Complacency at an EMS call almost leads to tragedy. The Ken Prillaman Story. (SAM 238)

Published: Nov. 13, 2018, noon

\xa0

On Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Brooklyn Park Fire Department was dispatched to a medical call that had the potential to be catastrophic for the members of their department, their EMS transport provider and their police department.

The call was for a person having a stroke. As the crew arrived and made entry through the front door of the house there was a man on the floor having a seizure. The two police officers on the scene were attending to the individual.

One of the firefighters on the scene, Jeff St. Martin, noticed a mess of exhaust and heard what sounded like a motor running. His quick actions prevented a catastrophic outcome. The levels of carbon monoxide measured in the home exceeded the capacity of the department\u2019s carbon monoxide meter (in excess of 600 ppm).

Some takeaways from the interview include:

  • How complacency can creep into our mindset that we are responding to \u201cjust another medical call.
  • How strong situational awareness can alert us when the pieces of the puzzle don\u2019t fit\u2026 and things don\u2019t make sense.
  • How intuition, when followed, can compel action that that can be lifesaving, even when you may not know why you are taking the action at the moment.
  • How a CO monitor carried by first-arriving medical personnel (and perhaps police officers) can alert responders to the potential of highly lethal CO levels.

Contact Us
www.SAMatters.com
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424 (office)
651-331-8518 (cell)

\xa0

Get connected with SAMatters
Facebook: Follow SAMatters
LinkedIn: Follow Rich Gasaway
Twitter: Follow Rich Gasaway
Instagram: Follow SA_Matter
Youtube: Subscribe to SAMattersTV
Itunes: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio
Stitcher Radio: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio
Google Play: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio
iHeart Radio: Subscribe to SAMatters Radio

Our Sponsors
Midwest Fire
MidwestFire.com

\xa0

Chief Miller
Instagram: @Chief_Miller

\xa0

Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records
Licensed by BMI Music

\xa0

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

SPONSOR THIS SHOW

The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused weekly program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us by clicking the \u201cContact us\u201d tab at the top of the SAMatters.com website.