Jennifer Donelan is a wonderful TV reporter at WJLA-TV in Washington who was always friendly competition when I was at WUSA-TV. DCRTV.com’s Dave Hughes reports that Jennifer is in the hospital recovering from a heart attack that occurred moments after a 5:00 PM live shot yesterday:
WJLA-TV picture.
She developed chest pains and breathing problems after the news piece and WJLA news crew members called for an ambulance. She was taken to Washington Hospital Center. We hear that Donelan is resting comfortably today in the hospital’s ICU after doctors inserted two stents to remove blockage in her heart arteries.
But there is more to this story. It turns out that my friend Jennifer was in the District of Columbia when this occurred. The story that she was reporting was the one above questioning the 911 response for an infant in cardiac arrest in the 5000 block of Benning Road in Southeast. Shortly after going live on TV telling that story the crew on the live shot had to call 911 to get help for Jennifer. We are told the response was quite prompt.
It’s one of life’s little twists. In fact it is something I always figured would happen to me with all the stories I did about 911 issues. We wish Jennifer a quick recovery and hope she’s back out on the streets soon keeping us informed.
Also on STATter911 …
- Raw video: Car catches fire on live TV. Snow coverage heats up in Georgia. – January 10, 2011
- Fire engine transport of heart attack victim may have saved his life. Montgomery County, Maryland firefighters praised for snow response. – February 7, 2011
- Raw video: Multiple collapses at historic factory fire in Norwood, Ohio. 61,000 square-foot building destroyed. See the before picture. – December 29, 2010
- Must see video: Close call during roof operations in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. – June 12, 2011
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I believe that’s what they call…. irony !
K-A-R-M-A spells KARMA. Did soembody in 9-1-1 have out their news reported voodoo doll? I bet they stuck a pin right in the dolls chest. Lets see if the reporter does a retraction story or a big ole thankyou story when she’s backl on the beat. (me thinks not)
Karma. Really? So when an error is made at a 911 center that has had many problems in the past it is a bad thing for the public to know it? And the people who let you know about it are bad people doing bad things?
Knowing Jennifer I am sure she would be glad to publicly praise those who took care of her. That I can tell she is well respected in the local public safety community.
Ironic and uncomfortable, but karma? If her story was not accurate and reckless I could see how you might feel that way. So far no one has made that claim.
Statter
Statter
Maybe they should re-open DC General.
Dave, I’m glad you clarified that the error came @ OUC and not the DCFD!!!! HOPEFULLY EVEREYONE REALIZES THIS IN THIS INSTANCE. . . .MAYBE SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE OUC THOROUGHLY TO SEE IF THEY’RE GETTING THE JOB DONE RIGHT, I WOULD GUARANTEE THEY WOULD FIND SOME HORRIBLE S*&$ !!!!!
A few years back there was a print reporter from the St. Louis Post Dispatch who wrote story after story (most of them deserved) on the trials and tribulations of St. Louis EMS and the retched state of the public hospital system. One evening, he was discovered robbed and naked suffering from multiple GSW’s (called 345’s at the time) and circulating the drain. Guess who saved his bacon. St. Louis EMS and the good folks at City #1. I’m pretty sure no one ever received so much as a “thank you” from the good reporter.
I can’t speak for the St. Louis reporter and I really can’t speak for Jennifer. I can tell you this, there are few reporters in the U.S. who covered the problems that arise when delivering fire and EMS service as frequently and for as long as I did. I also did my best to try and balance it with the good stories that were out there. If any first responder or 911 center saved my bacon, you can be sure I would write about it, even if two minutes earlier I had posted a story that showed a problem with the service they provided.
It’s ironic when it happens, it’s one of life’s little twists of fate, but if the stories are accurate and fair, it is just a reporter doing their job.
Statter
As a dispatcher with over 25 years of experience, we as dispatchers probably make the same amount of mistakes as a good doctor, lawyer or paramedic makes a year. Common factor is we are all human, mistakes will be made. No matter how much money you throw into fancy computers, fancy maps, and any other multi million dollar project you throw into the comm room. Theres money out the wazoo for cops & firemen, and theres all kinda federal grants for them….wheres a freakin dime for dispatchers? Thats right, there is none. dispatchers don’t do it for the money, because there isn’t any mioney in it. we do it because we give a crap about our towns and cities and fellow man. Far too many dispatchers with experience leave the job because they can’t afford to live on the money anymore. Crappy shifts, stress and systems that only work great when the boss gives tours to politicians and the press…..every other minute of the day its a piece of mediocre junk.
WHen an innocent person is incarcerated wrongly for 20 years or put to death, is their lawyers license taken away from them for life? NOOOOO When a doctor accidentally removes a healthy appendix from the wrong patient is their doctors license taken away permanantly? NNNOOOOOOOOO. When a fire department fails to rescue an elderly man from a fire in his home and he dies, do all the chiefs and fire companies get fired for not successfully accomplishing that which they are paid to do? NNNOOOO. When theres 15 burglaries, 2 rapes and 4 shootings in a town from 2400 hrs – 0400 hrs, are all the cops on thatshift fired for not protecting the people they are paid to protect?? NNNOOOOOO. Everybody will blame it on the dispatcher and the dispatcher will get fired.
We used to say all the responsibility and no authority. You are absolutely right. My experience is too often the dispatcher is the scapegoat for what really is a broken system.
Statter
Thanks Dave for seeing the truth. Do you know how many times I wished we dispatchers could say “The problem is the county is closing dispatching stations (ie fire stations), instead of 7 dispatching stations, we now only have 4, because they closed 3 stations (didn’t fill 3 dispatchers a shift!!)…it’s gonna take us dispatchers 40% more time to answer that phone, answer that radio, dispatch that call!!!!! We can’t say a word because unlike the FOP and the IAFF, our unions are lousy and we would get fired for going to the press.
We don’t have a top 5 list of excuses why we couldn’t perform our jobs successfully like other emergency services do:ie-
5-Low water pressure
4-It was gone before we got here
3-heavy traffic slowed us down
2-No hydrants in the area
1-They closed the closest fire station–we told you this would happen!!!
You are a good man Dave Statter, and I hope the young woman reporter is Ok and gets healthy real quick.
What went wrong here? The DC EMS system worked as it is designed. The closest available ambulance was dispatched, the closest first responder was sent. As other units became available, they were sent. I am sure that all of the units that were unavailable, were busy with real emergencies (sic). The ones who were sent responded as quickly as possible. Traffic sucks!!! It is unfortunate that the child died, but what went wrong?
Perhaps the real truth is since we’re all human, we’re all prone to make mistakes. Rather than getting into a p*ssing match about who’s fault it is (trust me, I’ve witnessed less than stellar performances from all public service agencies, OUC included), know that the enemy is the system under which we operate.
Jennifer
Get well soon, in my thoughts and prayers.
Hope you make a full recovery Jennifer and your back on the street doing what you love to do….
I have the same question as Tony? That very well may have been the closest available ambulance. That happens in Memphis everyday! You almost never get the ambulance from your neighborhood fire station or they pick it up on the air from somewhere else.
This is most likely an EMS abuse system. How many people were in the back of DCFD taxicabs while that baby was dying? Do a story on that.
Perhaps there would’ve been a closer ambulance available if the city wasn’t on permanent code red status in order to justify having 2 ELO’s stationed at the OUC.
How many times have I gotten an ambulance from SE or NE when in work in upper NW? Lost count! Everyone is out, all the time, operating as a taxi service. Kramer has it right. Casualties of a war no one in the city will fix.
when will the city finally get with the times and set up an automatic mutual aid agreement with Montgomery and PG County? Dave, can you dig up and call logs from Prince George’s County dispatch logs and find out what units were in service in the Suitland area?
I wonder what the family would say if they knew that there was probably a medic unit or ambulance right across the street in Maryland, but because the two departments don’t get along, its rare for both departments to cross the big wall separating DC from Maryland.
For the two yahoos who posted asking why DC doesn’t have a working mutual aid system with PG: it’s called manpower. Mutual aid will NEVER work with PG because we NEVER know what we’ll get with a PG unit. It might be two guys on a rig, it might only be one. When DC units roll you get MINIMUM 4 on an engine and 5 on a ladder truck. Anonymous NOVA engineer you should know better. Ask some of your brothers who work for Alexandria FD what they get from PG when they run mutual aid on the Wilson Bridge. It’s a crapshoot. As for the closest medical transport unit coming from NW that is most likely correct. It was M-33 clearing a hospital (don’t know which one) and guess where they’re located? 1st and Atlantic Sts., SE. As for the availability of PG medical transport units that day (95+ degrees) I’m sure they were just as busy as the DC units. The REAL problem that only two other people have said out loud here is that 95% (conservative estimate after 25 years on the job) of the medical transports are BS and/or 911 system abuse. The system is completely broken and NO ONE will admit it, but we will try to blame someone from within the system. Guess what? The problem is the public. When you continually dip into the well, it eventually runs dry, and when every single request for transport to the hospital is honored no matter how trivial or stupid, the people who legitimately need rescue get screwed. It ain’t that hard to figure out. The tough part is solving the ignorance and stupidity of the general public and their abuse of 911. I don’t think that’s possible…
Slim,
Working in that area, there have been mutual aid units used at times. But whats across the border? Units just as busy.
Problem is the dispatch policy which revolves around the PEC system. Id check on who ever is incharge of the PEC system.
The media never seems to represent death correctly.
Delays happened in this case.
But the fact is the baby was found dead, stayed dead despite all efforts, and was legally pronounced dead at the hospital.
OUC or DC FEMS did not kill this baby, it was dead when found and stayed dead. Maybe if traffic was better or the local medic was in station, or mutual aid was utlized the baby might have been resuscitated, but probably not due to the fact that this was an unwitnessed cardiac arrest.
My point is that the media must do a better job of educating the public on death and not create false expectations that EMS will just come along and make every person undead, if they are are doing their job right.
Well said Oldhead!
Another point to make here is due to the closing of DC General and the current administrations rules reguarding refusals/Pt’s transport demands, all ambulances/medic units east of the river must continually take every stubbed toe and headache to the other side of town. Once this happens they get caught in NW and are gone for the tour. A busy day, 95 degrees, etc, you are going to wait especially in Southeast. While you can question the adminstrations policies, its like oldhead said it is the pt’s neighbors abusing 911 who I hold responsible. They have taken advantage to a system scared to say “No” or use any form of common sense to keep units over there. Its crazy that someone a few blocks from greater Southeast hospital with a complaint of a stuffy nose can demand to be transported to Georgetown or providence, etc and the ELO will make an ambulance take them there in rush hour non-emergency (no lights and sirens) because god forbid we get a refusal. That is the real issue maybe the media should investigate that instead of trying to get ratings on the back of the hard working members of DCFD who are doing their best in a pool full of quick sand.
Slim,
C’mon, whoever is in charge of the PEC system? It’s what the city wants (it looks good on paper), it’s what the lawyers want (most importantly), and it’s what the Rosenbaums want. Doesn’t matter if it’s implemented incorrectly, it appears to be a good idea and that’s what counts, appearances. Although as anonymous after you pointed out, the baby was dead when the initial call was made to 911, the baby was dead when the police officer from across the street initiated CPR, the baby was dead when the engine company arrived and took over CPR, the baby was dead when the Lt. on the engine company correctly decided for immediate transport on the engine to the hospital instead of waiting for an EMS transport unit, the baby was dead during CPR on the ride to the hospital, the baby was dead upon arrival to the hospital, the baby was dead when the hospital took over CPR and ALS measures and the baby stayed dead until formally pronounced dead by a physician. People die everyday sometimes no matter what herculean measures are employed to avoid death…
Kramer….your absolutely right..In this case, nobody knows the underlying cause of death, but for transport purposes, how many drunks, homeless people needing a meal at the hospital, I sprained my hair or needed a ride across town were in the back of the DC Ambo Taxi….Where’s the street calls program and all the talk to clean up the abuse of the 911 system…And Dennis Rubin claims to have a world class EMS system…What a joke you are Dennis Rubin…
Hey, how about utilizing private EMS in a mutual aid agreement? after all, how many times is a truck company dispatched on a manpower call for Lifestar? If they can muster up a task force for the Metro derailment from last year, they surely can be dispatched in a mutual aid assignment.
@ Old Head… I’m not looking to start an arguement about the politics of how jurisdictions operate on the other side of the Potomac. There are flaws in every system, and apparently from what you stated and what I’ve read about PG’s system, they seem to carry more than their fair share of setbacks. The suggestion of mutual aid agreements can be more practical for EMS operations along the DC/MD line areas. EMS units always roll with a minimum of 2 and are supposed to be logged into their respective CADS as ALS or BLS capabilities. Surely it’s harder to account for volunteer fire companies providing sufficient staffing on box alarms when they roll with anywhere from 2 personnel to a full boat, with other units bidding on and changing the lineup. Interagency cooperation and linking PG, Mont, and DC’s EMS CAD unit status is an easy fix and their respective medical directors can work out the red tape on protocol issues. I’m sure PG was and usually is swamped with calls a majority of the time, but utilizing a transport unit from Oxon Hill for example may have proven to be effective in this case had they been in service. In reference to running with Alexandria, I am aware of less staffing. Their minimum staffing on Engines is 3, and they upstaff with extra bodies starting with their busiest unit. The technology to integrate CAD status and AVLs are available and once the kinks are worked out, prove to be effective. It’s just a matter of getting the powers that be to come to the table and formulate the plans.
And of course an optimal solution would be a more aggressive public education campaign to discourage EMS “taxi rides” in conjunction with ambulance billing.
Respectfully,
ANOD
I know that the DC Fire and EMS system has had problems, but the citizens in this city need to stop blaming our department for every unfortunate incident that happens. Educate your friends and family on what is an emergency. Many of these fire trucks and ambulances are dispatched on non emergency calls. Nobody can find a ride to the doctor or hospital, but everybody can find a ride to go get laid. I’m sick of this system catering to these lazy a** people. Not only do they want you to transport them to the hospital, but they want you to wait until they get dressed, find a babysitter, and make a call to notify someone that they are going to the hospital.
I hope Jennifer makes a full recover and she sees that we do have great paramedics that work for this city. Keep reporting these stories, maybe it will bring a change for the better in our broken system.
ANOD,
I’m just pointing out why a workable mutual aid agreement between PG County and DC won’t work. True, Ambulances and Medic Units EVERYWHERE require minimum manpower of 2, but having been assigned to an engine company in far North East along the PG line for the last 9 1/2 years I can assure you with 100% confidence that PG EMS units along the DC line are every bit as busy as the DC EMS units all averaging 5000 to 7000+ responses per year, and when you get a crappy hot summer day as the day of this unfortunate event EVERYONE and their grandmother wants out of their un-air-conditioned hovels and into the AC. What’s the quickest way to do that? Call 911, the ONLY agency that can and will respond to your immediate needs no matter how insignificant, minor, trivial, or stupid they might be. Again, the problem becomes the people who actually NEED 911 intervention get screwed and the only way this will change is when people start thinking of others instead of themselves. After what I’ve seen in the past 25 years I know it ain’t happening anytime soon.
The sad reality of it is, as hard as we try, we do not get to determine who lives and who dies or who’s fire damage is kept to a minimum and who loses all of their worldy posessions. And sometimes as much as we’d like to, we don’t get to decide who gets a ride to the hospital and who should be advised to seek “other options”(can’t tell you how many times I’ve transported by ambulance and the “patient’s” family member followed in their own vehicle because they believe they will be seen faster if transported by ambulance). Like everything else, we adapt to the hand dealt to us by the system and do the very best we can to make that system work. Is there a better system? Absolutely. But just like we don’t get to play God, we don’t get to decide what that system should be. Remember that come election day. You see us every day and every day we’re out in the streets doing our very best. The only time you usually see these elected officials is when they want your vote. How many times have they or their staffers given you some button or bumper sticker lately? Try finding either after November. But dial 911 and come hell or high water, we’ll be there…. as soon as we drop off the alpha sick patient with the toothache that’s been hurting for a week.
What bothers me is the citizens only care when they need it. I know that I have examined the system where I live and I now have expectations if an emergency were to happen. These people act like it is rare that this happens. PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE!!
The media needs to do a story on all the scumbag bums that call for an ambo 5-6 times a day! I also love how a NW unit dispatched to lets say 30 or 27 area, passes by them because they are in delayed response. That makes alot of sense!
Clown, if they dont go in delayed, you will be over in paradise more than you already are.