Man Dies in City Because EMS Won't Walk in Snow 4 Blocks to his home

[RamboLiberal]

Big story in the aftermath of the big snowstorm and poor handling of it by city of Pittsburgh. Granted my area has difficult topography but the city blew it big time in this one from taking days to plow streets including main arteries to this one of letting a man die cause EMS asked family to walk ill man to them instead of trudging through snow for 1/4 mile to 4 blocks or calling out plows or fire service which was just blocks away. Listening to talk radio today there are also reports of other residents who called 911 and EMS never came. Autopsy so far shows he probably would've lived if he had gotten to the hospital. Oh and the night the snowstorm was moving in (granted it was bigger than forecast) the mayor Luke Ravenstahl had decided to go to the Laurel Mountains about 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh to celebrate his 30th birthday. He didn't get back until Sunday.

The husband of a Hazelwood woman is dead and she's blaming the city.

Sharon Edge says for two-and-a-half days, she made desperate calls to 911 during last week's big snowstorm.

Paramedics never came and her husband, Curtis Mitchell, never got the treatment she believes would have saved his life.

Griffin: " So they get the ambulance four blocks away ..."

Edge: "Yeah."

Griffin: "And they tell you what?"

Edge: "To walk again."

http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/Hazelwood.man.death.2.1496658.html

Response from the city:

The city of Pittsburgh issued a statement today regarding the death of a Hazelwood resident during last week's snow emergency, expressing "our deepest condolences to the family in the loss of their loved one."

The statement, under the names of Emergency Medical Services Chief Robert McCaughan and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, also says the following:

"During the weather emergency that began on February 5th and throughout the after affects of the storm, the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services responded to an above average number calls for assistance. Unfortunately, on one of those calls, a patient passed away at his home due to an unknown condition.

"We are critically reviewing all aspects of this call to identify areas of potential improvement and are dedicated to making whatever changes may be necessary to improve the overall delivery of our service."

KDKA-TV last night reported on the death of Hazelwood resident Curtis Mitchell, quoting his wife, Sharon Edge, who said he became ill on Feb. 5, the first day of the record snow fall. She chronicled multiple calls to 911, some of which resulted in ambulances coming within several blocks of her home, but none of which resulted in a successful transport of her husband, who died at home on Feb. 7.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10047/1036230-100.stm#ixzz0fiddRicE

[Iggo]

1. You mean they're not all heroes?

[Bitwit1234]

2. I posted this one before

In 1965 my son had bronchial pneumonia. I had called for an ambulance and they said they couldn't get thru because living in the country, the snow had swept over and field and blocked the road. Well unbeknown st to me the came anyway and couldn't get thru. While preparing to mark the spot for an air rescue we heard shouting. Those five men on that truck had dug a path for almost a mile, in blowing snow and wind and cold. They got my son to the hospital and probably saved his life. So some rescue workers have a heart.

[RamboLiberal]

3. Yep - here's a couple of firefighters in nearby community of Penn Hills

Who went above and beyond!

"The snow was so deep that we couldn't bring the victims up the hill with a vehicle or a chair carry," said Turpin. A chair carry is a rescue technique that involves four people holding arms and legs to move someone.

Without giving it a thought, they hoisted the woman and her grandson on their shoulders and trudged about 300 feet up the hill in knee-deep snow.

"My only thought was to get them out of there," said Porter. "It felt like my lungs would explode, but I kept going until I reached the ambulance."

Turpin, who carried soldiers wearing 100 pounds of body armor while in Iraq, said he was confident he could handle the young burn victim, "but the snow made it a thousand times tougher," he said.

Rather than heading home after the ordeal, the two men joined scores of other firefighters, police and medics helping people deal with the storm. They were finally ordered to go home on Sunday afternoon.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_667358.html