What? should they not have done that?

Wow they were too lazy to bring the gurney up? I hope they never "rescue" me.

"Ah, shucks, looks like the elevator is already past on its way down...well, sir, looks like you're taking the stairs."

But, I thought exercise was good for people at risk of a heart attack.

The EMS drivers were just plain lazy. The family deserves every cent they get from their lawsuit.

At least they didn't make the victim walk upstairs.

The "walk it off" theory of medicine?

If we had socialized medicine this would have NEVER happened! Damn our barbaric society!

The EMS drivers were just plain lazy. The family deserves every cent they get from their lawsuit.

I really struggle with this notion that money should be the family's compensation. First, the money doesn't equal the loss of life... it just doesn't. Second, let's say the town pays out 10 million -- where does that money come from? Taxes -- either a reduction in services to get the 10m to pay or a hike in this tax or that tax to cover the increased premiums that will have to be paid.

If you are going to say the EMS folks caused the death, they should go to jail for manslaughter or some murder charge.

At some point... the idea of an 'eye for an eye' or 'a pound of flesh' became millions of dollars. I just don't get it.

waiting4godot: I really struggle with this notion that money should be the family's compensation. First, the money doesn't equal the loss of life... it just doesn't. Second, let's say the town pays out 10 million -- where does that money come from? Taxes -- either a reduction in services to get the 10m to pay or a hike in this tax or that tax to cover the increased premiums that will have to be paid.

Hi, and welcome to the last 600+ years or so.

Assuming it is a private company, then there is no tax money. Assuming they were city employees then maybe people who pay those taxes should do something about the incompetence in the city. Do you really think the government should be shielded from lawsuits? That would be the dumbest possible thing we could ever farking do...

therhinodep: But, I thought exercise was good for people at risk of a heart attack.

At risk of yes, having no!

tonesskin: If we had socialized medicine this would have NEVER happened! Damn our barbaric society!

Huuuuuurrr!

NutWrench: tonesskin: If we had socialized medicine this would have NEVER happened! Damn our barbaric society!

Huuuuuurrr!

Spoken like a true neo-con Bushie.

Boy, what a shiathole apartment. All that sagging wallpaper. Actually, I have nothing to say about the subject of the article. Except that they really do live in a terrible apartment.

The victim sounded fat.

But seriously looking at the pictures, though, how WOULD you get a guy in a gurney down those stairs? Honestly to any paramedic here, what's the SOP for moving a body (alive or dead) in very tight quarters like that?

/it's never black and white
//no that's not meant to be a pun

felixecho: Boy, what a shiathole apartment. All that sagging wallpaper. Actually, I have nothing to say about the subject of the article. Except that they really do live in a terrible apartment.

White America put them there.

That's just farked up, especially considering that they had both a stair chair and a fire department available. If my 5'4", 130 lb., out of shape ass can stair chair a patient UP three flights of stairs, they can certainly stair chair a patient DOWN.

/wish I had something snarky or funny to say
//but that's just sad

If John McCain were President this would never have happened. They would have rolled his ass down the stairs and the cover-up would have been patriotically inpenetrable.

TFA "reluctant to go to hospital"

What was a man with "history of heart disease" doing living three flights up?

/just sayin'

It was either have him walk down it, or roll down it.

YOU try to carry 285 pounds of fat down three flights of stairs. EMS response personnel are usually recent, weak college grads.

Daobaz: YOU try to carry 285 pounds of fat down three flights of stairs. EMS response personnel are usually recent, weak college grads.

Yeah, but firefighters aren't.

If only there was a device on most ambulances made specifically to move Paitients down stairs.

tonesskin: If we had socialized medicine this would have NEVER happened! Damn our barbaric society!

Came here for that, leaving satisfied!

globalwarmingpraiser: If only there was a device on most ambulances made specifically to move Paitients down stairs.

You think a 285 pound man's wide ass could fit on that thing?

If you can't go down 3 flights of stairs there's not much left for you to enjoy in this world. I don't think the paramedics should be blamed. His fault for not checking on his health regularly.

tonesskin: globalwarmingpraiser: If only there was a device on most ambulances made specifically to move Paitients down stairs.

You think a 285 pound man's wide ass could fit on that thing?



Oh, you might think I have an idea whether they can or not. That particular model is speced to 350 lbs if i remember correctly. If this guy was having chest pain and they walked him it was a major no no. Chest pain is something that you should treat seriously and do everything that is possible to decrease cardiac workload.

ajgeek: But seriously looking at the pictures, though, how WOULD you get a guy in a gurney down those stairs? Honestly to any paramedic here, what's the SOP for moving a body (alive or dead) in very tight quarters like that?

Standard of care: if the patient is responsive, which he was, and can maintain his/her own airway, then you use a "stair chair" (mentioned in the article) looks like this.

SOP does state to request additional assistance with patients that are obese (it's 250 or 350lbs, not sure, maybe it's based on local medical control) but those chairs can hold a hell lot of weight and are super easy to get down stairs.

Definitely they'd lose their certification and should never work in that field again (State certification means you've passed the national registry exam), financial compensation is up to a jury in a civil suit. This will, hopefully, put the EMS response under the control of the fire department (or at least the ALS, leaving the private company to handle BLS transport for the chronically ill but stable).

Semantic Warrior: ajgeek: But seriously looking at the pictures, though, how WOULD you get a guy in a gurney down those stairs? Honestly to any paramedic here, what's the SOP for moving a body (alive or dead) in very tight quarters like that?

Standard of care: if the patient is responsive, which he was, and can maintain his/her own airway, then you use a "stair chair" (mentioned in the article) looks like this.

SOP does state to request additional assistance with patients that are obese (it's 250 or 350lbs, not sure, maybe it's based on local medical control) but those chairs can hold a hell lot of weight and are super easy to get down stairs.

Definitely they'd lose their certification and should never work in that field again (State certification means you've passed the national registry exam), financial compensation is up to a jury in a civil suit. This will, hopefully, put the EMS response under the control of the fire department (or at least the ALS, leaving the private company to handle BLS transport for the chronically ill but stable).

I work for an ALS private Service and a provider of Offshore EMS. Private EMS is usually competitive with Fire beased EMS, often better because the people working for the Private service want to be EMS where as in my experience most Fire Based EMS really want to be Firemen, even though most of the workload is EMS. But Stair Chairs are an essential peice of equipment.

globalwarmingpraiser: Oh, you might think I have an idea whether they can or not. That particular model is speced to 350 lbs if i remember correctly. If this guy was having chest pain and they walked him it was a major no no. Chest pain is something that you should treat seriously and do everything that is possible to decrease cardiac workload.

I like the way they did this. It saved a lot of money for the family, and in the long run they will make a profit from it.

globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

Oh the chair I posted has a capacity of 500lbs, standard for most modern models. Note the tread so you're really just sliding the patient down stairs and not carrying. Half of 285 is 142.5 lbs, and generally you have a third person spotting the EMT at the foot of the chair, so yes, getting a 285lb man down 3 flights of stairs is remarkably easy.

globalwarmingpraiser: tonesskin: globalwarmingpraiser: If only there was a device on most ambulances made specifically to move Paitients down stairs.

You think a 285 pound man's wide ass could fit on that thing?



Oh, you might think I have an idea whether they can or not. That particular model is speced to 350 lbs if i remember correctly. If this guy was having chest pain and they walked him it was a major no no. Chest pain is something that you should treat seriously and do everything that is possible to decrease cardiac workload.

Wow a NREMT patch, we're all very impressed

Semantic Warrior: getting a 285lb man down 3 flights of stairs is remarkably easy.

You mean like pushing them?

Semantic Warrior, that's the coolest stair chair ever.

/WANT

Outrageous behavior from the paramedics.

As it happens, I had a heart attack four weeks ago (and getting a kick etc). They used one of those chair thingies to get me out to the ambulance. I'm just over 200 pounds, and two guys were able to do the job without trouble. Firemen are strong.

Local paramedics and hospital staff were superb!

/and for those of you wondering about it: yes, I survived.

daffy: globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

You are not charged for use of items like that. You are billed for level of care and treatment given. Also a lot of places meds, IV equipment, and other ALS equipment is traded out at the hospital.

daffy: globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

If you lack a stair chair you can use a kitching chair. Or you can put the patient on a build-a-board or in a stokes and carry them down over your head (with a lot of help).

JonPace: globalwarmingpraiser: tonesskin: globalwarmingpraiser: If only there was a device on most ambulances made specifically to move Paitients down stairs.

You think a 285 pound man's wide ass could fit on that thing?



Oh, you might think I have an idea whether they can or not. That particular model is speced to 350 lbs if i remember correctly. If this guy was having chest pain and they walked him it was a major no no. Chest pain is something that you should treat seriously and do everything that is possible to decrease cardiac workload.

Wow a NREMT patch, we're all very impressed

I was pointing out my qualifications to rebut the comment.

microdome: daffy: globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

If you lack a stair chair you can use a kitching chair. Or you can put the patient on a build-a-board or in a stokes and carry them down over your head (with a lot of help).

Kitchen, dammit!

/turns preview back on

globalwarmingpraiser: I work for an ALS private Service and a provider of Offshore EMS. Private EMS is usually competitive with Fire beased EMS, often better because the people working for the Private service want to be EMS where as in my experience most Fire Based EMS really want to be Firemen, even though most of the workload is EMS. But Stair Chairs are an essential peice of equipment.

I suppose for sake of dispatching and area coverage, fire department based ALS serves better in a larger urban area, but I could understand smaller cities and towns making better use from private or local hospital service. We have four BLS companies here in Milwaukee, and every fire department has ALS units, with all firefighters, even rookies, trained as EMT-Bs.

microdome: daffy: globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

If you lack a stair chair you can use a kitching chair. Or you can put the patient on a build-a-board or in a stokes and carry them down over your head (with a lot of help).

Great ideas, old school thinking, I like it.

I don't think we should be saving fat people. Really. It will send a nice lesson to other fatties and save us lots of insurance and tax money in the meantime.

Semantic Warrior: globalwarmingpraiser: I work for an ALS private Service and a provider of Offshore EMS. Private EMS is usually competitive with Fire beased EMS, often better because the people working for the Private service want to be EMS where as in my experience most Fire Based EMS really want to be Firemen, even though most of the workload is EMS. But Stair Chairs are an essential peice of equipment.

I suppose for sake of dispatching and area coverage, fire department based ALS serves better in a larger urban area, but I could understand smaller cities and towns making better use from private or local hospital service. We have four BLS companies here in Milwaukee, and every fire department has ALS units, with all firefighters, even rookies, trained as EMT-Bs.

I work for Acadian ambulance in their offshore division, and my local private service. We now run San Antonio Texas. Almost every member of management has been a Medic at one point. Great company.

waiting4godot: Second, let's say the town pays out 10 million -- where does that money come from?

Insurance.

globalwarmingpraiser: microdome: daffy: globalwarmingpraiser

That chair looks like a great device, but do you expect them to pay for something that works?

If you lack a stair chair you can use a kitching chair. Or you can put the patient on a build-a-board or in a stokes and carry them down over your head (with a lot of help).

Great ideas, old school thinking, I like it.

Old school would be me. I haven't worked with emergency services for almost 15 years ;)

girljen: Semantic Warrior, that's the coolest stair chair ever.

/WANT

do they make a motorized version?

i live in the top story of a 5 floor berlin walkup

How do you know white America put them there Toneskin? How do you that in their specific case, white America put them there? Are there no white people with shiatty apartments? I wasn't even thinking of race Toneskin. And that looked like perhaps a common hallway. Am I not allowed to comment on the appearance of dwellings?

It was not a comment about the family. It was a comment about their landlord, since he owns the place. But way to put race filters on my comment.

Tillmaster: /and for those of you wondering about it: yes, I survived.

I don't believe you.

I'm an EMT-CC so I'm getting a kick out of some of these replies.

Looking the the pic from the article, there is no way in hell you could get a cot up those stairs. There were already firefighters on the scene for lifting assistance.

No excuse.

That aside, it probably wouldn't have made any difference in his outcome.

Sadly he may be better off as horrible as that is to say instead of languishing in a hospital bed with potential cerebral trauma. Then going on to lead a reduced quality of life while costing unaccountable amounts of capital of his own or tax dollars to sustain him.