Any 911 providers in Ferguson area? (Riots)

SandpitMedic

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Do we have any members in the Ferguson AO?

How is the call volume? Is the militarized LE keeping you guys safe?

I'm not asking for personal opinions on the shooting, just how it has affected the EMS system specifically. The MSM is making it look like Fallujah over there.
 

vcuemt

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Do we have any members in the Ferguson AO?

How is the call volume? Is the militarized LE keeping you guys safe?

I'm not asking for personal opinions on the shooting, just how it has affected the EMS system specifically. The MSM is making it look like Fallujah over there.
What is the non-mainstream media making it look like?
 

ghost02

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Non mainstream media? It depends on who you look at.....

Some make it look like Fallujah, some make it look like dinner at Grandmas house.

I am also interested to see how the Ferguson EMS system is handling this.
 
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SandpitMedic

SandpitMedic

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JPINFV

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I'm not asking for personal opinions on the shooting, just how it has affected the EMS system specifically. The MSM is making it look like Fallujah over there.

To be fair, it isn't hard when the police are launching Freedom Gas at news crews setting up for a live broadcast behind the police line.
 

STXmedic

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Yeah, how dare they use crowd control tactics on rioting crowds. Is it really too much to ask to allow out-of-hand crowds to form and toss Molotov cocktails at them? Just take the fire bombing and get on with your day! Sheesh!

Edit: Okay, after watching the video, I can't logically defend going after that news crew. I'm not sure what they were going for, there. I'm hopeful there was something left out before the video started filming the scene... If not, then I've got nothin'...
 
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Chimpie

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Keep this thread on topic and related to EMS or it will be closed. Last warning.
 

drl

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EMS/fire often gets lumped together with LEOs in the average citizen's mind, sometimes due to tiered response and similarities in uniforms. I'm sure EMS crews out there have their hands full dealing with the flareups. Stay safe.
 

Chewy20

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If you have twitter or something you should see if their agency posts calls in real time. ATCEMS will do this from time to time.
 

karaya

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We've been filming in Ferguson with Chris Cebollero's EMS crews ever since the rioting started nine days ago. Look for an exclusive interview we filmed with EMS Chief Cebollero last Sunday evening at the riot police staging area that will appear tomorrow on EMS1.com. In the interview, Chris talks about what his crews encountered when they first arrived on the scene of the Mike Brown shooting and the first night of looting. We'll have more interviews and footage of EMS and the riots forthcoming on EMS1.com in the coming days. Feel free to ask any me any questions in the meantime.
 
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vcuemt

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We've been filming in Ferguson with Chris Cebollero's EMS crews ever since the rioting started nine days ago. Look for an exclusive interview we filmed with EMS Chief Cebollero last Sunday evening at the riot police staging area that will appear tomorrow on EMS1.com. In the interview, Chris talks about what his crews encountered when they first arrived on the scene of the Mike Brown shooting and the first night of looting. We'll have more interviews and footage of EMS and the riots forthcoming on EMS1.com in the coming days. Feel free to ask any me any questions in the meantime.
Are the protesters treating EMS as an extension of the cops?
 

karaya

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Are the protesters treating EMS as an extension of the cops?

I haven't seen that there at all; however, EMS is staging at the command staging area just up the road from the protesters, so there is really no close EMS presence from the protesters point of view. Late afternoon, EMS stages four extra units in the staging area. But, for the most part, the "true" protesters have been fairly peaceful towards the cops. It's the other element that shows up at night that faces off with the police with their foul mouths and violent behavior.
 

CFal

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Do we have any members in the Ferguson AO?

How is the call volume? Is the militarized LE keeping you guys safe?

I'm not asking for personal opinions on the shooting, just how it has affected the EMS system specifically. The MSM is making it look like Fallujah over there.
I find it funny that there was complaining about why LE needed military gear, and the next day they had to send in the guard, with military gear.
 

karaya

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The retoric about the militarization of the police was more inline with complete ignorance of the bloggers, tweeters, media, you name it, that a Lenco Bearcat is not a military surplus vehicle. However, the police public information system was terrible. The moment tweets started to surface that these were "tanks", the PIOs should have mobilzied with the media and give them an upfront and informative look at the Lencos and explain their function and purpose.

As far as the guard goes, they were never deployed to the streets of Ferguson . They were brought in to provide security to the staging / command post area after the rioters tried to over-run the site. Again, a poor information system failed here as well with many believing the guard was storm-trooping through the streets.
 

ffemt8978

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The retoric about the militarization of the police was more inline with complete ignorance of the bloggers, tweeters, media, you name it, that a Lenco Bearcat is not a military surplus vehicle. However, the police public information system was terrible. The moment tweets started to surface that these were "tanks", the PIOs should have mobilzied with the media and give them an upfront and informative look at the Lencos and explain their function and purpose.

As far as the guard goes, they were never deployed to the streets of Ferguson . They were brought in to provide security to the staging / command post area after the rioters tried to over-run the site. Again, a poor information system failed here as well with many believing the guard was storm-trooping through the streets.
Wouldn't the comments about the lack of effective communication from the police to the public pretty much sum up a lot of what was wrong in Ferguson?
 

karaya

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Ferguson police was not handling the protests / riots. That was turned over to St. Louis County police and then days later, the Missouri State Highway patrol was ordered to take over. However, the public information was still directed to St. Louis County police. I've got a pretty good story to go with this which I'll share at a later time.

I really can't say anything was specifically wrong with Ferguson police. We've been filming with Christian EMS in Ferguson for years and I've never seen anything that would plainly point racial issues with their officers. As a matter of fact, I've got a couple of great photos of Ferguson police interacting with the black community from the past few years. I'll see if I can get those put up here also.
 

CFal

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The retoric about the militarization of the police was more inline with complete ignorance of the bloggers, tweeters, media, you name it, that a Lenco Bearcat is not a military surplus vehicle. However, the police public information system was terrible. The moment tweets started to surface that these were "tanks", the PIOs should have mobilzied with the media and give them an upfront and informative look at the Lencos and explain their function and purpose.

As far as the guard goes, they were never deployed to the streets of Ferguson . They were brought in to provide security to the staging / command post area after the rioters tried to over-run the site. Again, a poor information system failed here as well with many believing the guard was storm-trooping through the streets.

Bearcats are not surplus but other gear is,

"Since 2007, the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency has transferred two Humvees, one generator and one cargo trailer to the Ferguson Police Department, Kirby said. The larger St. Louis County Police Department, which also provides police in Ferguson, has received six pistols, 12 rifles, 15 weapon sights, three helicopters, seven Humvees, two night-vision devices and a bomb disposal robot, Kirby said."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...m-supplying-military-gear-to-ferguson-police/

and if rioters are attempting to over-run police to the extent that they need NG than they certainly need more equipment than a beat cop has day to day
 

karaya

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I know Bearcats are not surplus - that was my whole point of better public information to the media. Understand the command / staging area was in a very large shopping center lot covering a large area with multiple points of entry. Also keep in mind this was not some small one block area. There was looting, rioting, protests, etc. that covered parts of an area over one square mile in size. There was an enormous police presence over this large area and not enough to provide protection for the staging command center. That's why the guard was brought in.
 

NPO

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I listened to a podcast from EMS1 hosted by Chris Cebollero from Christian EMS. He had some good insight into it. Its worth a listen.

One thing he said was that ems is in T-Shirts because their Class A uniforms and badges make them look like officers. He said that after this is over, he will be rethinking their uniforms. He also said he continues to wear his white Class A to identify himself as an administrator but doesn't require his medics and EMTs to wear theirs.

They have also stopped responding to calls that don't have a police escort even when that means a delayed response.
 

karaya

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I listened to a podcast from EMS1 hosted by Chris Cebollero from Christian EMS. He had some good insight into it. Its worth a listen.

One thing he said was that ems is in T-Shirts because their Class A uniforms and badges make them look like officers. He said that after this is over, he will be rethinking their uniforms. He also said he continues to wear his white Class A to identify himself as an administrator but doesn't require his medics and EMTs to wear theirs.

They have also stopped responding to calls that don't have a police escort even when that means a delayed response.
There was a fear that law officers may be specifically targeted by some violent protester, and from what I understand, there were no singled out actions against any police officer out side of the riot lines itself. Myself and my cameraman continued to wear our tactical 5.11 uniform and we had no issues with the protesters or anyone for that matter filming in and around the rioting areas. However, what is interesting is that some of the media was assaulted.

Most likely the stopping to respond to non-police escorted calls was during the unrest period itself and possibly only calls in the Ferguson area itself. I'm not sure of this, but I'll confirm this with Chris when he returns from Chicago next week.
 
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