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Choked up.
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:14 pm
by Gob
New York, NY - A heroic New York EMT who tried in vain last week to save a 7-year-old school girl choking on her lunch said he was suspended because it is against company policy to make a stop without being called.
Qwasi Reid, who works for Assist Ambulance, was transporting a nursing home patient last Wednesday with his partner when he said they were flagged down at a red light by a frantic man who told them that a student was choking. Reid said his partner, who was not reprimanded by the company, told the man they already had a patient and there was nothing they could do.
Reid, who has driven ambulances for four years, said he knew the choking girl took a priority over the transport, and against his partner's urging, jumped out of the ambulance's back door and administered first aid to the girl, who he said had already turned blue. No one at the school was rendering first aid, he said.
"I don't regret it," Reid, who said he is suspended without pay, told FoxNews.com. "I'd do it again. If I know there's a child choking, I'm going to do my best to help her."
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:24 pm
by dales
Reid, who has driven ambulances for four years, said he knew the choking girl took a priority over the transport, and against his partner's urging, jumped out of the ambulance's back door and administered first aid to the girl, who he said had already turned blue. No one at the school was rendering first aid, he said.
Absolutely mind-boggling --- school officials stood around with their thumbs up their asses and did nothing while the girl was choking?
WTF?
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 6:30 pm
by BoSoxGal
I agree, there should be an investigation. I should think basic first aid such as CPR and knowing the Heimlich would be required of teachers/teacher aides.
As a recovering lawyer I certainly understand why the company has enforced their policies as they have, but morally it just stinks. The EMT saved a life, as is his gift to share with the world.
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:06 pm
by Big RR
BSG--I can understand company [policy as well, but sometimes necessity trumps policy, and this should probably be one of those cases (unless he was endangering the life/health of his charge).
As for saving a life, the OP says he tried in vain to save her. What I really don't understand is that there are people who don't know the Heimlich maneuver--it's pretty widely described and no special training is needed. It surprises me that no one was was rendering "first aid" of any sort, but then, there are all kinds of people.
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:09 pm
by BoSoxGal
Oh, duh - I missed the 'tried in vain' part. My cognitive skills aren't what they used to be . . .
That's sad. And no doubt the reason for the policy is the potential liability for his failure to succeed in rendering first aid. But I agree, in reality it sucks.
He did the right thing.
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:10 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
..probably they were scared of being accused of molestation
Re: Choked up.
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:19 pm
by Big RR
BSG--this later story seems even stranger:
http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/emt-who ... 1.11031610
Apparently he was suspended for a day and has refused to return to work because he feels he needs legal representation. I'm not sure why he feels that way, but there appears t be more to the story than we know. As for company liability if he renders first aid, that is a concern, but in a true emergency (whch this appears to be) I am not certain that the company would be liable. The story can easily be spun to make them appear liable ("people who could help were deterred by the presence of the ambulance", e.g.), but I would think they have a pretty good defense with him acting outside the scope of his employment and doing something he was expressly not permitted to do under policy (and he should have a good Samaritan defense in NY so long as he acted competently and did no more than render first aid).