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.