EMTs Suspended After Refusing to Help Dying Woman

[Dion]

Two New York City EMT's accused of walking away from a pregnant woman who collapsed and later died have been suspended, city officials said today.

The two fire department employees, Jason Green, 32, of Long Island City and Melissa Jackson, 32, of Queens Village, were suspended without pay as the investigation continues into allegations they refused to help the woman because they were on break and wanted to eat breakfast.

Mayor Bloomberg called the EMTs actions 'unconscionable." When asked if "burnout" might have been a factor, the Mayor said,"Burnout? They were sitting there having coffee. How could they be burnt out? They're human beings. Somebody is dying down the street and (people) say help them and they just sat there."

Witnesses said the emergency workers were on break ordering breakfast at the Metro-tech Center Au Bon Pain restaurant where Rennix worked as a cashier. She collapsed in a woman's bathroom and several workers and customers asked the EMT workers for help. Instead, they said they walked out of the store telling them to call 9-1-1.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local...-79860937.html

[burn_this_city]

Suspended soon to be fired. Thats a pair of pathetic humans, hopefully they never work as EMT's again.

[TheU]

that is so disgusting.

[kirant]

Please fire the two. They obviously don't understand their job.

[jayswin]

I'm siding with the EMT workers here. If they are on their break, which they are legally entitled to, then I don't see any problem with them directing people to phone 911 instead. It sucks that in their profession, it cost someone their life, but technically it's no different then a walmart worker directing a customer to ask another worker for help if that worker is walking by with lunch in his hand on the way to the break room.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I'm siding with the EMT workers here. If they are on their break, which they are legally entitled to, then I don't see any problem with them directing people to phone 911 instead. It sucks that in their profession, it cost someone their life, but technically it's no different then a walmart worker directing a customer to ask another worker for help if that worker is walking by with lunch in his hand on the way to the break room.

This is probably on a par with the most soul-less, disgusting thing I have ever read.

[Ace Handy]

"...walked out of the store telling them to call 9-1-1"

You've got to be kidding me!

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I'm siding with the EMT workers here. If they are on their break, which they are legally entitled to, then I don't see any problem with them directing people to phone 911 instead. It sucks that in their profession, it cost someone their life, but technically it's no different then a walmart worker directing a customer to ask another worker for help if that worker is walking by with lunch in his hand on the way to the break room.

Me too, but different reason. On duty, they are are covered via insurance if something goes wrong. Off duty, they could have a huge lawsuite come to them if something went wrong despite them having the best of intentions. And in the USA, its not uncommon for the latter to happen.

I have a friend who is a EMT worker in the USA, she deals with enough lawsuits for stuff that happens on the job as it is.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by peter12

This is probably on a par with the most soul-less, disgusting thing I have ever read.

I don't think his point was that what they did was right, but what would you do if someone asked you to do part of your job while you're on break? Okay maybe you're the exception to the rule but most people would tell em to shove it.

[Table 5]

The only way this is justifiable is if they are off-duty from being human beings.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I'm siding with the EMT workers here. If they are on their break, which they are legally entitled to, then I don't see any problem with them directing people to phone 911 instead. It sucks that in their profession, it cost someone their life, but technically it's no different then a walmart worker directing a customer to ask another worker for help if that worker is walking by with lunch in his hand on the way to the break room.

Ahem......

Accordng to a union representative, there is no such thing as a responsibility-free break during which citizens are either not allowed to need medical aid or EMTs are not required to aid them. Medics have a resposibility to help those in need when they are in-uniform, and their refusal to attend to Rennix constituted an "act of abandonment."

http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/w...ke-sure-its-n/

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I don't think his point was that what they did was right, but what would you do if someone asked you to do part of your job while you're on break? Okay maybe you're the exception to the rule but most people would tell em to shove it.

If my job was to save lives and a pregnant woman goes down in front of me, I chose to save her life over having my bacon and egger. Anything else is close to murder in my opinion.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by peter12

This is probably on a par with the most soul-less, disgusting thing I have ever read.

It was just my attempt at humor, as any thread on CP ends up in a debate even if everyone should be on the same side, as should be the case with this thread.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by peter12

If my job was to save lives and a pregnant woman goes down in front of me, I chose to save her life over having my bacon and egger. Anything else is close to murder in my opinion.

That wasn't my question though was it?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I don't think his point was that what they did was right, but what would you do if someone asked you to do part of your job while you're on break? Okay maybe you're the exception to the rule but most people would tell em to shove it.

If i'm an EMT or GP i'd jump in and help any way I could.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I don't think his point was that what they did was right, but what would you do if someone asked you to do part of your job while you're on break? Okay maybe you're the exception to the rule but most people would tell em to shove it.

I think the major factor here is the human life at risk. I agree, in most cases, you wouldn't do your job on a break, but when a life is at stake, most people (at least the ones I know) would try to help as best they can.

[Ace Handy]

Originally Posted by kirant

I think the major factor here is the human life at risk. I agree, in most cases, you wouldn't do your job on a break, but when a life is at stake, most people (at least the ones I know) would try to help as best they can.

Agreed. You can't compare an EMT to a Walmart greeter. Walking away from someone whose life is in danger, that you could possibly save, is a little different than not helping them find bad jeans.

I'm assuming they're unionized, this will be interesting.

[Shazam]

Well, there's the whole having a break thing, and then there's the thing about saving human lives. I can see the trouble that people are having in assessing which is more important.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I'm siding with the EMT workers here. If they are on their break, which they are legally entitled to, then I don't see any problem with them directing people to phone 911 instead. It sucks that in their profession, it cost someone their life, but technically it's no different then a walmart worker directing a customer to ask another worker for help if that worker is walking by with lunch in his hand on the way to the break room.

Technically, it's completely different.

[DrPepper]

Doesn't matter if your on break... Customers or in this case a Patient ALWAYS comes first. So what if you wasted 5-10 minutes of your break just to help someone out, it gives you and/or your organization a good name.

I hope they die and nobody bothers to help them out and see how they feel. Karma will get to them sooner or later.