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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Cops Father Died Waiting For Help

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posted by Bob at Thursday, March 22, 2007

5 Comments:

Blogger Bob said...

Cop's father died waiting for help
Nearest medic, fire units were out; backup crew took 14 minutes
BY TIM NELSON
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 03/21/2007 11:09:45 PM CDT


Mike Ernster doesn't need a 326-page, six-month report to know there is something wrong with the St. Paul Fire Department.

In August, he had his mom call them when his father fell ill in his parents' St. Paul home. Jerry Ernster, a 70-year-old retired city surveyor, had a previous bout with cancer but didn't appear to be in any imminent danger until he complained of trouble breathing, his son said.

An off-duty St. Paul police officer, Mike Ernster went to his parents' home and asked a 911 operator if the nearest ambulance, at White Bear Avenue and Burns Street, was on its way. The medic unit was on another call, a dispatcher said. He asked about the ladder company in the same station: The city's fire trucks carry defibrillators and firefighters are trained to make an initial response to a medical emergency.

But the fire crew was on another assignment, and the dispatcher sent the next closest medic unit, from Herbert Street and Maryland Avenue, almost six miles and nearly twice as far away as Station 24.

Ernster soon realized that his father wasn't just ill but had gone into full cardiac arrest. He told his mom to tell the 911 operator that the fire department needed to "step it up," as the situation was growing more dire.

"I started doing CPR on my dad," recalls Ernster, who has been on the force for about 13 years and had been trained in first aid and basic emergency response. "At some point, you know, the job kind of takes over."

He tried to resuscitate his dad for as long as 14 minutes, he estimates now, while emergency medical personnel were on their way.
It was to no avail. Ernster's father was pronounced dead at his home in the Highwood neighborhood after the paramedics arrived.

Neither he nor his mom, he said, think anyone did anything but their best for his dad that day. Even today, he isn't sure paramedics or anyone else might have been able to save his father.

Even though he can't blame the fire department's rank and file, or the administration, "I think it's the system that's broken here," Ernster said in a recent interview. "Nobody should have to do CPR on their dad for 14 minutes, waiting for help."

And the Virginia-based consulting firm, TriData, which did the recent study of the fire deparment, agreed. It found:

St. Paul may be the only major U.S. city to "cross staff" its fire trucks and ambulances with the same personnel, a practice that consultant Stephen Brezler called "efficient, but no longer effective" in a briefing on the report.

Some areas of the city, particularly the southeastern corner where the Ernsters live, as well as an area around Como Park and parts of Macalester-Groveland and Highland are getting second-class EMS service because of the way the stations and crews are configured and the size of the areas they cover.

City budget cuts in 2003 have paramedics attending required continuing education classes on duty, further reducing emergency medical staffing.

Round-the-clock scheduling is too grueling for the call load St. Paul's medics handle.

Ann Mulholland, chief of staff for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, acknowledged Wednesday that these were critical issues. Nearly four out of five calls the fire department takes are medical emergencies, and that service requires more focus from the department and the city, she said.

"That's the culture shift here, that the mayor is going to implement," Mulholland said. "We are all going to have to sit down and admit what we really are. The mission of the department needs to reflect the service that we provide, and today it does not."

Tim Nelson can be reached at tnelson@pioneerpress.com or 651-292-1159.

9:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is very disappointing, and does not show St. Paul in a very good light.

Do you really think anything will come of this? They had a big study done in 1989 with 150 recommendations. NOTHING happened. This new study cost the city $215,000.00.

The Firefighter's Union endorsed and backed Chris Coleman for mayor. Do you really think he or any city council member (Harris excluded) would go against the firefighter's union?

The two committees appointed to review the fire department are as follows.

Group one, consisting of Chief Holton and representatives from the firefighter union are set to meet this Friday, March 23, 2007

Group two, consisting of City Council President (Firefighter backed) Kathy Lantry and former Mayor George Latimer (firefighter back and spokesman for Mayor Chris Coleman).

The deck is so well stacked against the Chief by the union and the Mayor's office. Chief Holton wants to make some real changes and the firefighter's union has balked at any change since the 1980s. Just look at the survey that was done in 1989. Mayor Kelly wanted to implement these changes, but I can remember the protests on University Avenue during the last mayoral election. Chief Holden should get a medal for what he has done so far and the union bums should be held accountable for lives that are lost due to their inaction and job protecting practices. The union may have the Mayor in their pocket now, but not for long. What gets me is how they can look in the mirror each day knowing what they are doing is not promoting public safety.

Bill in St. Paul

11:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is Cocaine Katie, still a paramedic--
OOP's, I mean Dino Gerian?

8:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Next - will the mayor of st.paul,
get caught gambling the city budget away at a casino.
Dino Gerain Ex.Ramsey County Commissioner and
Lori E. Kratzke Ex.Ramsey County Deputy Stole Money For Gambling.

10:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what do the last 2 post have to do with this thread?

And if you are going to make accusations like this, have the guts to sign your name to it.

3:33 PM  

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