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Latest ambulance delay puts new focus on D.C. fire chief Latest ambulance delay puts new focus on D.C. fire chief
(about 2 hours later)
In the minutes after Robert Leroi Wiggins was stabbed through the heart during a domestic dispute last month in Southeast Washington, paramedics raced to save his life inside a second-floor apartment on 37th Street. In the minutes after Robert Leroi Wiggins was stabbed through the heart in a domestic dispute last month in Southeast Washington, paramedics raced to save his life inside a second-floor apartment on 37th Street.
What the firefighters couldn’t do was get him quickly to a hospital. The first ambulance arrived 18 minutes after the 911 call, a delayed response similar to some others over the past three years. But the fire department’s medical director, who resigned this week, singled this one out in her departure letter to the mayor, saying she believed that the 35-year-old man’s life might have been saved if he had gotten to the hospital sooner.What the firefighters couldn’t do was get him quickly to a hospital. The first ambulance arrived 18 minutes after the 911 call, a delayed response similar to some others over the past three years. But the fire department’s medical director, who resigned this week, singled this one out in her departure letter to the mayor, saying she believed that the 35-year-old man’s life might have been saved if he had gotten to the hospital sooner.
“I’m at a loss for words,” said his mother, Crystal Wiggins, 58, who lives in Prince George’s County. “It’s an absolute outrage. . . . Somebody has to answer.”“I’m at a loss for words,” said his mother, Crystal Wiggins, 58, who lives in Prince George’s County. “It’s an absolute outrage. . . . Somebody has to answer.”
Robert Wiggins’s death on Jan. 30 has once again brought the District’s shortage of ambulances into focus and is putting new pressure on the fire chief, Gregory M. Dean, who was hired nine months ago from Seattle to ramp up reforms and turn around a department hampered by poor response times and problems with equipment.Robert Wiggins’s death on Jan. 30 has once again brought the District’s shortage of ambulances into focus and is putting new pressure on the fire chief, Gregory M. Dean, who was hired nine months ago from Seattle to ramp up reforms and turn around a department hampered by poor response times and problems with equipment.
[Fire chief marks nine months trying to change culture of fire department][Fire chief marks nine months trying to change culture of fire department]
In her resignation letter, medical director Jullette M. Saussy leveled broad criticisms at the fire department, alleging a “toxic” culture that resisted change. The physician questioned Dean’s proposed reforms, such as using private ambulances to respond to low-level calls to free up the District’s fleet for more critical patients, while she said her own ideas to assess the qualifications of first responders were blocked.In her resignation letter, medical director Jullette M. Saussy leveled broad criticisms at the fire department, alleging a “toxic” culture that resisted change. The physician questioned Dean’s proposed reforms, such as using private ambulances to respond to low-level calls to free up the District’s fleet for more critical patients, while she said her own ideas to assess the qualifications of first responders were blocked.
District officials said Saussy’s criticisms were unfair and failed to provide a complete picture. They also argued that she disagreed with other officials over the department’s fundamental structure, pushing instead to create separate agencies for emergency medical services and firefighting. Dean and the mayor favor cross-training firefighters and paramedics, a goal that has been embraced by past administrations but has remained elusive since it was first made a priority in 2006. Medical calls now make up 80 percent of all 911 responses.District officials said Saussy’s criticisms were unfair and failed to provide a complete picture. They also argued that she disagreed with other officials over the department’s fundamental structure, pushing instead to create separate agencies for emergency medical services and firefighting. Dean and the mayor favor cross-training firefighters and paramedics, a goal that has been embraced by past administrations but has remained elusive since it was first made a priority in 2006. Medical calls now make up 80 percent of all 911 responses.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said that she was “not shocked” by Saussy’s resignation and that the District would find someone to replace her who could work within the department’s combined force to improve standards and accountability.Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said that she was “not shocked” by Saussy’s resignation and that the District would find someone to replace her who could work within the department’s combined force to improve standards and accountability.
“What’s important is that we have a team committed to our system,” Bowser said, “not saying, ‘This is the system here, I don’t like it, so you got to change it or else.” “What’s important is that we have a team committed to our system,” Bowser said, “not saying, ‘This is the system here, I don’t like it, so you got to change it or else.’ ”
[Fire department’s medical director resigns leaving scathing letter][Fire department’s medical director resigns leaving scathing letter]
Saussy disputed that she supported one plan over the other but she said Wednesday that merging the fire and medical services has not been successful in other cities. “Either you love medicine or you don’t,” she said. “Either you like fighting fires or you don’t. We keep trying to put a round peg in a square hole. Systems that have tried to do both are mediocre at best.” Saussy disputed that she supported one plan over the other, but she said Wednesday that merging the fire and medical services has not been successful in other cities. “Either you love medicine or you don’t,” she said. “Either you like fighting fires or you don’t. We keep trying to put a round peg in a square hole. Systems that have tried to do both are mediocre at best.”
The outgoing medical director said the department’s inability to change has contributed to what she termed needless deaths “because we are moving too slow.” She used Wiggins as an example, saying he had suffered “a potentially survivable injury” and concluded, “We failed that young man.”The outgoing medical director said the department’s inability to change has contributed to what she termed needless deaths “because we are moving too slow.” She used Wiggins as an example, saying he had suffered “a potentially survivable injury” and concluded, “We failed that young man.”
Dean, who was hired after a 44-year career with the Seattle fire department, said he is making changes as fast as he can.Dean, who was hired after a 44-year career with the Seattle fire department, said he is making changes as fast as he can.
“I think that we have done a lot of things in the nine months I have been here,” said Dean, ticking off a list that included additional hiring, training and his private ambulance plan, which is about four to six weeks from implementation. “It would be nice to see a miracle happen. It’s a system that has been challenged for many years. In nine months, we are talking about changes­ that this organization has never seen before.”“I think that we have done a lot of things in the nine months I have been here,” said Dean, ticking off a list that included additional hiring, training and his private ambulance plan, which is about four to six weeks from implementation. “It would be nice to see a miracle happen. It’s a system that has been challenged for many years. In nine months, we are talking about changes­ that this organization has never seen before.”
[Read medical director’s resignation letter][Read medical director’s resignation letter]
Dean agreed there are not enough ambulances and said he feels it was disingenuous for Saussy to criticize equipment and staffing shortages while blasting the chief’s plan to bring in private ambulances to fix the problem.Dean agreed there are not enough ambulances and said he feels it was disingenuous for Saussy to criticize equipment and staffing shortages while blasting the chief’s plan to bring in private ambulances to fix the problem.
On the call involving Wiggins, it took the ambulance six minutes longer than average to reach the scene. The chief said paramedics trained in advanced life support arrived in six minutes and were administering care while screaming at dispatchers to rush more help there. “You can’t say we’re indifferent and we don’t care,” Dean said.On the call involving Wiggins, it took the ambulance six minutes longer than average to reach the scene. The chief said paramedics trained in advanced life support arrived in six minutes and were administering care while screaming at dispatchers to rush more help there. “You can’t say we’re indifferent and we don’t care,” Dean said.
A department spokesman said all the ambulances were on other calls when the 911 call came in for Wiggins.A department spokesman said all the ambulances were on other calls when the 911 call came in for Wiggins.
Several people in the District have died after slow responses from D.C. ambulances, although it is nearly impossible to determine the impact of delays. Two deaths have occurred during Dean’s tenure — the latest involving Wiggins, who was stabbed Jan. 27 and died three days later.Several people in the District have died after slow responses from D.C. ambulances, although it is nearly impossible to determine the impact of delays. Two deaths have occurred during Dean’s tenure — the latest involving Wiggins, who was stabbed Jan. 27 and died three days later.
His mother said he had been working as a cross-country truck driver. She said he has a 12-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.His mother said he had been working as a cross-country truck driver. She said he has a 12-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.
On Jan. 2, Albert Jackson, 67, died after he suffered a heart attack at his Northeast Washington home. Firefighters responding to his 911 call stopped at the wrong location — a spot where a man had been detained by D.C. police — and, being told that they weren’t needed, left without checking to see whether they had the correct patient. Jackson was in a house on the same street, and it took 20 minutes to get medical attention to him.On Jan. 2, Albert Jackson, 67, died after he suffered a heart attack at his Northeast Washington home. Firefighters responding to his 911 call stopped at the wrong location — a spot where a man had been detained by D.C. police — and, being told that they weren’t needed, left without checking to see whether they had the correct patient. Jackson was in a house on the same street, and it took 20 minutes to get medical attention to him.
Dean attributed the delay to a human error. The Jackson family’s attorney, Joel DuBoff, said the man’s wife and son are devastated. “The chief is not making any reforms,” DuBoff said. “You call the ambulance service, and maybe they’ll do something and maybe they won’t.”Dean attributed the delay to a human error. The Jackson family’s attorney, Joel DuBoff, said the man’s wife and son are devastated. “The chief is not making any reforms,” DuBoff said. “You call the ambulance service, and maybe they’ll do something and maybe they won’t.”