** Charges pending against South Carolina hospital patient who stole ambulance from ER

 

** Charges are pending against a South Carolina man who allegedly stole an ambulance Tuesday from outside a Beaufort hospital’s ER. WTOC (June 19) said medical evaluations are being conducted on Helena Island resident Clifton McNeill, 34, to determine his state of mind. According to the news station, hospital patient McNeill made off with the EMS unit around 5:10 p.m. after first discarding his IV. When the ambulance medic alighted from the vehicle to respond to McNeill’s request for a ride home, McNeill jumped in the rig and took off. He proceeded to guide the vehicle the wrong way down the street before being blocked by police. McNeill was eventually subdued by a Taser drive-stun in which the Taser activates after contacting the subject.

 

 

** Court date postponed for Nova Scotia paramedic accused of sexual assault

** Memorial service for Ontario Ornge air ambulance crew draws hundreds

** The case of a Nova Scotia paramedic accused of sexually assaulting a female patient has been postponed until July 2 in Windsor. That is the word from The Hants Journal (Ashley Thompson/June 18) which said the lawyer for James Duncan Keats, 47, requested additional time from the court to review the case. Keats did not appear at a Tuesday hearing. He stands accused of sexual assault and breach of trust x 3. The incident involved a 71-year-old Rawdon woman. A second case involving a 31-year-old female is also underway in Halifax. Keats remains on paid leave pending the outcome of court proceedings. Along with the Windsor appearance, he is also slated to stand before a judge July 22 in Halifax provincial court.

** A memorial service for the Ornge air ambulance crew killed last month in a crash near Moosonee, Ontario saw hundreds attend to pay their respects Tuesday. CTV News (CP/June 18) said the Toronto commemoration for pilot Don Filliter, first officer Jacques Dupuy, and flight paramedics Chris Snowball and Dustin Dagenais saw some 200 paramedics, police, and Ornge staff pay tribute to their colleagues. According to the news service, Premier Kathleen Wynne and Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews were also present at the Toronto Police College ceremony. Along with personal recollections, the gathering also saw an Ornge helicopter overfly the service, while a bagpiper headed a procession. The May 31st accident remains under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). TSB officials have so far managed to rule out mechanical failure as the crash’s cause.

** Results of vote on Nova Scotia paramedic deal expected tomorrow

** South African ambulances regularly being stolen for conversion into taxis

** The results of a vote on whether or not Nova Scotia paramedics will accept their service’s latest contract offer should be available Thursday. That is the word from the Chronicle Herald (June 15) which said balloting on the tentative deal began Saturday. The proposed agreement, including a defined benefit pension plan, was reached in early June just days before potential strike action. The union has recommended acceptance of the deal. International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727 represents 800 ground and air paramedics.

** An Eastern Cape paramedic has been convicted of complicity of the theft of an ambulance. The Dispatch (Bongane Fuzile/June 17) said the practitioner has now been fired from his job. According to the newspaper, Jacob Segola is claiming his admission of guilt was coerced by police. A government spokesman, however, said such thefts are commonplace. Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration commissioner Malusi Mbuli said such heists are usually encouraged by thugs seeking to turn the stolen EMS units into taxis. Mbuli said the crime was inexcusable, given that needy community members rely on the prehospital rigs to access healthcare. Segola’s crime occurred in March 2009 outside Sterkspruit Hospital. Along with helping a co-conspirator gain access to the ambulance, he also allegedly gave the man his uniform to deceive security guards.