The District’s fire department and its chief, Kenneth B. Ellerbe, more recently have faced scrutiny after problems that raised questions about patient care. On New Year’s Day 2013, a 71-year-old man died of a heart attack after waiting more than 30 minutes for an ambulance on a day when one-third of the firefighters on duty had called in sick. In March, a D.C. police officer who was struck by a car waited 15 minutes for an ambulance; authorities later found that three ambulances were improperly out of service.
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.”
Marie Mills said that she and her father were at a shopping center on Rhode Island Avenue NE and had just dropped off a broken computer at a repair shop. They were walking out, chatting and joking about her returning to college, and he told her, “You get them, college girl.” Just then he stopped talking and tumbled to the pavement.
“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.””
Even that is stupid.
Yup Mam... Your dad sure looks in a bad way. Looks like he is seconds from death. You still have to call 911 before I might be able to touch him. They may send someone else though.