August 15, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom for Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire Department Issues WARNING Against Bringing Sick or Injured to Fire Stations

Following several incidents of sick and/or injured patients being brought to local fire stations seeking medical attention, the Shreveport Fire Department has issuing the following warning:

Persons seeking emergency medical attention or EMS through the Shreveport Fire Department, if at home, other residence, and/or business with access to a phone, should always attempt to contact 911 and wait for service to arrive, rather than bring themselves, if patient, or other ill or injured persons to local fire stations.

The following is a list if issues that the department points out as advantages for calling 911and not taking an ill or injured patient to the fire station. They are followed with a 911 ADVANTAGE statement:

• Time and Care - taking time to load a patient into a vehicle and transport to fire station can be lengthy, delaying life saving medical attention and transportation to hospital. If you are the patient, illness or injury may prevent you from making it all the way to fire station

‒ 911 ADVANTAGE - It takes 911 Fire Communications less than 4 seconds to answer most 911 calls. The total average response time from the time the 911call is answered until the first unit arrived at the scene of an emergency was 5 minutes, 49 seconds - in most instances, quicker than you can have patient to a vehicle

‒ 911 ADVANTAGE - 911 Fire Communications Officers (FCO) are trained in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and can start providing life saving instructions right over the phone, such as CPR, while simultaneously, firefighters and paramedics are on the way

• No one at the fire station when you arrive - as firefighters may be out on a fire or medical call

‒ 911 ADVANTAGE - FCOs will be sending the next closest station to the address of emergency

• Medic Units not housed at all stations. Only 8 fire stations throughout the city have medic units assigned, thus, if the patient arrives at one of the other 12 fire stations without a unit and is in need of a transportation to the hospital, one will not be called for until the patient arrives at the fire station

‒ 911 ADVANTAGE - depending on the type of incident, and for all life threatening cases, the closest fire engine and medic unit are dispatched simultaneously to the address of the emergency

• Paramedics not at every station. Although every fire station has emergency medical technicians (EMTs), not all have paramedics. The difference being, paramedics, unlike EMTs, can start IVs, intubate patient by placing a tube down their airway, push advanced medications and read EKG monitors. Two paramedics are staffed on every medic unit

‒ 911 ADVANTAGE - As already mentioned, Fire Communications will dispatch the nearest fire engine and medic unit to the scene of the emergency - ensuring a paramedic on the scene

The department issues the warning on the heels of several incidents of this nature occurring this year, including a recent episode involving a patient brought to a fire station, who, despite firefighter and paramedic efforts subsequently died. The family, which lived two blocks away from a fire station, made a decision to carry an ill, middle aged patient, to the fire station for medical attention, instead of calling 911. The patient, suffering a cardiac arrest, received medical attention and transportation to the hospital but later died. Fire officials say time lost in the loading and delivering of patients to local fire stations is something that could make the difference in life and death. "In almost every case scenario, we can have firefighters, paramedics, and an ambulance at a home or business in a substantially shorter time frame than it takes for someone to load themselves or an ill or injured patient into a vehicle and then travel to a fire station," said Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. ###