** California patient threatens to kill attending medics; tries to pull gun from sock
** San Diego assemblyman in California introduces bill mandating compensation for missed EMS lunch or rest breaks
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A pair of Pomona, California paramedics narrowly escaped injury Thursday after a male patient threatened to kill them while attempting to grab a gun from his sock. That is the word from The Daily Bulletin (Doug Saunders/May 12) which said the noon hour incident played out after EMS was hailed to a medical call. According to the newspaper, medics were able to disarm the man after he began to menace them. Once police arrived on-scene, they found a cache of weapons including five more handguns, two assault rifles, a lever action rifle, a small calibre rifle, and a bolt action rifle with attached bayonet. The man, meanwhile, was transported to hospital and placed on a psychiatric hold. There is no word on whether or not charges are pending.
** A California lawmaker is apparently attempting to level the playing field when it comes to ensuring proper lunch and rest breaks for EMTs. NBC San Diego (Paul Krueger/May 12) said Pomona Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez (D) has introduced a bill that would mandate paying medics one hour’s worth of pay for every interrupted lunch break. The proposed statute would also require services to give another lunch break when the assigned pause is missed. The California Ambulance Association had come out against the legislation, saying it is punitive to companies and too broad in its approach. Rodriguez, who has been an EMT for 3 decades, disagrees. He said he knows what going without breaks is like as he still works EMS part time. The law comes at a time when a class action lawsuit has been filed in the city against Rural Metro. The suit is seeking back pay and compensation for crews who missed full rest breaks.
