Wednesday, March 13, 2013

** Australian police in Victoria decry no EMS response for unconscious man

** Jury still deliberating in murder case of female Massachusetts firefighter alleged to have killed lesbian paramedic partner

AUSTRALIA NEWS

** Police brass in Victoria are crying foul after a lack of EMS resources that saw a cruiser car transport an unconscious Mansfield man to hospital two Saturdays ago. The Herald Sun (Lucie van den Berg/March 12) quoted Senior Sgt. Mark Fabris as saying four requests for an ambulance were made around 1:30 a.m. March 2 before the service told officers no resources were available. The man was then taken to hospital in the back of a police car. Fabris said police are not qualified to transport the injured. His sentiments were echoed by Ambulance Employees Australia Victorian secretary Steve McGhie who called the situation unacceptable. Opposition politicians also joined the fray, demanding the health minister launch an investigation. A spokesman for Ambulance Victoria, meanwhile, said, while disappointing,  the lack of an ambulance was not life threatening for the patient who was deemed to be stable.

UNITED STATES NEWS

** Jury deliberation continued for a third day Tuesday in the case of a former female Massachusetts firefighter accused of killing her lesbian paramedic partner. The Associated Press (March 11) said Cara Rintala, formerly of Granby, stands charged with strangling and beating to death Annamarie Cochrane Rintala in 2010. Cochrane Rintala’s body was found in the basement of the home the two shared. Prosecutors contended during the trial that Cara lost control after overstressing about the duo’s finances. Defence council, however, derided the evidence against Rintala, saying viable alternate suspects were wrongly discarded.