D.C. Firefighters Ability To Provide Emergency Medical Care Under Question
Three of the reports are from incidents this summer and claim that patient care was seriously affected because proper procedures weren't followed by District of Columbia firefighters. One report cites a complaint from a hospital that negligence of care complicated injuries to a patient. Another concerns a protocol error where the firefighter administered the wrong drug. This report also claims the department is "ignoring warning signs and continuously allowing untrained providers to work with no supervision or proper training". A third report says firefighters failed to notice a patient who had gone into cardiac arrest.
Sources say that Dr. Fernando Daniels, who was removed from his post on Friday, had recently been addressing the issues brought out in these reports. Both Dr. Daniels and Fire Chief Adrian Thompson would not discuss Daniels departure, but sources say that Chief Thompson was concerned about Dr. Daniels plans to focus on the emergency care being offered by firefighters.
Chief Thompson is leading a long delayed program of shifting paramedic care away from civilian workers and into the hands of firefighters.
Paramedic Kenneth Lyons heads the union representing the civilian EMS workers, some of whom wrote these reports. Lyons has long fought the idea that firefighters should take over paramedic and other EMS duties. While Ken Lyons has also clashed with Dr Daniels, he believes the doctor was doing the right thing in addressing important patient care issues at the time of his termination.
Related:
- District of Columbia Hires Quality Control Leader Following Controversy Over Emergency Calls
- D.C. EMS Chief's Firing Illustrates Conflicts Over Lifesaving Reform
- Emergency Services Fires Medical Chief
- D.C. Firefighters Ability To Provide Emergency Medical Care Under Question
- D.C. Fire & EMS Department Announces New Medical Director
