A decision by a Lowell (Mass.) 911 dispatcher to cancel the fire department response to an EMS incident created a delay in gaining entry to the apartment at an independent-living apartment, where an elderly woman was found unresponsive by a fire crew, 66 minutes after she pressed her medical alert device. Now after an extensive investigation, officials say they’ve fired dispatcher Jason Lumenello and re-trained other personnel to prevent a similar incident from occurring. Lumenello had been a part-time dispatcher since 1999, and went full-time in February 2009. According to an investigation, Lumenello fielded a call from the alarm company, and created an EMS incident in CAD. However, he immediately cancelled the fire department portion of the response, and sent only an ambulance crew. When the medics arrived, they talked to the woman through the door, but couldn’t gain entry to the apartment. They requested the fire department, but the arriving fire crew discovered they didn’t have a key to the complex’s lock box. They located a nursing supervisor who had a key, and when they entered the woman was unresponsive. She was transported to a hospital where she was declared dead. Download (pdf, 118 Mb) the investigative report here, and read more about the incident here.
5 comments… add one
Why didn’t the ambulance crew force entry?
The ambulance company says their crews receive no training and have no tools for forcing entry. Apparently the door to the newish apartments was substantial enough they couldn’t just kick it in.
Totally justified termination. Not the ambulance crew’s job. Forcible entry is fire’s job.
If what I’ve read is correct the Ambulance Company is as responsible as the dispatcher. The Fire Deptartment did not force entry and used common sense to locate a key holder which the ambulance crew apparently failed to do. How many of them were terminated.
Bottom line.. CAN’T TEACH COMMON SENSE !!!!!
So they fired the dispatcher – what are you going to do with the ambulance crew that got there to find they didn’t have their lockbox key? Not the ambulance crew’s job? Saving lives is their #1 most important job. Don’t tell me people don’t tell the calltaker the door is unlocked but once the ambulance crew has arrived on scene they find it isn’t. Pretty sad we are assigning jobs here – John obviously team playing isn’t your strong point.
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