Airwaygoddess
Forum Deputy Chief
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No, dumb is if he goes around and does it again. This time he might not be so lucky and get killed, or worse, maimed and crippled for life. There is something to think about.........
Off-duty Boston EMT saves life
- Thread starter Jay114
- Start date
McCay, a 13-year veteran who has been with Boston EMS for 3 1/2 years, had just gone off duty, and when the call came in, he briefly considered driving past the scene of the shooting.
"You don't know what's going on," he said. "A scene like that, it can become very, very difficult to control."
He also worried the shooter might return.
"I initially was hesitant to stop, but it's something I would want someone to do for my mother, my father, or my brother," he said.
He took scene safety into consideration, but probably at that particular moment felt compelled to help. He's most likely been in a similar situation before, and passed by, figuring his colleagues would respond. I think it's unfair to call him a dumbass, because he acknowledged scene safety but something made him stop while off duty that particular time.
"You don't know what's going on," he said. "A scene like that, it can become very, very difficult to control."
He also worried the shooter might return.
"I initially was hesitant to stop, but it's something I would want someone to do for my mother, my father, or my brother," he said.
He took scene safety into consideration, but probably at that particular moment felt compelled to help. He's most likely been in a similar situation before, and passed by, figuring his colleagues would respond. I think it's unfair to call him a dumbass, because he acknowledged scene safety but something made him stop while off duty that particular time.
sdadam
DialedMedics.com
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I hope I die trying to save the life of a mother, gunned down in front of her son.
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Remind me not to ride with you then. I hope I die in my bed, sound asleep and in a peaceful manner at a very ripe old age.
Ridryder911
EMS Guru
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I much rather die from a jealous husband, when I am a 103! lol
No one thinks highly of a fool.... He is just lucky that it worked out, taking needless chances is not smart.. period.
R/R 911
RichmondMedik
Forum Probie
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I do believe if a little research is done you will find that Bsoton University actually owns the EMS system -- so they are basically a private company and not a city agency
Do what this moron did and blaze into an unsecured scene playing captain hero and eventually you will.........................
KEVD18
Forum Deputy Chief
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true to a point. while bems is technically listed as a private compamny, they are city employees with city benefits paying into the city retirement and belonging to the city union etc etc
crash_cart
Forum Crew Member
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Who me?, I didn't start the fire...
I have to say that I'm remembering a ton of threads on this site when reading our holy grail Prehospital 8th edition book. B) Like anything else that is emergency related, the situtation and what to do is not a simple "yes" or "no." In some states, off-duty folks have to respond, The article leads me to conclude that this guy's state wasn't one of them. When you are off duty, you can respond and carry out care what any non-EMT trained person could do on scene. The only question here to me has to do with scene safety. It looks as if he judged that it was a random event and that the scene was safe for him to work on her. Unless he had to wait for law enforcement to secure the site first, I'd say he did the right thing. Flight-LP's concerns about this are very much on target, will reserve further judgment until the issue is fully covered in class. :beerchug:
I have to say that I'm remembering a ton of threads on this site when reading our holy grail Prehospital 8th edition book. B) Like anything else that is emergency related, the situtation and what to do is not a simple "yes" or "no." In some states, off-duty folks have to respond, The article leads me to conclude that this guy's state wasn't one of them. When you are off duty, you can respond and carry out care what any non-EMT trained person could do on scene. The only question here to me has to do with scene safety. It looks as if he judged that it was a random event and that the scene was safe for him to work on her. Unless he had to wait for law enforcement to secure the site first, I'd say he did the right thing. Flight-LP's concerns about this are very much on target, will reserve further judgment until the issue is fully covered in class. :beerchug:
disassociative
Forum Captain
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#1 Rule of an EMS Scene: DO NOT CREATE MORE CASUALTIES
1st EMT Commandment: SCENE SAFETY. PERIOD.
1st EMT Commandment: SCENE SAFETY. PERIOD.
BossyCow
Forum Deputy Chief
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See the trauma... don't be the trauma!
wolfwyndd
Forum Captain
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Clearly, this is a judgement call with arguments both for and against what he did. Had it been me . . . . . . . . I don't know.
The jurisdiction I run in doesn't have much in the way of shootings. In the four years I've been running as an EMT, I can only recall us have ONE shooting and (fortunately) I was on duty and it was a police involved shooting to begin with so LEO wouldn't let us in until the scene was safe.
That being said, I HAVE shown up to accident calls while I'm technically 'off - duty' which can sometimes be just as dangerous. For our jurisdiction, not only are you ALLOWED to show up on calls when you're off duty, you're ENCOURAGED to show up on calls when you're off duty. One of the things you understand going into a mostly volunteer EMS dept. We have ONE ambulance that's staffed by full timers and ONE ambulance that is completely and totally staffed by volunteers.
Guess this argument can play out either way depending on what your local jurisdiction is like. While I'm not sure I'd call the man a hero for running into a potentially dangerous scene, I WOULD point out that one woman is now alive because of what he did. Do the ends justify the means? You decide for yourself.
The jurisdiction I run in doesn't have much in the way of shootings. In the four years I've been running as an EMT, I can only recall us have ONE shooting and (fortunately) I was on duty and it was a police involved shooting to begin with so LEO wouldn't let us in until the scene was safe.
That being said, I HAVE shown up to accident calls while I'm technically 'off - duty' which can sometimes be just as dangerous. For our jurisdiction, not only are you ALLOWED to show up on calls when you're off duty, you're ENCOURAGED to show up on calls when you're off duty. One of the things you understand going into a mostly volunteer EMS dept. We have ONE ambulance that's staffed by full timers and ONE ambulance that is completely and totally staffed by volunteers.
Guess this argument can play out either way depending on what your local jurisdiction is like. While I'm not sure I'd call the man a hero for running into a potentially dangerous scene, I WOULD point out that one woman is now alive because of what he did. Do the ends justify the means? You decide for yourself.
In regards to the post on this subject I work at BEMS and was on duty the night this happened and at the hospital when the patient was brought in to clarify what happened he was not jumpin call he just left from the station from a detail he was doing he had his radio off the shooting victim was 2 blocks away in the middle of the road he did not know of it and it wasnt like a shootout he drove into it was a stray bullet that hit her from down the street in the neck. Now please do not pass judgment on him for stopping If you had seen the amount of blood on her 4 year old kid and the ground that lady was lucky he was on his way home from work
Ridryder911
EMS Guru
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Okay, I highly suggest if your going to cut someone down, you might really attempt to make a point where we can read it without deciphering it. Punctuiation and grammar makes it easier for us to read your post and understand your thoughts.
The other is scene safety is the most important aspect off or on duty. I don't care where or when.
In regards in to Boston's EMS, you just proved our point. Anyone that has been in EMS has heard and read about their reputation and history. Now, I do know that FlightLP service was honored nationally for reducing deaths (yes, scientifically) and as well Houston EMS is known for decades as being very progressive and having some of the best benefits and pay for a large metro EMS service.
R/r 911
I love that!!
That was one of the first things we learned in EMT-B class and it was emphasized throughout Paramedic school.
Does that saying come on a T-Shirt?B)
Yeah, thats it...................
Not mad. Never applied, and if you actually took a moment to internalize what I wrote, you would see a clear reason as to why I never applied.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see my therapist due to my emotional turmoil that your poorly attempted cutdown has inflicted...........
Meursault
Organic Mechanic
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Or, since you insist we talk funny:
"Youah only mad cause youah not good enough to work theah."
Disclaimer: I think that rendition of the Boston accent is stupid, I rarely meet people that sound anything like that, and I stubbornly refuse to patronize any restaurant that lists "chowdah" on its menu.
crash_cart
Forum Crew Member
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Thanach
Forum Crew Member
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I can honestly say, that I am not from Boston, but about 20 miles south of the city, and I do sound much like that, the letter "R" really isn't in my vocabulary
(at least in the traditional boston sense, car is pronounced as if it was spelt kah, but carrot is still carrot), and all of that good stuff...
I also talk fast, very fast. <_<