Theme parks' emergency response questioned

[KaliSplash]

Several points I've made in that way too long thread earlier.

1. You should not do cpr until you have assessed what's wrong. CPR is not the first choice when someone has passed out.
2. CPR works in VERY, VERY few cases. You are merely HOPING to move enough blood around to keep the brain going until help arrives.
3. A paramedic friend of mine says beginning cpr within 2 minutes is a GOOD response time.
4. Having paramedics on the scene in 4 and a half minutes is a GREAT response time. The goal is 9 minutes.

None of this takes away from the tragedy this family suffered.
But there was nothing wrong with the ride and the response was Superb. Did it fail? Obviously, but the effort was superb!

 

[Timmay]

Well, having been in Law Enforcement as well as a Paramedic since the mid 80's, here are some thoughts.

CPR is only 30% effective when done correctly...
AED's are good tools to have for less qualified EMS persons, but only work on somebody in ventricular fibrilation...not all cases of cardiac arrest are v fib
4 and a half minute response time...OUTSTANDING.

I had been a cop for several years when I became a EMT then a paramedic...I had seen pretty much everyhting at that point, but the first time I had to deal with an unconcious unresponsive person and it was my resposibility...I freaked out, no doubt about it. I sure as heck don't expect kids (sorry, as an old ________ myself, anyone under 23 is a kid) to handle these situations like an old veteran.

Sometimes people die no matter what you do. The kid may have had this happen in a Emergency Department and the result could have been the same.


*he he...guess p00p is a bad word...sorry

 

[caparamedic]

Very sad.... Parents should all learn CPR!

Something that really bothered me about this case was: Why didn't the parents do CPR? I won't even hire a baby sitter who isn't certified in CPR to watch my kids! No one wants to take responsibility, but if you love your kid, it is a small price to pay to ensure their best chance of survival. You can take a CPR class in 4 hours and that would include AED training!

Most Disney cast members are not required to provide CPR even if the are trained. They have no "duty to act". The exception to that would be cast members who are lifeguards and are on duty (working). Only those who are responsible for responding to emergencies have a "duty to act". By the way...no lifeguard positions at EPCOT. Anyone who is providing emergency care without compensation or duty to act would be covered by the Good Sam Laws. In many cases first responders are covered too! Florida goes even further and has a Good Sam law specific to AED users! You may go to court, but by law the judge would have to dismiss the case based on the Good Sam Law, provided the provisions of the law were complied with. For example, the rescuer acted properly and within the accepted national standards of emergency care. Cracking a chest with a saw would be a good example of what NOT TO DO! :lol:

The MARC (Medical Assistance Response Cart) Paramedic was actually on scene within 2 minutes of being dispatched! That is amazing. The ambulance and engines are to be out door within one minute during the day and two minutes at night! These guys were ON SCENE in TWO MINUTES! :sohappy: We've listened to the 9-1-1 call tape (provided on the internet by the Orlando Sentinel) many times. The caller was giving very poor information and the dispatcher was very professional and calm. The caller never said the patient wasn't breathing until asked. The caller (the cast member) first said the patient had passed out. You can't fault the cast member. They did the best the could and that is all you can ask of them.

By the way...the call was run like a text book case with no complications and every effort was made to resusitate this patient.

One of the local TV stations tried to get me to say that Disney Supervisors discourage cast members from providing CPR or First Aid! In the 23 years I worked at Disney I never encountered that.