Just when you thought Cali couldn't get any stranger:
A police dispatcher who fielded the 911 call was told the woman appeared to have a heart problem and was barely breathing. Police immediately routed the call to the Bakersfield Fire Department, where a dispatcher pleaded with a nurse at the home to perform CPR on the woman.
The nurse refused, saying one of the facility's policies prevented her from doing CPR, according to an audio recording of the call.
Michaela Beard, a spokeswoman for Bakersfield police, said she couldn't provide any further information because the investigation was ongoing.
An unidentified woman made the Feb. 26 call, and asked for paramedics to be sent to help the woman. Later, a woman who identified herself as a nurse got on the phone and
told dispatcher Tracey Halvorson she was not permitted to do CPR on the woman.
Halvorson urged the nurse to start CPR, warning the consequences could be dire if no one tried to revive the woman, who had been laid out on the floor on her instructions.
"I understand if your boss is telling you, you can't do it," the dispatcher said. "But ... as a human being ... you know,
is there anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die?"
"Not at this time," the nurse answered.
During the 7-minute, 16-second call, Halvorson assured the nurse that Glenwood couldn't be sued if anything went wrong in attempts to resuscitate the resident, saying the local emergency medical system "takes the liability for this call," the transcript states.
Later in the call, Halvorson asks, "Is there a gardener? Any staff, anyone who doesn't work for you? Anywhere? Can we flag someone down in the street and get them to help this lady? Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her."
Halvorson is an experienced dispatcher and has worked for the county center for at least a decade, Kern County Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Miller said.
She followed procedures until she ran out of options when the caller refused to perform CPR or identify
anyone else who could, Miller said.
Calif. woman dies after nurse refuses to do CPR - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -
They better bring this so-called angel of mercy up on charges, or revoke her license.
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