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A five-year-old girl who nearly died during an asthma attack November 28th thanked the three Prince George's County firefighter/paramedics who's quick action saved her life.
Christina Luckett handed out personalized plaques featuring her picture and photo to firefighter/medics Edward Scott, William Philpott and Clinton volunteer firefighter Ashley Butler as she met the rescuers inside the firehouse.
The trio also received Emergency Service Awards from Prince George's County fire chief Marc. S. Bashoor.
The rescuers took the unusual step of racing Christina to Southern Maryland Hospital in their fire truck while performing CPR, rather than waiting a few extra minutes for an ambulance to arrive. She had stopped breathing and had no pulse.
She was released from the hospital 3-days later and has fully recovered.
"Thank you!" Christina exclaimed before the formalities. "They helped me feel better."
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Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE: Four Prince George’s County, MD firefighters injured, one critically after Beltway crash. Tractor-trailer slams into West Lanham pumper returning from call. – January 30, 2013
- Bladensburg VFD Firefighter Ethan Sorrell released from hospital. Firefighter Kevin O’Toole remains in burn unit. PGFD outlines investigation of fire that injured seven firefighters. – February 28, 2012
- DC & Arlington fill in Charles County, MD firehouse. Fairgrounds fire brings much mutual aid. – April 2, 2013
- Latest from PGFD: Bladensburg VFD Firefighters Ethan Sorrell & Kevin O’Toole both in critical condition with burns. – February 25, 2012
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Great story. Common sense prevails.
A great example of how rules can not govern every situatuion. It shows that the people in the field need to be given some leeway to make decisions when necessary.
Great job guys.
What a wondrful story! Thanks, Dave, for sharing it.
To FF's Scott, Philpot and Butler- Thank you. You are a blessing to not only Christina, but t the rest of us too.
Great FD saying: it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask permission!
Great job, troops!!
Was there any rumble in the office about discipline before someone realized that the troops did the right thing?
Thats what this job is all about….saving lives, no matter what. Be safe out there.
Great job to these PGC Firefighters. This is what the job is all about. When a life is on the line, the rule book goes out the window. They acted without hesitation, and that little girl is alive today because of it. WAY TO GO!
Risky, though. If she hadn't lived there would be investigations and lawsuits. Cardiac arrests need good compressions and ACLS drugs whether in the home, in an ambulance, fire engine or in the ED. People just don't come to life faster because they're in a hospital. Working the code right saves the patient-as they did in this case.
ACLS drugs are IIb, you, coming from the EMS side as it seems should know that epinephrine, for example, is NOT proven to improve outcome to discharge AT ALL.
This crew did what needed to be done. This, in some parts of the world would result in the suspension of licenses, fines from the state, reprimand to the fire department through the media (See Edgewater Fire Department, FL [also on Fire Law's Blog]). In other parts of the country the ADMINISTRATION GETS IT. We're here for one reason. To fulfill our mission. What is our mission? Protect LIVES. Protect PROPERTY.
Hats off to the crew. A bigger tip of the hat do the PGFD administration for the (from the view of the report) awards and acceptance.
Your gonna make a great fire chief one day.
It never ceases to amaze me that street surgeons like Bobby truly believe that pre-hospital care is as good as ED care from real doctors. Effective CPR can be performed in the crew area in nearly all fire apparatus that has been manufactured in the last 10-15 years at least. Waiting for a transport unit that may or may not arrive in the expected time frame is equally risky (accident, traffic, road closure, coming upon a ped. struck, etc). Thank God Bobby was not making the decision in this instance.
Great job, people!
Without knowing the particulars of which interventions were provided prior to ROSC in this case, Bobby is right. Ignoring the fact that epinephrine and atropine (of which, atropine was removed from the 2010 AHA Emergency Cardiac Care guidelines) has never been showen to be effective at increasing survival to meaningful dischage. Similarly, medication doesn't care whether a paramedic is pushing it or a RN at the direct order of a physician is pushing it. There isn't some sort of special "emergency department strength epinephrine" or "ED strength defibrillator" that is more effective than what is found on a paramedic equipped ambulance.
Finally, unlike fine wine, cardiac arrests do not gett better with age, and the studies looking at the ability to do quality CPR in a moving vehicle is mixed at best.
Time to join the 2st century Harney- doctors are not gods, and EMS is not a fast Cadillac ride. "Effective CPR" performed by a human in motion has been proven a myth. If you or your department gave a crap about EMS you'd know that. If "waiting for a transport unit that may or may not arrive" is such a risk, whybother with ambulances at all? Throw 'em all in the cab and race off to see Dr. Brackett.
"…firefighter/paramedics who's quick action saved her life…" Umm, that should be "whose." "Who's" is short for "who is" as in "who's your daddy?" And yes, I know in broadcast media, you can't really "see" what they're saying, but still, some editor should have proofread this.
Anyway, good job to the firefighters, and Merry Christmas to Christina, her family, Statter and his family, all the emergency personnel out there (notice I didn't say "first responders"), and to you and yours.
Sometimes you just have to make a move!
Good Job!
Great job!! Common sense has to prevail and adapt and overcome. Do what you gotta do to get the job done. These guys did the right thing, no matter what the EMS gurus say.
I think these firefighters made a very good decision under the circumstances and commend them for doing the right thing. Fortunately there was a good outcome for the patient. I do have to wonder though, if through no fault of their own the outcome had been different, would the same people who now hail them as heroes be calling them zeroes and demanding they be punished for 'violating the rules'?
They absolutely would be punished if this was a negative outcome. You don't get points for almosts in this business.
They *would* absolutely
To protect myself from the grammar police out there.
Terrible choice. Guys wanted to be hero's rather then follow protocols. They broke the rules. Thank God the little girl is okay.
Your an even better Chief candidate than Bobby. For a second, pretend it was your 5 year old daughter.
Kimd makes it easier to see it was a good decision, doesn't it.
The news report doesn't give us enough information to know whether or not this was a proper decision by the fire company. Yes, the girl lived and that's what it's all about. But what if a lesser trained or lesser equipped company tries to mimmick this actions in the future and kills their patient in the process?
Was the engine paramedic-equipped? Were they doing ACLS? How far away was the ambulance? Was it an ALS or BLS ambulance en route? How close were they to the hospital? These are all factors that should have played into the decision the company officers and his firefighters made on this call.
Anyone who thinks that a "bolus of deisel" to get the patient to the ED is going to save them all is foolish and needs to return to the 1950s.
My favorite "what if" question:
What if your aunt had balls?
Risky move, glad it paid off. I don’t know the particulars so I can’t comment on the medicine of it, but it does show 3 firemen who weren’t afraid to bend the rules to do what they thought was best for their patient. That is really the thing to commend.
This falls into the catagory of "If it works, we'll be heros. If it doesn't work, we're gonna get sued and fired." Lots of things could have gone wrong. Girl could have died, fire truck crash and girl gets ejected, state pulls licenses of crew for not transporting properly.. Regardless, I doubt any of us who wear the uniform of this service have complied with every rule, regulation and requirement of the job. Sometimes you just gotta do what you think is best and roll the dice.
Behind every rule, policy, procedure and guidline there has to be a BRAIN. This is not a situation of asking for forgiveness or asking for permission. It's about good solid judgement and acting in th interest of the citizen they are sworn to protect. This type of action is what makes firefighting honorable. Great job to the crew, their actions demonstrate they have been heroes all along, they simply had the opportunity to let it show. Now don't go out and screw it up by doing something totally brainless.
Good news to read from PG!
Good Job by the Crew!
why does it have to be "failure to follow rules" and not just "ff's save little girl."
Because that's what they did……
It says in the text below the video, "She had stopped breathing and had no pulse." That is a no-lose situation…she either dies during transport by firetruck or waiting for an ambulance, or she lives by reason of rapid transport in a fire truck.
Congratulations to PG. Well done!
The problem is that there isn't enough information to determine if prompt transport or prehospital treatment was the key to reviving the patient. There is no indication about what interventions, or even when, she gained ROSC. If, for example, the mere act of providing mechanical ventilation by a BVM was what ulimately revived the patient, then transport wasn't necessarilly appropriate.
Are there times when it is appropraite to transport without an ambulance? Sure, and those are extreme and rare circumstances. Is this one of those circumstances? There's no information provided to argue either way, including declaring this to be a "no-lose situation." There is no way to argue that the girl survived because of, in spite of the decision to transport without an ambulance, or if the decision to transport had no effect on the outcome.
Ok I have read all the comments, and everyone seems to be in agreeance that the decision to Transport the Child immediately was the right thing to do. Yes the crew did probably break the written SOPs. Keep in mind the EMS unit Responding was something like five minutes or approximately five minuetes away. The crew used good Professional Mature Skills/Knowledge to get the Child to the Hospital. (1) The child stopped Breathing/No Pulse. What is the most Basic Learning in CPR/EMT-B Training. "4-6 Minutes without any BLS/ALS Intervention" The child immediately became a Code when she stopped Breathing. Public Safety Professional Training speaks Volumes to "Manage the Circumstances as they exist/occur". What these True Dedicated professionals did was point out the fact the Fire and EMS Service is always there and Ready to Serve the People. This occurs anywhere in our Nation. Another Excellent example of a similar situation, this past january during the extreme Snow Storm, the Staff of MCFRS Station 23 had a walk in Chest pains of an elderly man. Due to Traffic being stopped and barely moving in anyt direction, the crew did a similar action of Transporting this man to the Hospital on the Engine just the same as Clinton did. There was a Paramedic working at Station 23 and inital ALS Intervention took place. If they had waited there is no telling how long an EMS Unit would have taken. Keep in mind on both of these incidents, there was the possibility that the Responding EMS Unit could have been involved in a Traffic Collision, or possibily came upon another Emergency while Responding. Bottom Line is, SOPs are written in place for the best protection and Safety of the People being served, and the Emergency Responders". They are Basically a Guide Line. SOPs vs. Human Life. COMMON SENSE PREVAILED, as it should have.
Have a Nice Day/Merry Christmas Everyone
Some comments speak of the violations of Protocol.; Ok a quick snap judgement decision was made. The violations were such that the Child's Life wasnot jeopardized. The issue was commented was the Engine crew had an ALS Provider? Reading the comments it appears as though the crew was BLS EMT-B Trained. What would be the comments if the Station was say perhaps located in a Rural possibly unincorporated area? Either the child could possibly be taken to the Fire Station. In this case the child's condition was deteriorating. If the Rural area example had an Ambulance responding and the ETA was say 5 minutes or so away, and the Engine could Transport the child as was the case in Clinton to the Hospital quicker than waiting any further time for an ambulance to arrive. The child coded at the Station, and the crew managed her condition as a True Life Threatening Emergency. The comment about the crew was just thinking about themselves for Public News Media recognition is wrong and totally out of line. This same situation can and probably does occur anywhere, anytime in our Nation. The Professionals of PG Fire and EMS handled themselves with one thought only. Get the child to the Hospital as quickly as Humanly possible, without further delay.
Thank You
the engine at pg county station 25 is NOT a paramedic equipped fire engine.
Although I do not ride the ambo much anymore, I have been a paramedic for almost 25 years. You do whats best for the patient PERIOD. If this means keeping a kid going while you tear ass to the hospital then so be it. In fact our SMO's state with an under 10 minute ETA, transport should be rapid in a pediatric arrest. A life was saved. Some of you appear to think it would have been better with a different outcome as long as procedure was followed. I am an officer. I have some latitude in my decision making process. LIFE trumps SOP'S at times.
sounds like this was in Clinton, which is like 3 minutes from the ER right??? Just sayin….. Load and go seems the correct choice…..
The crew of 2 career and a volunteer firefighter received an Emergency Services Award from the County Fire Chief for a job well done. Obviously, the Chief thought the crew was desrving and any consideration of any rules being broken were/are not even a consideration. The PGFD Fire Chief thought it was a good idea to present the awards and turn the presentation into a media event. Good leadership – good decisions all the way around this incident.
Why Do You Start Almost Every Word In Your Rant With A Capital Letter? Great job guys!! This was a call that could only be made after a qick assessment. We get paid to think quick, make good decisions and save lives. If that were my daughter, I could give a s*!* less what she rode on to get to the hospital. Waiting on that gut box would have been the end for her. Load and go!!
The comments here all pretty much say the same thing. One thing that I didnot read; "What would have been the difference, if there had been an ambulance in the station same situation, same crew"? Child stopped breathing/no pulse. Medic unit Responding with say 5 minutes or so ETA. Should the crew have waited for the medic unit? NO Absolutely not. 4-6 minutes with irreversible Brain damage. Basic Body of Knowledge/Training in EMT-B and CPR. There was no reason nor excuse to wait what is the difference if the child was Transported in an ambulance with BLS intervention/EMT-B Professionals, as opposed to waiting further losing time critical to Life. Bottom Line. The Child is Alive. What else is important?
Thank You