Trans-scare ambulance company that answered FDNY 911 calls declared bankruptcy Wednesday — taking 27
ambulances out of commission in two of the city’s busiest boroughs.The FDNY, currently battling a 20-second jump in response times citywide for life-threatening emergencies, is experiencing its slowest response times in the Bronx.That borough lost 18 ambulances working with four hospitals when Transcare, a private company that worked within the city’s 911 system, started Chapter 7 proceedings Wednesday.
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Send me the links to new and cool EMS blogs
YOU TWO ARE SO FUCKED!!!
Was it an act of compassion or a criminal breach of medical procedure?
Two FDNY paramedics are accused of lying about administering aid to a dying 71-year-old Dongan Hills man -- aid they didn't provide because they sympathized with the patient's wife, who didn't want him to be revived but couldn't find his "do not resuscitate" paperwork, sources familiar with the case said.
The paramedics – Daniel Ornstein, 33, of the 100 block of Presentation Circle in Arden Heights, and Joseph Farrell, 39, of the 600 block of Castleton Avenue in West Brighton -- were responding to a "difficulty breathing" call at the man's house the morning of July 12, 2014, according to law enforcement sources.
When they arrived, the man, who suffered from Lou Gehrig's Disease, was in cardiac arrest, and emergency medical technicians were performing CPR.
The man's wife became upset, though stating that he had a do not resuscitate, or DNR, order, and didn't want to be brought back to life, sources said.
She couldn't find the DNR paperwork though, and could only provide health care proxy paperwork, which the paramedics aren't allowed to accept, sources said.
The paramedics wrote in official reports that Farrell administered an endotracheal tube to the patient, and Ornstein administered intravenous medications, but in fact they did none of those things, according to a criminal complaint against them.
The man was ultimately pronounced dead, and at one point a supervisor arrived at the scene, sources said.
The supervisor reviewed the paperwork and realized that paramedics had detailed treatment they never administered, and questioned them on it, sources said.
"They admitted to it," one source familiar with the case said, adding that the paramedics admitted that they had sympathized with the wife.
That supervisor, realizing he could face sanctions if the false reports came to light, reported the discrepancies himself, sparking a Department of Investigation probe that ended with Farrell and Ornstein's arrest Wednesday, sources said.
The FDNY had initially meant to handle the matter internally, and had put the two paramedics on restricted duty, but the Department of Investigation pushed for criminal charges, the source familiar with the investigation said.
The man's family declined comment on Thursday. Sources said they did not wish to be involved in the investigation, and had no complaints about the paramedics' response.
Both men are charged with first- and second-degree offering a false instrument for filing, and second-degree falsifying business records, according to information from Acting District Attorney Daniel Master's office.
The top charge is a class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison if they're convicted at trial.
They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance.
FDNY spokesman James Long said Thursday that both Farrell and Ornstein have been suspended from the job. "We cannot comment further with an active investigation pending," Long said.
Ornstein declined comment Thursday, and Farrell did not return a call seeking comment.
In a statement Thursday, George Burbano, an executive board member of Local 2507, which represents the FDNY's EMTs and paramedics, said:
What is Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis?
A very rare skin disorder, Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is characterized by a susceptibility to human papilloma virus, and the growth of horrifying tree-bark-like warts over the body. The world at large first heard about this dreadful disease in 2007, when the case of Dede Koswara showed up on the internet with a similar disease. Dede was featured on shows on both Discovery and The Learning Channel. He has since undergone multiple surgeries to remove his warts, with pounds of them hacked off at a time. Unfortunately, the warts of both diseases are very aggressive, and grow back immediately. It is estimated that Dede will need at least two surgeries a year to maintain a reasonably normal appearance.
For National Emergency Medical Services Week, Staten Island University Hospital staged a competition that pitted local EMS providers against each other to test their skills. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed this report.
"Grandma" is a 70-year-old smoker with heart disease who is having trouble breathing.
A call to 911 brings a team of paramedics and emergency medical technicians to assess her condition:
"Grandma" is not a real patient, but the crews responding to her are real. For National Emergency Medical Services Week, Staten Island University Hospital staged a competition that pitted local EMS providers against each other to test their skills.
Working on a remote-controlled mannequin, seven teams of four faced simulated patients with all types of life-threatening emergencies in the first annual so-called "Sim Lab Wars."
While it's a friendly competition, the drill was meant to sharpen the skills of EMTs and paramedics.
"Each call, you have to take it one step at a time and follow the process and do your size up and do your assessment and everything comes together," said paramedic James Martin.
"[You're able] to get a hands-on feel for the patient without actually having a real patient," said Glenn Asadeda, the medical director for the New York City Fire Department. "It's one of the closest things that you can get to a real patient,"
Emergency room doctors watched the simulation and talked over the results with the teams after it was over.
Teams were scored by a panel of five judges, They were graded in specific categories, such as how well they interacted with a patient and how well they followed protocols.
The doctors say it was a rare opportunity to improve communication with the people who treat their patients before they arrive at the hospital.
"It's imperative that what they're doing is translated to the emergency department when the patient is received, especially in a critically ill patient," said Paul Barbara, an emergency medicine doctor. "I try my best to take the medicine side outside to the streets and take the street side inside to the docs.
A 6-year-old boy's wish is coming true, thanks to some New York City first responders.
Nathan Norman of Rustburg, Virginia, is battling spinal and brain cancer.
Through the American Cancer Society, Frank Chiaramonte found out Nathan wanted Christmas cards from emergency workers.
Chiaramonte, a cancer survivor himself, coordinated an effort to gather as much memorabilia from emergency workers as he could.
He and his cousin are driving it down to Virginia for Nathan.
"Once I beat cancer, I wanted to give back and help everybody that has cancer, from when they're first born to when they're 90," Chiaramonte said.
"We want this kid to push forward and fight this and keep going as long as he could, and with our support, and things like this, it means a lot," said Joseph Scarpinito, a paramedic and a cancer survivor.
Paramedics, firefighters and police officers donated items like patches, hats, uniforms and emergency gear.
A Fourth of July tragedy was averted in Queens Thursday when a boy was saved after falling into a pool, thanks to the quick thinking of a retired firefighter.
The two-year-old was found unconscious in the pool at this house located at 65-28 Jay Avenue in Maspeth.
Officials say the retired firefighter was nearby and sprang into action, performing CPR.
"He went into action. He started doing exactly what he needed to do. By the time our units were there the care was already begun - and that is what's so important," said EMS Chief Anthony DeGennaro
"The baby was originally completely blue. So when we took him to the back we assisted in ventilation. Then his skin started to perk up and he started to cry. That was music to our ears," said FDNY Paramedic Vanessa Tenorio.
The child was resuscitated and rushed to Elmhurst Hospital.
New York's Bravest on Wednesday honored the memory of 10 members lost in the line of duty.
A ceremony was held at the Firefighter's Memorial in Riverside Park.
Three wreaths were placed in front of the monument: One for the firefighters, one for EMTs and one for the department as a whole.
The crowd stood in silence as the names of the 10 firefighters who perished this past year, were read out loud.
The fire commissioner says the memorial is special because it was a gift from the people.
"This memorial behind us stands as a testament to the memory of so many of our members,' said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano.
"Even as our hearts are once again heavy with sorrow as we remember their passing, and those that we honor, were also filled with pride as we recall their unflinching readiness to put themselves in harms way," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
This year's memorial honored seven EMTs, one firefighter, a fire marshal, and a paramedic.
It was graduation day for a group of New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Service officers.
Four captains were promoted to the rank of EMS Deputy Chief and 52 EMTs were promoted to paramedic.
They went through nine months of training to receive their advanced life support certification.
The FDNY responds to 1.3 million 911 calls a year.
More than half are advanced life support calls.
"They've bonded together for nine months," said Abdo Nahmod, chief of EMS for the FDNY. "They've learned camaraderie, they've learned teamwork and they've learned how to work as teams to advance the patient care level being provided."
"I spent some time as a paramedic, and then, of course, I moved to the officer rank, but again, the mandate was always the same. It has always been providing the best pre-hospital care, and it continues to be that, no matter what level we're at," said Deputy Chief Edward Bobb, a graduate.
The graduates will be assigned to various units throughout the city.
FDNY EMS Chief spews a barrage of racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments in his Twitter account
He’s a bigot — and a blubbering crybaby.
EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos, 34, uses an image of Hitler for his profile photo and “Bad Lieutenant” as his online name as he spews a barrage of racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments.
The FDNY boss proudly posed with Mayor Bloomberg during a 2009 ceremony but hatefully calls Hizzoner “King Jew” and “King Heeb” on Twitter.
Dluhos, who works at EMS Station 57 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, dropped to the ground sobbing Friday when The Post confronted him outside his Staten Island home.
“There has got to be a lot worse out there than me,” he insisted.
BOO-HOO! EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos blubbers at his Staten Island home after being confronted with his vile tweets.
J.C. Rice
BOO-HOO! EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos blubbers at his Staten Island home after being confronted with his vile tweets.
“My life is ruined. Oh, my God,” Dluhos wailed. “I’m so sorry.”
Yet the 12-year EMS veteran, who was promoted to lieutenant in 2006, seemed to delight in these hateful Twitter diatribes:
* “I’m going to give up racial insults for Lent,” he tweeted Feb. 12. “Jesus that didn’t [last] too long. F--ken chinks can’t drive.”
* While giving what he called a “hood tour” of the Bedford-Stuyvesant area he serves, he posted photos of a housing project, fried-chicken joints and a strip club. “Real nasty place,” he tweeted Feb 23. “I’ve been there.”
* “Hahaha! I work with the coloreds,” he wrote in a Feb. 8 exchange. “For 12 years so that s--t just run off on me.”
* “Too bad he didn’t have rabies or AIDS and too bad he didn’t bite King Heeb’s face off,” he tweeted on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, recalling when the groundhog Staten Island Chuck nipped Bloomberg at an event at the Staten Island Zoo.
* “That’s how King Jew sees it. Ban all guns & shootings will go down in NYC. But it’s the criminals w/the guns,” he ranted Jan. 30.
* A gold Nazi-era pin with a German U-boat and a swastika is “my most prized artifact,” he boasted on Jan. 30.
* “He was a good boy who never done NUFFIN wrong. Unf--kenreal. He was a perp & died like a perp. Oh well,” he tweeted March 14, mocking the grieving mother of Kimani Gray, the 16-year-old boy who was killed by cops in Brooklyn on March 9.
* He repeatedly Photoshopped an image of an unnamed black teen — putting a Hitler mustache on one photo and a surgical mask on another with the caption, “I’s be a doxter.”
* “My son thinks he’s one of ‘those people,’ ” Dluhos wrote in a caption for a Jan. 29 snapshot of his toddler son wearing pants that sagged below his underwear.
* “But at least I know my taxes go to the ‘undocumented’ citizens and lazy asses who do drugs all day,” Dluhos wrote March 15.
* “Got an extra shift at my second job. Think this will buy me a new gun,” he said, referring to his side gig for Richmond County Ambulance. Photos show a sniper rifle and other firearms stashed in his home.
village ambulance employees were laid off
At a meeting Monday evening, the Village of Minoa announced it will turn over staffing of the village ambulance service to WAVES, a not-for-profit organization.
WAVES has been overseeing operation of the ambulance service since earlier this year. WAVES will now staff the service as well.
Right after village ambulance employees were laid off, WAVES interviewed them with the goal of putting some, if not all, on their payroll instead.
The mayor says the decision was necessary since it’s not getting the same amount of money from the county that it used to.
Village of Minoa Mayor Dick Donovan said, "It's the best deal we can come up with. It keeps a community-based ambulance owned by the village of Minoa with a staff of people from WAVES.
B. Protect the injured areas from pressure, trauma, and friction.
C. Perform initial assessment.
D. Administer high concentration oxygen.
E. Remove the clothing from the injured areas.
1. If patient has an early or superficial local cold injury:
a. Remove jewelry.
b. Splint and cover the extremity.
c. Do not rub, massage, or expose to the cold.
2. If patient has a late or deep local cold injury:
a. Remove jewelry.
b. Cover the exposed area with dry dressings.
c. Do not break blisters, rub or massage area, apply heat,
rewarm, or allow the patient to walk on the affected
extremity.
F. Transport, keeping the patient warm.
G. When an extremely long or delayed transport is inevitable (transport time in
excess of 30 minutes) then active rapid rewarming should be done.
1. Immerse the affected part in warm water bath (not to exceed 105° F)
A ferry from New Jersey made a crash landing at a dock in NYC.
FDNY Paramedics and EMT's respond to the mass casualty incident
A ferry from New Jersey made a hard landing at a dock as it pulled up to lower Manhattan during Wednesday morning rush hour, injuring as many as 50 people, at least one critically, officials said.
The ferry crash happened near the South Street Seaport at about 8:45 a.m
The Seastreak Wall Street ferry from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., banged into the mooring as it arrived at South Street around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. One person is in critical condition with head injuries.
Police and fire officials said 30 to 50 people were injured.
Some patients were carried out strapped to flat-board stretchers, their heads and necks immobilized. About a dozen passengers on stretchers were spread out on the dock, surrounded by emergency workers.
A corner of the ferry is ripped open like a tin can.
A passenger, Ellen Foran of Neptune City, N.J., said people tumbled on top of one another, hysterical and crying.
Ferry company officials are at the scene.
New York City EMS Patient Care Protocols
Keep your protocols in your pocket.
This application includes General Operating Procedures, Certified First Responder Protocols, BLS Protocols, ALS Protocols, Inter-Facility Transfer Protocols.
This application is a stand alone application with no need of an internet connection.
There is a search feature to search for protocol titles. This feature is located in the options menu.
The State Emergency Medical Services Council adopted the National Educational Standards to be used in NYS. With over 62,000 certified EMS providers in the State of New York, we need to assure that the transition moves forward as smoothly as possible.
* If you have become separated from your family, use your family communications plan or contact FEMA or the American Red Cross.
* If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.
* If you cannot return home and have immediate housing needs. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
* For those who have longer-term housing needs, FEMA offers several types of assistance, including services and grants to help people repair their homes and find replacement housing. Apply for assistance or search for information about housing rental resources.
* Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed out bridges. Stay off the streets. If you must go out watch for fallen objects; downed electrical wires; and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.
* Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.
* Walk carefully around the outside your home and check for loose power lines, gas leaks and structural damage before entering.
* Stay out of any building if you smell gas, floodwaters remain around the building or your home was damaged by fire and the authorities have not declared it safe.
* Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance purposes. If you have any doubts about safety, have your residence inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering.
* Use battery-powered flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles. Note: The flashlight should be turned on outside before entering - the battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.
* Watch your pets closely and keep them under your direct control. Watch out for wild animals, especially poisonous snakes. Use a stick to poke through debris.
* Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it's not contaminated.
* Check refrigerated food for spoilage. If in doubt, throw it out.
* Wear protective clothing and be cautious when cleaning up to avoid injury.
* Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
* NEVER use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas, even when using fans or opening doors and windows for ventilation. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.
Heroic Hatzolah Volunteer Hailed for Saving Girl’s Life
Five girls were injured, some critically, when a van jumped the curb Monday afternoon, crashing into them as they played on a driveway and neighborhood sidewalk, officials said.
One of the victims, a 9-year-old, was found unresponsive after the crash. Jacob Goldmunzer, a volunteer paramedic from New Square, was hailed as a hero for the life-saving actions he took at the scene.
The driver, Rachid Elasri, 42, of Spring Valley, was uninjured in the crash, officials said. He was being interviewed by Ramapo police investigators Monday evening. He had not been charged in connection with the crash and was said to have a clean driver’s record.
The crash occurred at 3:43 p.m. on Bush Lane in the densely populated Ramapo village. The youngsters, said to be one 7-year-old and four 9-year-olds, were on the sidewalk when a 2002 Ford Econoline veered off the road and struck them, police said. They suffered injuries ranging from bruises and cuts to broken bones and a head injury.
Three of the girls, the 7-year-old and two 9-year-olds, were the most seriously injured and were taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. One of the three was treated Monday and released. The 7-year-old, who suffered a compound fracture of the femur, was to remain in the hospital Monday night, as was one of the 9-year-olds, who suffered a head injury, officials said. Both girls suffered critical injuries, but were said to be in stable condition Monday evening.
Two other victims were taken to Nyack Hospital, where they were released after treatment, officials said.
Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower said during a news conference that the crash might have been the result of a mechanical malfunction. He said the van had been impounded and was to be inspected by state officials for potential safety and equipment violations.
The van is owned by Five Star Home Medical Supply, a Monsey business at 419 Route 59. A woman answering the company’s phone shortly after the crash confirmed one of their vans had been involved and said Five Star’s owner was at the scene. Several messages left for comment later in the evening were not returned.
Initiative Announced To Protect EMTs And Paramedics From Assaults
Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes is supporting legislation that would increase penalties for assaults against paramedics and EMTs.
Under the proposed law, those types of assaults would be assigned to an Assistant DA in the Investigations Bureau, who will review and prosecute the cases.
The legislation would also change the definition of second-degree assault from serious physical injury to just physical injury.Some EMTs, including one who says she suffered a neck sprain and emotional trauma when a patient punched her in the face, causing her to fall out of the ambulance.
"I think they should make it felony assault because what happened to me was a felony assault, and when I see it happen to my co-workers, I feel they need justice for what happened to them," said Betty Higdon, an EMT.
"I've had glass bottles thrown at me from building roofs, amongst other things," said Shaya Gutleizer, an EMT. "We've been threatened. I've been pushed around."
According to the EMT union, there have been 51 assaults so far this year.
Before touching any patient who has been subdued using a Taser, insure that the police officer has disconnected the wires from the handheld unit.
1. Place one hand on the area where the probe is embedded and stabilize the skin surrounding the puncture site.
2. Place second hand firmly around the probe.
3. In one fluid motion, pull the probe straight out from the puncture site.
4. Repeat procedure for second probe.
5. Cleanse puncture sites and bandage as appropriate.
6. Suggest patient be evaluated within 48 hours by MD.
7. If no tetanus within 5 years, advise patient to obtain tetanus within 48 hours.
-
Contraindications:
• When a probe is embedded in a potentially vulnerable region (ie face, neck, groin or female breast) do not remove.
• If potential for complications exist, contact on-line medical control or transport to appropriate hospital.
