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77-YEAR-OLD COLLAPSED ACROSS STREET FROM DC FIREHOUSE
Marie Mills' father collapsed Saturday afternoon in a shopping center parking lot across the street from a Washington, DC, firehouse—but firefighters didn't rush to his aid, despite repeated pleas for help, and Medric "Cecil" Mills, 77, died of a heart attack. Marie Mills tells WTTG that bystanders were "screaming and hollering" at a firefighter across the street, and three people even ran over to Engine 26, but they were told rescuers could not respond until 911 was called, the Washington Post reports
77-YEAR-OLD COLLAPSED ACROSS STREET FROM DC FIREHOUSE
Marie Mills' father collapsed Saturday afternoon in a shopping center parking lot across the street from a Washington, DC, firehouse—but firefighters didn't rush to his aid, despite repeated pleas for help, and Medric "Cecil" Mills, 77, died of a heart attack. Marie Mills tells WTTG that bystanders were "screaming and hollering" at a firefighter across the street, and three people even ran over to Engine 26, but they were told rescuers could not respond until 911 was called, the Washington Post reports
When I lived on the beach, I also lived five houses from the local firehouse and about two blocks from the county line. One night people were shooting off fireworks and one hit a bush in my yard and caught fire.
I called 911 to get the fire department and the dispatcher couldn't figure out what fire house to dispatch and connected me with the other county. Meanwhile I had sent my sister on foot to the firehouse to get them. They immediately pulled the truck into my yard and put out the fire. They had no trouble responding without 911.
Imagine this: They respond, he dies anyway, the family sues them for anything they and an ambulance chasing lawyer dreams up. A very likely scenario.
There are protocols to follow. Yes, I think they should have responded, but I can understand why they didn't.
Except that the union rep and the deputy mayor said there were no protocols that needed to be followed in a case like this when someone directly requested their help.
"When someone seeks help at a firehouse, procedure calls for the officer in charge to be notified and to decide what action to take. [Fire dept spokesperson] Wilson and [president of DC firefighters union local] Edwards said the probationary firefighter may have told superiors, and the investigation is focusing on who knew about the pleas for help and on why no one acted."
"[deputy mayor for public safety]Quander said nothing should stop a firefighter from helping someone in distress. “They don’t wait to be called,” he said. “We should have responded to this incident.”
"Kenny Lyons, who represents paramedics in a separate labor union, said that emergency workers are barred from “self-dispatching” — such as responding to calls on their own— but that nothing stops them from rendering help or investigating a request from a citizen.
“If you see an incident occurring in front of you, you have a duty to go over an investigate,” Lyons said. “What bothers me in this case is it appears they didn’t even go and check.”
but they were told rescuers could not respond until 911 was called
So why didn't someone (Firefighter included) call 911?
"9-1-1, how may I assist you?"
"This is firefighter Joe Smith at engine house 51, we're responding to a possible heart attack victim located at such-and-such street."
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