day-old baby from a filthy apartment. Authorities found the baby living in a shoe box.
Related Links
The little baby girl spent the first four days of her life living in that shoe box. She was surrounded by roaches, drugs and guns. The question everyone is asking this morning is, where was ACS?
According to cops, police showed up at 109 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy to apartment B-11, looking for an alleged gang member and convicted felon. When they got to the apartment, they found and arrested the suspect identified as 22-year-old Tarik Vaughn. But what they found after that, was way beyond their expectations.
A 4-day-old baby girl was alive inside a Timberland shoe box. The 19-year-old mother, Genilla Vaughn taken into custody and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.
A 15-year-old was also living in the apartment too. Police believe the Vaughns are brother and sister. Both the baby girl and the 15-year-old child are in the custody of ACS.
According to reports this family did have a prior relationship with ACS. So today, many are wondering why was the 4-day-old baby girl allowed to come home from the hospital?
West Indian Day Parade marred by tragedy!
Police say a 26-year-old man was shot twice in the left leg in an incident at Troy Avenue and Eastern Parkway in he was taken to Brooklyn Hospital by FDNY EMS.Crown Heights just after 4 p.m.
Police say two suspects are now in custody.
The violence comes in the wake of the West Indian Day Parade's 40th Anniversary celebration this year.
Last year, police had two reports of violence: a man shot in the leg and another person stabbed.
The Brooklyn parade follows a path down Eastern Parkway starting in the Crown Heights section. It is the final event in several days of festivities put together by the West Indian-American Day Carnival Association. It is one of the largest parades in the city, and it usually runs for several hours.
Co-op City killing blitz!
Police say a disgruntled former employee shot and killed one person and injured two others Thursday at a massive apartment complex.
The shooter, identified as Paulino Valenzuela turned himself in to authorities shortly after the shooting at the Co-op City apartments in the Bronx.
Police say Valenzuela shot and killed his former supervisor 60-year-old Audley Bent.
The gunman had been fired about a year earlier from his job at the apartment complex, then lost his arbitration hearing on Wednesday, said police spokesman Paul Browne
At about 8 a.m. Thursday, the shooter entered a basement office at the apartment complex and shot and killed another employee, possibly his former supervisor, police said. After leaving the basement, he shot two other people.
One of the surviving victims was taken to Bronx Lebanon Hospital by NYC paramedics in critical condition with a neck wound. The other was shot in the arm and was released.
The sprawling Co-op City was built in the late 1960s on the site of a former amusement park. It including 35 high-rises and seven town house clusters, and has its own security force and power plant.
FDNY EMT's rushed NYPD officer to Bellevue Medical Center
A police officer investigating a stolen car was smacked to the ground by a hit-and-run driver in the Williamsburg Brooklyn.
The officer, a 10-year-veteran assigned to the 90th Precinct, was hit near the intersection of South 11th Street and Kent Avenue just before midnight.
This all happened when he was checking vehicles with his partner when he was hit by a Honda, traveling at the a high rate of speed.
"We heard a car screech," said Devon McCutcheon, who reported the stolen car. "There was a huge smash. A huge sound, he was going so fast."
Police say the injured officer sustained a head injury when he was knocked to the ground. He was found clinging to the rear of his vehicle, spitting up blood.
"He was holding his head. He was really traumatized," McCutcheon said.
The officer was rushed to Bellevue Medical Center by NYC FDNY EMT's, where he was listed in stable condition.
The striking vehicle, described by witnesseses as a silver Honda Odyssey, sped off. The Honda's sideview mirror was recovered on the street by the large number of police officers who responded to the scene.
Blast Lung Injurys Symptoms
Current patterns in worldwide terrorist activity have increased the potential for casualties related to explosions, yet few civilian health care providers in the United States have experience treating patients with explosion-related injuries. Emergency care providers are urged to learn more about the physics of explosions and other types of injuries that can result. Basic clinical information is provided here to inform practitioners of the presentation, evaluation, management, and outcomes of BLIs.
Clinical Presentation
Symptoms may include dyspnea, hemoptysis, cough, and chest pain.
Signs may include tachypnea, hypoxia, cyanosis, apnea, wheezing, decreased breath sounds, and hemodynamic instability.
Associated pathology may include bronchopleural fistula, air emboli, and hemothoraces or pneumothoraces.
Other injuries may be present.
Management
Initial triage, trauma resuscitation, treatment, and transfer should follow standard protocols; however some diagnostic or therapeutic options may be limited in a disaster or mass casualty situation.
In general, managing BLI is similar to caring for pulmonary contusion, which requires judicious fluid use and administration ensuring tissue perfusion without volume overload.
Clinical interventions
All patients with suspected or confirmed BLI should receive supplemental high flow oxygen sufficient to prevent hypoxemia (delivery may include non-rebreather masks, continuous positive airway pressure, or endotracheal intubation).
Impending airway compromise, secondary edema, injury, or massive hemoptysis requires immediate intervention to secure the airway. Patients with massive hemoptysis or significant air leaks may benefit from selective bronchus intubation.
Clinical evidence of or suspicion for a hemothorax or pneumothorax warrants prompt decompression.
If ventilatory failure is imminent or occurs, patients should be intubated; however, caution should be used in the decision to intubate patients, as mechanical ventilation and positive end pressure may increase the risk of alveolar rupture and air embolism.
High flow oxygen should be administered if air embolism is suspected, and the patient should be placed in prone, semi-left lateral, or left lateral positions. Patients treated for air emboli should be transferred to Jacobi Hyperbaric Center or Brookdale University Hospital
To find out more go to The Bureau of EMS web page it is designed to provide members of the EMS community with a place to turn with questions regarding the pressing issues of disaster preparedness and preparing for a possible Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident LINK
Funeral Mass for Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia
The visitation for Firefighter Joseph Graffagnino will be from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m., on Tuesday and Wednesday, at Andrew Torregrossa & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 79th Street in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
The visitation for Firefighter Robert Beddia will be from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at the Harmon Funeral Home, 571 Forest Avenue on Staten Island. The procession and funeral Mass will be at 9:45 a.m. on Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Firefighter Beddia, 53, joined the Fire Department on Oct. 24, 1983, and Firefighter Graffagnino, 33, on May 9, 1999.
FDNY Foundation/FF. Joseph Graffagnino Children's Fund
c/o FDNY Foundation
9 Metrotech Center
Brooklyn NY 11201
For more information please call 718-999-0779
Deadly stabbing at Strata
An argument sparked a deadly stabbing at a sprawling downtown Manhattan nightclub early Saturday, police said.
The victim, a 25-year-old man, was wounded in the torso shortly before 3 a.m. at Strata, a multilevel dance club and restaurant in the Flatiron district. Police said the stabbing followed a dispute, but other details weren't known.
Police had taken one person in for questioning early Saturday, but it wasn't clear whether the person was a witness or a suspect.
The victim died shortly after being taken to St. Vincent's Hospitalby St. Vincent paramedics. His name wasn't released because police hadn't contacted his family.
The deadly stabbing came amid heightened attention to nightclub safety in New York, and less than six months after the City Council passed a measure requiring security cameras at nightclub doors.
The city trained a spotlight on club security after a woman was abducted, raped and killed in February 2006 after a night out at a SoHo bar. An unlicensed bouncer at the bar was charged in her death.
This February, a shoving match at another Chelsea club sent one patron tumbling down an elevator shaft to his death. Another clubgoer was initially charged with criminally negligent homicide, but the charges were dropped.
Flesh Eating Bacteria Necrotizing Fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare bacterial infection that can destroy skin and the soft tissues beneath it, including fat and the tissue covering the muscles (fascia). Because these tissues often die rapidly, a person with necrotizing fasciitis is sometimes said to be infected with "flesh-eating" bacteria, especially Streptococcus pyogenes.
Necrotizing fasciitis is very rare but serious. Around 30% of those who develop necrotizing fasciitis die from the disease.1
Many people who get necrotizing fasciitis are in good health prior to the infection.2 Those at increased risk of developing the infection are people who:
* Have a weakened immune system or lack the proper antibodies to fight off the infection.
* Have chronic health problems such as diabetes, cancer, or liver or kidney disease.
* Have cuts or surgical wounds, including episiotomy.
* Recently had chickenpox or other viral infections that cause a rash.
* Use steroid medications, which can lower the body's resistance to infection
What causes necrotizing fasciitis?
Necrotizing fasciitis is caused by several kinds of bacteria. The most common cause is infection by a group A streptococcal (GAS) bacterium, most often Streptococcus pyogenes, which also causes other common infections such as strep throat or impetigo. Usually the infections caused by these bacteria are mild. In rare cases, however, the bacteria produce poisons (toxins) that can damage the soft tissue below the skin and cause a more dangerous infection that spreads through the blood to the lungs and other organs. The disease also may be caused by Vibrio vulnificus. Infection with this bacterium can occur if wounds are exposed to ocean water or the drippings from raw saltwater fish, or through injuries from handling marine crustaceans such as crabs. These infections are more common in people who have chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
Another type of necrotizing fasciitis may be caused by multiple bacteria found in the intestine; this type most often affects people with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease. Occasionally people who have gunshot injuries or tumors in the lower digestive tract develop necrotizing fasciitis.
A break in the skin allows bacteria to infect the soft tissue. In some cases, infection can also occur at the site of a muscle strain or bruise, even if there is no break in the skin. It may not be obvious where the infection started, because the bacteria may travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
The bacteria that produce the toxins that cause necrotizing fasciitis can be passed from person to person. However, a person who acquires the bacteria is unlikely to develop a severe infection unless he or she has an open wound, chickenpox, or an impaired immune system.
What are the symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis?
A person may have pain from an injury that lessens over 24 to 36 hours and then suddenly becomes much worse. Other symptoms may include fever, chills, and nausea and vomiting or diarrhea. The skin commonly becomes red, swollen, and hot to the touch. If the infection is deep in the tissue, these signs of inflammation may not develop right away. The symptoms often develop suddenly (over a few hours or a day), and the infection may spread rapidly and can quickly become life-threatening. Serious illness and shock can develop in addition to tissue damage. Necrotizing fasciitis can lead to organ failure and, sometimes, death.
How is necrotizing fasciitis diagnosed?
Usually a person is very sick with necrotizing fasciitis before a doctor is seen. Your doctor may suspect necrotizing fasciitis based on the speed with which the infection progressed and symptoms developed. A sample of the infected tissue may be taken to identify the type of bacteria causing the infection. X-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans may be done to look for injury to the organs or to assess the extent of the infection.
How is necrotizing fasciitis treated?
Immediate medical care in a hospital is always necessary. Supportive care for shock, kidney failure, and breathing problems is often needed. Most people will need surgery to stop the infection from spreading. Extensive use of antibiotics is needed to kill the bacteria.
What if I know someone with the disease?
Most people will not get necrotizing fasciitis. You generally do not have to worry about getting the disease, because the bacteria that cause the disease usually do not cause infection unless they enter the body through a cut or other break in the skin.
In very rare cases, the bacteria can be spread from one person to another through close contact such as kissing. People who live or sleep in the same household as an infected person or who have direct contact with the mouth, nose, or pus from a wound of someone with necrotizing fasciitis have a greater risk of becoming infected.
If you have been in close personal contact with someone who develops necrotizing fasciitis, there is a small chance that your doctor may recommend that you take an antibiotic medicine to help reduce your chances of getting an infection.3 If you do develop any symptoms of an infection after being in close contact with someone who has necrotizing fasciitis, see your doctor right away.
The dangers of MRSA in your ambulances
Do you wash your hands before and after every patient contact? How about the ambulance cot? Are all surfaces of the cot disinfected equally? Does your disinfection include the side rails, straps, and buckles? When was the last time you cleaned the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope that hang in the patient care compartment? How about the provider bench and other working surfaces in the ambulance compartment?
A recent research study published in the Prehospital Emergency Care journal assessed for the presence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in an ambulance fleet of 21 vehicles. MRSA is a strain of bacteria that is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics such as methicillin, amoxicillin, and penicillin, which are commonly used to treat bacterial infections.
The research found MRSA contamination in 10 of 21 ambulances. Some of the areas that tested positive for MRSA growth were the steering wheel, left patient stretcher handrail, patient stretcher cushion, work area to the right of the patient, and the yankauer suction tip.
The authors concluded, The ambulance environment may be significantly contaminated with MRSA and that the EMS system could represent an important reservoir in the transmission of MRSA to patients. As a provider you are at risk of becoming a MRSA carrier and bringing MRSA home to your family.
For more info....check out EMS RESPONDER.COM
Into a spray of bullets
Four people were shot, one of them killed. It happened at 2:30 a.m. at the Dyer Avenue stop.
A dispute between groups of teenagers spiraled into a spray of bullets on a subway train Sunday, leaving one young man dead and three others hospitalized, police said.
The family of the 19-year-old who was killed has been here since shortly after the shooting happened. They got that phone call in the middle of the night that no parent wants to get. They rushed over and have been here all morning. They just left for the precinct.
Now the No. 5 train, where this deadly shooting happened, is still on the track. Investigators are carefully examining every inch of it searching for clues.
Just a little while ago, the medical examiners' office brought his body down from the train and took it away. The family had to watch that.
A single young gunman shot the four - in front of other passengers - between stops on a northbound No. 5 train in the Bronx shortly after 2:30 a.m., police said.
The other three were in stable condition because of fast thinking NYC EMT and PARAMEDIC'S.They were taken to Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center but 19-year-old died at the scene.
"They started fighting at the party, and whoever was up there, they followed them to this train station," said Tornette Story, who said she was the mother of one of the victims.
"If anybody knows anything, please come forward. Let the police know something or let us know something," said victim's uncle Fred Brown. "Anybody, we don't care."
At this point, the investigation is still on going and police are still searching for the suspects. There is still a lot of police activity at the scene.
Vital Signs October 18-21-2007
Continuing Educational Credits
Preconference Sessions to choose from this year!!
New York State-Department of Health
Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
Vital Signs Conference
BLS Core Content Refresher
ALS Core Content Refresher
Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS)
EM-STAT Patient Simulation Center
National Renowned Speakers and Educators!!
38 Sessions to choose from
Educational and Entertaining
Over 100 Vendors for everything from T-Shirts to Ambulances
Great Networking Opportunities
Vital Signs 2007 web page
Pinned to the storefront
An elderly man was killed Tuesday when a car jumped a curb on Long Island.he incident happened in Lawrence, where Nassau County police say the car jumped the curb, struck a pedestrian and crashed into a storefront along Central Avenue.
It's a tragic story. The driver of a black SUV, which is a rental car, was trying to get into a parking space. But because she was unfamiliar with the vehicle, police say she hit the accelerator instead of the brake.
While she was in reverse, the car backed into a real estate agency located at 315 Central Avenue. But before it hit the office, it struck a 69-year-old man on the sidewalk, driving him into the business as well.
Before the paramedics reached the scene, a woman walking down the street tried to give the victim first aid.
"He was pinned to the storefront, he lost a lot of blood," she said. "People who worked in the office ran and got towels. I tried to control the bleeding. He was conscious. He gave me his first name. A woman came over a bit later on and said, 'I hope that's not my husband.' It was."
The man later died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. The woman who was driving also had her pregnant daughter in the car. She has been taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
