LMRFD WOW Call -- They Were on Another Call Wasn't The Point

You stopped reading at the first statement... They didn't Respond.

If the LMRFD was on another call that day, that's NOT the problem. The LMRFD ambulance in Dolan isn't available between 3 and 6 or more hours a day because they're out on calls. So not being available to respond because they're on other calls is pretty normal, and not the issue here.

Not having the LMRFD ambulance from Meadview, or AMR River Medical respond when someone is down from unknown medical problem, in not normal. In fact River Medical was so concerned about how this call was being handled, they called the sheriff dispatch and asked if they wanted River Medical to respond.

It's a rare event when another EMS agency is so concerned about how a call is being handled, they offer assistance to the sheriff, not the responding EMS agency.

What's not normal is to pronounced someone dead over the phone or radio. If someone from the LMRFD had already checked on the patient, that's one thing.

An EMT or paramedic making any diagnosis over the phone is wrong, let alone saying is dead.

Why didn't the LMRFD ambulance from Meadview respond, they weren't available? Why didn't the LMRFD ask AMR River Medical respond like they do on every other call when they're not available?

What if this was your husband or wife?

Government agencies have a history of not identifying problems until someone points them out.

Man down unknown medical call

1. EMS agency Respond
2. Have 2nd unit respond from EMS agency
3. have another EMS agency respond.

First Responders and Marijuana After November 2016

It looks like voters in Nevada and Arizona will have chance to join Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. in deciding if they want to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol already has 200,000 signatures to get their initiative the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act on the ballot for the November 2016 general election in Arizona, so we need to talk about this.

If recreational marijuana becomes legal in November law enforcement, EMS, and fire agencies will need to revise their policies on marijuana use. In 2013 CBS 5 Investigates traveled from Phoenix to Dolan Springs to interview me about the use of medical marijuana by first responders. 

Back in 2013 most agencies including DPS didn't have a policy on medical marijuana. CBS 5 only found 3 agencies with specific policies on medical marijuana. Yuma does allow city employees, including firefighters and EMTs to use medical marijuana as long as it is off-duty. Gilbert Fire Department allows employees to have medical marijuana cards, but may reassign or put the employee on paid leave, and Chandler Police Department prohibit officers from having a medical marijuana card. 

What's the LMRFD going to do if recreational marijuana becomes legal? We were told that when the LMRFD started drug testing several years ago, they lost many of the volunteers we depended on.

We would never want anyone to respond to fire or EMS calls while impaired on marijuana, alcohol, or anything else. That said, I would much prefer to have a first responder who used marijuana the night before, rather than one who had a hangover.

Marijuana is legal in one form or another in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and medical marijuana or legalization is on the ballot in as many as 20 states in 2016.

First Responders and Alcohol

Cops and firefighters are notorious drinkers, in many towns there are cop or firefighter bars. Ask anyone who's been on the job more than a few months and they'll have stories about drunk cops pr firefighters. 

In Spokane a DEA agent pulled out of the Sheridan Inn and hit a Spokane police car broadside. He didn't go to jail back then, but was held until a supervisor arrived from Seattle. He was never charged. 

My Undersheriff from Lincoln County got in a fight downtown Spokane. When officers tried to arrest him, he was threatening to tip over their patrol cars. He was 6'5" 300 pounds and they were worried he could really do it, so the sheriff had to talk him down. We go a new undersheriff after that.

One Christmas I was working dispatch while the local fire department was having their party, I punched out the fire tones ringing all 30 pagers at once, after a long pause I said Merry Christmas. After a few minutes the phone rang, it was the firefighters telling me I scared the hell out of them because no one was in any condition to respond to a fire.

Here are some links about first responders and alcohol abuse
Who Will Rescue the Heroes
Firefighters and alcohol
Alcohol and the badge
They drink when they're blue 

What about Marijuana Marijuana vs Alcohol

Many police and fire agencies where it's legal are still not allowing their employees to use marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. If you have ever had bad hangover from alcohol, you know you're not functioning their best. Yet it's ok to drink the night away and show up for duty the next day. Is this the EMT you want showing up when you need medical care?

Marijuana on the other hand doesn't cause a devastating handover leaving someone barley functioning the next morning. No one should ever come to work high or with a hangover. If they're not in top condition, go home.

Drug Testing
People using alcohol or meth can pass drug tests......
Many people today use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. It's sad that someone who drinks alcohol everyday can be a volunteer for the LMRFD, but someone who used marijuana a month ago would be rejected for failing a drug test. Someone who used meth on Friday can pass a drug test on Monday. Marijuana stays in the system for 30 days, meth and most other serious drugs only 72 hours.

We need to change some of our policies on drug testing. Before the LMRFD required drug testing we had a lot of volunteers. How many injuries or accidents did we have?

Was the drug testing policy changed because of real safety issues and documented accidents, or to be politically correct?

I can only hope in November we choose to stop destroying lives by legalizing recreational marijuana in Arizona.

Jay Fleming
Speaker
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
LINK to My Speakers Page 
LINK to LEAP Web Page

Please do your research

Marijuana and Kids
Why legalizing weed is unlikely to turn your kid into a pothead

Cartels are Losing Money Because of Legal Marijuana
Marijuana Legalization: Bad For The Cartels, Better For All

This article tells how many police officers including myself feel about the drug war today.
Why I Hated Being a Cop

LMRFD Refused to Respond, Deputies only response was WOW.

On Friday MCSO received a call of a man down between the RV park and the Dollar Store in Dolan Springs. The deputy was quite some distance from Dolan and asked LMRFD to respond. Shortly the dispatcher advised the deputy that LMRFD was NOT responding.

Sounding confused the deputy asked the dispatcher why? Dispatch advised "per fire department, they already know he's dead". The deputy had the same reaction I did, saying,"WOW". After laying on the ground for about 20 minutes MCSO arrived.

I don't know how the LMRFD knew the person was dead. I've worked for law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies and anyplace I've worked EMS responds to verify someone is deceased. The only way I know to do that is to hookup a heart monitor and verify the rhythm is a flat line.

There are many heart rhythms that can't be detected, especially by a lay person without a heart monitor. I think the tax payers in the LMRFD deserve their EMS to respond and verify a death, especially when the fire station is just blocks away.

This person deserved the LMRFD to respond and verify death, or attempt resuscitation. Only being a few blocks away they should have responded and if nothing else, cover the body and standby for MCSO to arrive.

I hope there's a good explanation for this call. There had been a big improvement in the way calls were handled since the new chief took over. I hope he gets to the bottom of this and lets us know why.

Voting in LMRFD Fire Board Election? READ Information on the Dolan Springs Community Council Money Problems

For people who want information on the Dolan Springs Community Council Money Problems please look at my blog on Corruption in a Small Town

Here's the Report Everyone Should Read!

Please read...
Jay Fleming

Candidates for LMRFD Fire Board

I see Charlotte Kiffer who is running for the fire board says she's understands budgets and financing, and has experienced in mediation and conflict resolution.

Anyone who saw her aggressive abusive manner she attacked me when I found discrepancies in the Community Council finances would know she's a nut. She had to be told several times to calm down during the meeting because of her loud abusive behavior. This type of unprofessional display is not who we want representing us, or the conduct we need at fire board meetings.

If she understands budgets, why didn't she care a woman who had been dead for 1 1/2 years was still signing council checks? When Kathy said she didn't have anyone else to sign the checks. Charlotte took that excuse, and never asked why the current elected board members couldn't sign them.

Rather than look at the discrepancies in the Community Council finances, she mounted a take over of the council and removed me from office. Do you really want someone who covers up budget problems rather than investigate them?

Please don't trust Charlotte Kiffer with our fire department budget. If she covers up problems with the community council budget, our fire district would be in money trouble again very soon.

If Charlotte Kiffer is elected there will be no oversight of our tax money. She has covered up the fact that a dead lady, or former board member who moved away were the only people besides Kathy Dodson-Long who were signing Council checks. In the last year ONLY 4 checks were signed by current elected board members.

Will she try to prevent the video taping of fire board meetings like she did the council meetings. If there is noting to hide, why not allow video taping of meetings?

Yes Charlotte rode in an ambulance once... But what does she know about EMS or firefighting?

With Charlotte Kiffer's aggressive and abusive attacks at council meetings, and lack of willingness to look into thousands of dollars of checks written to questionable sources at the council, please think before you vote.\

Jay Fleming