12/30/12

On 12/30/12, there were two calls involving paramedics. The first was for an unknown problem. Post was on scene for four minutes before recognizing that paramedics were needed. SEMS unit 202 in Glenbrook was dispatched and took 8 minutes to arrive on scene. However, because of the delay, unit 202 arrived 22 minutes after CMED received the call. At almost the same time, CMED received a call for a hemorrhage/ laceration. Because unit 202 was already busy with the other call, unit 203 from Tully responded in 11 minutes but 15 minutes from the time CMED received this second call. It took unit 203 five minutes to get en route. Both of these calls came at approximately 10 AM. Let me anticipate Posties blogging that this example of simultaneous calls proves that Darien based paramedics would not help. This is nonsense. If Darien had one paramedic unit based in Darien, that unit would have reached the first patient in 7 minutes, the time it took Post. The second patient would also have been better off because unit 202, the unit closest to Darien, could have responded under mutual aid. The difficulty in sorting out which paramedic units are available makes a mockery of the crazy argument that BLS can be done first and then everyone waits for paramedics to arrival. These arrival times are even more variable than Metro North arrival times. Let me review the final call of 12/30/12. A call for chest pain came in to CMED at 8:45 at night when only a fly car is available at Glenbrook. Only Post responded in approximately 14 minutes. I would have thought a chest pain call would have called for paramedics but perhaps none were available. If this description of one day in the life of Post 52 makes you feel good, God help you. Stay tuned. Walter Casey.