Monday, February 7, 2011
** UK ambulance operator fired after boy dies following delayed extrication dispatch
** Former paramedic/current Nebraska Lt. Gov’s son injured after shooting himself in face
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** A Nottingham ambulance dispatcher has been fired after a boy died when she failed to alert appropriate emergency crews to an MVA call. The Nottingham Post (Emma Matthews/February 4) said the woman, who works for the East Midlands Ambulance Service, apparently forgot to notify extrication staff to the fact a 17-year was trapped inside his car. The teen, Jessie Luckins, 17, remained entangled for some 55 minutes before appropriate help finally arrived;he died two days later in hospital. According to information presented at an inquest, the dispatcher seemed befuddled as to her failure, explaining only that the August 15, 2009 call came in at the end of her 12 hour shift. The woman also said the call had been first routed through another service and that she had failed to check the code indicating trapped persons were inside the car.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** The son of former paramedic and current Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy is in stable condition after accidentally shooting himself at home Wednesday. Reuters (February 2) said Joel Sheehy, 21, was handling the weapon when it went off, sending the bullet through his right cheek and exiting behind his right ear. Sheehy Jr. suffered facial fractures in the incident. Appointed lieutenant governor in 2005, Sheehy Sr. worked as both a paramedic and EMS manager just prior to entering politics.
