Two Comments Worthy Of A Post

Part I

I just wanted to tell you about a major Cluster F*** the Salisbury Fire Department has been dispatched to in the area of Northwood Drive and Gordy Road. The call was dispatched by Wicomico 911 or Wicomico Emergency Services(Whatever the like to call themselves). The call was for a burn patient and Central said he had burns on his legs and arms but the fire was out so I don't know why they needed a fire engine. They said the male patient was conscious and breathing fine. 

Truck 2 responded with 5 on board and then Paramedic 2 responded. The guy riding the front seat of the engine goes by the name of Brad Sparrow decides to tell Central to put the paid assistant chief on the call(If you are riding the officers seat of the engine and you need an assistant chief for a burn patient then you don't need to be riding that front seat. Did I mention his name was Sparrow.) Central told them they already contacted Trooper 4 and they were available if needed. They get to the scene and said they are 50 ft. into the woods and the campfire is out. At some point someone called for the State Fire Marshall. Then "Command" Sparrow told Central to tell the Fire Marshall to meet the patient at the Hospital. Wrong move, it is not the job of the unqualified "commander" to tell a Fire Marshal from the Office of the State Fire Marshal where to meet the patient. Part of the Fire Marshal's job is to investigate the cause of the burn and the cause can be found at the initial call. Where the campfire is at the homeless camp on Norhtwood Drive. 

Then after a good 10 or 15 minutes Paramedic 2 gets on the radio and requests Trooper 4 and tells them the landing zone will be at the Salvation Army(Paramedic 2 got on the radio and made the request, not "Command" as in protocol. Did I mention Sparrow.) Then "Command" gets on the radio and tells Central to send paid fire crew on Engine 16 to stand by at the Landing Zone. Then Central tells them that Troopr 4 has a 15 minute ETA(Did I mention they had already been on the scene for a good 10 or 15 minutes). Did you notice the Landing Zone will be at the Salvation Army? If you are paying attention the Salvation Army is directly across the street from the hospital.(PRMC is a Trauma Center). Oh Wait! What happened to the State Fire Marshal meeting the patient at PRMC? I wonder if the Fire Marshal ever got the chance to meet with the patient.

Engine 16 gets on the scene of the Landing Zone and establishes "Command." Now we have two "Commands" for the same call, the same patient. Paramedic 2 now decides to respond to the Landing Zone with the patient which is close to 39-45 minutes on scene time. The patient has yet to get definitive care. After that the first "Command" says "Situation under Control, Truck 2 is enroute to the landing zone." Trooper 4 gets on the radio and asks command if there are any hazards. Command(Brad Sparrow) says go to command at the Salvation Army. After Trooper 4 is confident there are no hazards at the landing zone which is the football field, then the ask Paramedic 2 about the patient. Then the paramedic on the ambulance precedes to basically tell the world that the patient is drunk on alcohol.

SFD Burn Pt. Part 2

Many minutes later "Salvation Army Command" places the situation "under control" and now the the patient is being transported to Baltimore by "Trooper 4. The Helicopter ride is a good 30 minutes to any hospital in Baltimore. Now they are a good hour into the call and the patient was just a mere 5 minutes to PRMC and the patient has yet to see a doctor at the hospital. Did you know that PRMC has a landing zone of any helicopter. The paramedic on the ambulance or the paramedic on Trooper 4 can not do anything to treat and comport that patient like the professionals at the Trauma Center which was lest than 5 miles from where he initially got burnt. Now the patient is suffering severely and you can see the emergency room from the Salvation Army landing zone. I don't know about you, but as close as the patient was to the hospital I would say the entire Salisbury Fire Department was negligent on this call. This patient suffered a good hour and a half before he reached an appropriate lever of care. The Paramedics were very negligent and they should have known better.

Units on the scene include: Paramedic 2, Truck 2, Engine 16 and Assistant Chief 1. For fire and EMS vehicles for one patient that could have easily been handled by one Ambulance. Part of the blame can go to the dispatchers at Wicomico Central. They had no business prompting them to use the helicopter, Trooper 4, because the Salisbury Fire District is way to close to the hospital. It is a waste of tax dollars and a waste of valuable resources that could have been used elsewhere. That helicopter ride is costing tax payers approximated $60,000 and do you think the patient has insurance? Probably not and guess who has to pay for that bill? We the tax payers are. I think the Salisbury Fire Department and Wicomico Central needs to pay the state for that helicopter ride.

I hope someone reports this incident to MIEMSS, the governing body of emergency care in Maryland. This call needs to be investigated by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. Each one of those participants in this call need to have their EMT and Paramedic certifications suspended. No patient needs to suffer like this burn patient did. If you have ever been burnt you know that it is one of the most agonizing pains you will ever feel.