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THURSDAY, JANUARY 03, 2008
CANADIAN-MADE, METH-LACED ECSTASY BEING DUMPED INTO U.S.
ILLEGAL DRUG MARKETS, EOP, can be found at:
http://www.emergency.com/pdf/CANADIAN-MADE%20METH-LACED%20ECSTASY%20BEING%20DUMPED%20INTO%20U%20S%20%20ILLEGAL%20DRUG%20MARKETS.pdf
09 May 2005
EMS Vital to the US Homeland Security Effort
Author: Everett Stephens,
MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine,
University of Louisville
Although present for countless years, terrorism has increasingly been the
focus of public concern. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) plays a vital role in
responding to, evaluating, and intervening in potentially catastrophic events.
EMS often co-manages initial scenes in many medium- to large-scale incidents
involving large numbers of casualties. Occasionally, EMS also manages the scene
until state or federal agencies arrive. Among others, the tragic events of
September 11, 2001 underscore the importance of EMS planning and anticipating
such events. From "EMS and Terrorism, Last Updated: March 2, 2005," which
can be found at:
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic712.htm
(References three ERRI/EmergencyNet News articles)
|
D.C.
Paramedic Shortage Reaches Dangerous Proportions; One Third of Paramedic
Positions Unfilled
WASHINGTON, DC: The District of Columbia is facing a shortage of paramedics
that could hamper response times and patient care, especially if the number of
vacancies keeps growing, according to a D.C. Council member and people on the
force. Last week, five paramedics resigned to take jobs at other area agencies,
which offer better pay and benefits, fire department and union officials said.
The recent staffing problems have forced supervisors to make paramedics work
overtime on a regular basis, the officials said.
The departures pushed the number of vacancies to 57 out of 166 positions for
paramedics. As many as 30 more emergency medical workers, including
paramedics and less-trained technicians, could leave by July, according to a
draft report prepared by the council's Judiciary Committee.
"We have to ensure we have adequate medical attention on these calls," said D.C.
Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), chairman of the committee. "I do
have a sense that the public is now safe, but that doesn't mean there isn't a
problem lurking."
Adrian H. Thompson, chief of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services
Department, said he is concerned about the shortage, adding that the city is
taking steps to retain and recruit paramedics.
Salaries for D.C. paramedics range from about $40,000 to $54,000. Fire officials
and paramedics said they believe that medical workers were leaving mostly
because they could get far better retirement benefits elsewhere. D.C. officials
are planning to study ways to boost retirement benefits for paramedics,
officials said.
Thompson and other top fire officials said the staffing shortage is not as dire
as it appears because response times are improving and the department is
evolving in the way it approaches emergencies. The department handles about
110,000 medical calls a year. -- Source: Michael Lutzky, The Washington Post.
can be found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/06/AR2005050601374.html
[ERRI analysis: As with many cities, the EMS (Paramedic/EMT) units are
probably running 70% or more of any given department's emergency responses. And,
they often are also doing this with 10-20% of department personnel. Fire based
systems, with Chiefs who are not EMT/Paramedic qualified, and have not served
time on an ambulance...often do not have an understanding, nor are they
sympathetic to the plight of these overworked EMS personnel.
Finally,
as we have
pointed out in other recent articles...fire-based EMS division's and
paramedic/EMT personnel are too often paid less than their firefighter
counterparts. ERRI and its CEO were early and vocal advocates of fire-based EMS
systems, but we find that we will not be able to sustain our support for this
model unless funding for equipment, training, security, pay, promotion, and
benefits for EMS personnel is immediately improved. This is a issue that is not
going to go away...and it must be addressed A.S.A.P. by the real fire service
leaders of this country.]
04 May 2005
GWU Report: Nations EMS Systems Being Shortchanged on Funds/"Federal Leadership"
WASHINGTON, DC:
Emergency medical services (EMS) departments, which run the nation's ambulances
and paramedics, are losing out on federal funding and other support because they
are overseen by the Department of Transportation, not Homeland Security,
according to a report Tuesday.
Federal oversight of and support for emergency medical services is "buried deep
in the bureaucracy" of the Department of Transportation's National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, the George Washington University report finds,
making it "an all-but-forgotten component of emergency response."
The report, written by a task force of emergency medical services leaders set up
by the university's Homeland Security Policy Institute, says that because of
this "lack of federal leadership" EMS departments are not getting the federal
funding they need.
"Although EMS providers are roughly equal in numbers to firefighters and law
enforcement officers, they receive only four percent of the first responder
funding allocated by (the Department of Homeland Security)," states the report.
To bring home the consequences of the existing setup, the report's authors paint
a picture of the aftermath of a terrorist attack with a weapon of mass
destruction like a toxic chemical.
"Firefighters and law enforcement officers will be donning their personal
protective equipment that was paid for by the federal government, while EMS
providers stand unprotected on the sidelines, unable to treat the patients that
are in need of their immediate lifesaving help," the report states. This article
from the UPI can be found at:
http://about.upi.com/products/perspectives/UPI-20050503-080457-3377R
The report: "Back to the Future: An Agenda for Federal Leadership of Emergency Medical Services," can be found at: http://homelandsecurity.gwu.edu/reports/HSPI_EMS_Report_5-2-05.pdf
An
ERRI/EmergencyNet News Article, from 12 Mar 2005, on this topic can be found
at:
U.S.A. - EMT's
and Paramedics Shortchanged in Distribution of Homeland Security Funds?? --
EMS Lacks Terrorism
Training, Equipment
(Excerpt and reference to
USAToday Article, and report from the New York University - Center for
Catastrophe Preparedness and Response, with comments and reference by
ERRI/EmergencyNet News)
Emergency Response Resource Locator:
The U.S. National Response Plan
is now available from DHS. The documents are as follows:
National Response Plan and Annexes
December 2004
(PDF, 114 pages, 2MB)
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRPbaseplan.pdf
National Response Plan
December 2004
Full Version (PDF, 426 pages, 4MB)
includes all annexes, "Emergency Support Function Annexes", "Support
Annexes", and "Incident Annexes."
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRP_FullText.pdf
"Ambulances
on Alert" (ABCNews)ERRI analysts
said that they have warned about this possibility on several occasions and
suggested Fire/EMS departments review appropriate security measures.
Click here for a previous
reference...
Updated: August 10th, 2004 12:07:48 PM
DHS Bulletin: Potential Terrorist Use of Official Identification, Uniforms,
or Vehicles
Department Of Homeland Security
Information Bulletin
OVERVIEW: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Information Bulletins are informational in nature and are designed to provide updates on the training, tactics, or strategies of terrorists. The following information is meant to advise the owners and operators of the nation's infrastructures about the possible use by terrorists of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles to gain access to sensitive facilities for purposes of planning or carrying out attacks. (In this Information Bulletin, 'official' refers to recognized implements of federal, state, and local governments and private sector entities.) While DHS possesses no information indicating an organized effort by extremist elements in the United States to illegally obtain official identification, uniforms, or vehicles in furtherance of terrorist activities, it has identified the recent theft or disappearance of large numbers of these items. Attempts to acquire official identification, uniforms, or vehicles would be consistent with the tactics and techniques of Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, according to a variety of reporting sources.
DETAILS: Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups likely view the theft or other illegal acquisition of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles as an effective way to increase access and decrease scrutiny in furtherance of planning and operations. Although we possess no information that Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups are systematically pursuing the illegal acquisition of the above referenced items, there is indeed precedence for the use of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles in the execution of terrorist attacks. Terrorist groups have utilized police or military uniforms to mask their identities and achieve closer access to their targets without arousing suspicion. This was illustrated in the December 2002, suicide bombings that targeted the Chechen Government Headquarters in Groznyy, Russia. Terrorists in South America, the Philippines and Pakistan have commandeered or stolen emergency medical services vehicles and uniforms (or cleverly designed imitations) to facilitate the execution of their attacks on key facilities.
In an effort to understand the extent of official identification, uniform, and vehicle thefts, DHS recently conducted a survey of selected members of the law enforcement community in five states. This survey revealed that from February to May 2003 hundreds of official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, and government license plates were reported stolen or lost. Additionally, a number of private companies have reported receiving suspicious inquiries about renting official delivery vehicles and emergency services representatives have received unusual requests for detailed vehicle descriptions. There is no historical baseline to compare recent theft or suspicious inquiry data, and the intent or resolution of many of the thefts cannot be determined.
The worldwide proliferation of individuals or 'companies' that traffic in high-quality imitations of official identification, uniforms, or vehicles is a related issue that increases the possibility such items could be used to facilitate future terrorist attacks and further complicates efforts to prevent their acquisition. For example, earlier this month the New York City High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force reported that it had identified a Japanese website selling near exact replicas of badges from law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Marshals Service, and Los Angeles Police Department.
Several press reports this year have referred to the theft and sale over the Internet of a large number of United Parcel Service (UPS) uniforms. Although these reports proved to be false, they did bring to the public's attention the potential security concerns of missing or stolen identification, uniforms, or vehicles.
DHS reminds all recipients to remain vigilant to the disappearance of, or unauthorized inquiries regarding, official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, government license plates, and vehicles and establish practices that account for missing items. DHS encourages recipients to report suspicious incidents to the proper authorities and to remain vigilant for any nexus to terrorism
PROTECTIVE MEASURES: Recognizing that possession of some combination of official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, government license plates, and vehicles tends to reduce suspicion and might allow an individual or vehicle greater access to sensitive facilities, the following protective measures are suggested:
-- Keep comprehensive records of all official identification cards, badges, decals, uniforms, and license plates distributed, documenting any anomalies and canceling access to items that are lost or stolen.
-- Practice accountability of all vehicles to include tracking vehicles that are in service, in repair status, or sent to salvage.1 -- Safeguard uniforms, patches, badges, ID cards, and other forms of official identification to protect against unauthorized access to facilities, to include stripping all decommissioned vehicles slated for resale and/or salvage of all agency identifying markings and emergency warning devices.2
-- Check multiple forms of valid identification for each facility visitor.
-- Verify the legitimate business needs of all approaching vehicles and personnel.
-- Improve identification card technology to eliminate reuse or unauthorized duplication. Alert uniform store vendors of the need to establish and verify the identities of individuals seeking to purchase uniform articles.3
-- Ensure all personnel are provided a security briefing regarding present and emerging threats.
* ERRI reference: http://www.emergency.com/safe-sec.htm
DHS encourages recipients of this Information Bulletin to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to law enforcement or a DHS watch office. The DHS Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection watch offices may be contacted at:
For private citizens and companies Phone: (202) 323-3205, 1-888-585-9078
Email: nipc.watch@fbi.gov
Online:
http://www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm
For Telecom industry - Phone: (703) 607-4950
Email: ncs@dhs.gov For Federal agencies/departments - Phone: (888) 282-0870
Email: fedcirc@fedcirc.gov
Online:
https://incidentreport.fedcirc.gov
DHS intends to update this Information Bulletin should it receive additional
relevant information, including information provided to it by the user
community. Based on this notification, no change to the Homeland Security
Advisory System level (HSAS) is anticipated; the current HSAS level is YELLOW.
Explosions, Ambush; Emergency Responders Targeted in KC
Recommended reading for Fire, EMS, Police First Responders
KANSAS CITY, MO: Two homes exploded in south Kansas City on Monday
afternoon, whiled as an apparent sniper fired shots at emergency workers. One
female paramedic was hit.
The explosions happened on Grandview Road just north of Bannister Road at around
16:00 (local time). The explosion sent debris flying into the air at least 1,000
feet, authorities said. Police said rubble landed five blocks away from the
home.
A female paramedic was shot by the sniper, according to Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust spokesman Eric Dooley. The paramedic was identified as 39-year-old Mary Seymour, who has been with MAST for more than 15 years. Her injuries were serious, but she was reported to be in stable condition after undergoing surgery at a hospital.
Investigators told KMBC that they are looking for a "person of interest," in
regard to their investigation. They identified him as Donin Wright, 62. He is
about 300 pounds with gray and white hair. Anyone with information on his
whereabouts is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
This story came from:
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/2868094/detail.html
ERRI reference on this type of incident:
http://www.emergency.com/actndril.htm
Suicide/Homicide Ambulances Reported
IRAQ:
The Intelligence newsletter Geostrategy-Direct reported that Al-Qaeda has
prepared 15 "ambulance cars" filled with explosives for suicide attacks in Iraq.
The information comes from Iraqi security sources that said the vehicles
included ambulances designed to penetrate heavily protected facilities, such as
police stations and Coalition Provisional Authority offices.
A number of vehicles have been fitted with TNT and shrapnel and were allegedly
stolen along the Iraqi-Turkish border. Other ambulances had reportedly been
stolen in Baghdad and have been prepared for suicide attacks in northern and
central Iraq. U.S. military commanders believe Saudi nationals supplied an
increasing amount of Al-Qaeda logistics, including some of the ambulances.
In November, U.S. troops purportedly captured and detained two Saudi
"paramedics" from the Red Crescent Society on suspicion that they were working
with Al-Qaeda. ERRI analysts said that it has been reported that ambulances have
previously been used to transport explosives and terrorist personnel in other
parts of the Middle-East.
Most of the finances required for suicide attacks appear to come from Saddam
loyalists. The Iraqi website, Iraqi Al Ghad, reported that Saddam loyalists have
offered $25,000 plus a lifetime monthly salary to the family of a suicide
attacker.
US medic killed, two soldiers wounded in Iraq
A United States army medic has been killed and two other soldiers wounded in a
rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on a military ambulance in Al-Iskandariya,
south of Baghdad, a US military spokeswoman said.
The 804th Medical Brigade soldier was killed and the two others hurt when their
ambulance was hit as it headed to an army hospital, transporting a patient
injured in an unrelated incident, the spokeswoman told AFP news agency.
Standardized Bio-terror Training To Be Offered By AMA
CHICAGO, IL: In an effort to standardize bio-terrorism training for doctors and others nationwide who respond to mass disasters, the American Medical Association on Monday announced a new program. The voluntary program is designed to create a single training manual for all hospitals, doctors, public health officials and military officials to avoid chaos and confusion if a large-scale disaster strikes.
Dr James James, director of the AMA's new Center for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response, which is coordinating the program, said that the current preparedness training is available on a more piecemeal basis without much consistency. The coursework was developed with input from the military and four medical institutions that will provide the training in person and eventually over the Internet. Coursework will include subjects like how to decontaminate people exposed to biological or nuclear weapons and setting up triage systems for determining what type of immediate care victims need. It will also seek to ensure that all emergency response personnel understand and use the same medical terms and triage systems, which sometimes vary in military and civilian medicine.
Officials said preparedness efforts for natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes also will be addressed. With U.S. Department of Health and Human Services oversight, the coursework is being developed by officials from the University of Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the University of Texas at Houston.
ERRI senior national security analyst Clark Staten first brought the
issue of a need for continuing medical education training regarding
terrorism in an article/speech entitled,
"Homeland
Defense Review Emergency Service Issues,"
Presented at a GenCon Seminar at the National Press Club, Washington, DC on
October 24, 2001.
26 Feb 2003
EMS NEWS: ST LOUIS, MO: In what's being called the first
initiative of its kind, 35 St Louis-area hospitals are participating in a
mutual aid agreement. The hospitals have agreed to work together in the
event of a terrorist attack or other large scale disaster. They will share
equipment and personnel in major emergencies and re-distribute patients if
it's needed. Doctors hope that the agreement will help cut through red tape
by developing new tools like the Emergency Patient Tracking System. Doctor
Karen Webb of St. Louis University says that the pilot program has attracted
attention in New York and Israel.
17 Feb 2003
Twenty One Killed In Chicago Nightclub Stampede
CHICAGO, IL: Authorities said a disturbance at a crowded South Side Chicago nightclub early Monday set off a mad scramble for the exits that left 21 people dead and more than 30 injured, some critically. There were over 1,500 people in the two-story Epitome Night Club at 2347 S. Michigan Avenue, when someone allegedly sprayed pepper spray or mace into the air some time after 02:15CST.
Fire Commander Will Knight said. "It appears a disturbance from within led to a mass chaos where people headed for the door. Most of the fatalities appear to have been crushed or had injuries due to suffocation." Knight said there 33 injured, 19 of them critically. Medical teams from local hospitals responded to the site, along with multiple ambulances and at least 30 paramedics (EMS Plan III). “There was a lot of massive panic and crushing injuries,” Chicago Deputy Fire Commissioner Larry Matkitis told the Chicago Tribune. “There were people piled up at the bottom of the staircase. It was a very chaotic scene.”
The dead are believed to have been trampled as people rushed for the exits. Officially unconfirmed reports suggest that some emergency exits may have been blocked or locked. It is unclear what sparked the panic on the upper floor of the club on a busy Sunday night. One report said a fight broke out and pepper spray was used by club security officers to break it up. People rushed down a staircase to try to get out. When some fell, the crowd reportedly piled on top of them.
An major investigation of the incident has ensued this morning and
citizens with eyewitness knowledge of the incident are asked to call CPD
Area 4 detectives at: 312-746-8252...
19 Dec 2002
New York State Plans To Alert Doctors In Case Of Terror Attacks
ALBANY, NEW YORK: The state health commissioner is to announce on Thursday that New York State plans to create the first statewide alert system intended to inform every practicing physician in the state of suspected biological and chemical terrorist attacks and other public health emergencies. The new system, known as the New York State Physicians Intranet, will use e-mail and a Web site to inform doctors across the state of possible terrorist attacks within minutes of an event being reported to the State Health Department. It will also provide information on how to deal with medical emergencies like an infectious disease outbreak or a chemical attack.
Gerald Imber of World Medical Leaders, the company that will run the alert system, said a $1.8 million, two-year contract will allow the state to use the company's Web site for emergency bulletins. The state currently has no way to contact doctors directly with such speed. The system will work through the company's existing medical education Web site and will send an electronic message to its subscribers within minutes, and in about an hour can have live Web casts to inform doctors of emergencies.
The Web site, www.wml.com, which reportedly has about 141,000 subscribers nationwide, Dr. Imber said, has Web video instruction for doctors on various health topics. Under the agreement with the state, each doctor would get free access to the site, which normally costs $300 a year. In a statement released on Wednesday, Antonia Novello, the state health commissioner, said that the new system would help doctors deal with threats more effectively.
Free Services to Continue Here??
EmergencyNet News' Managing editor Steve Macko said that ERRI has been providing news, terrorism threat assessments, educational, reference and analysis services here on Emergency.com since 1995...for free...and as a public service to the emergency, medical, military, and intelligence community. "We have always done our best to 'give something back' and provide as many free services as we could possibly afford to the men and women who protect, serve, treat, and defend those who believe in freedom and democracy," Macko said.
"Given the current state of economic affairs, the substantial costs of
developing content and
running this website, and with decreased advertising sales throughout the
internet...unless we receive some sort of viable financial support for this
website, we must reassess the level of these services that we can
continue to provide at no cost during the first quarter of 2003," Macko
added. He also said that EmergencyNet News provides an expanded
news/analysis delivery and alert subscription service for individuals,
local/county/state/national and international governmental units, and
corporate organizations. Discounted multi-node subscriptions can be
negotiated. Please see:
http://www.emergency.com/ennpage.htm
04 Dec 2002
Paramedics Reportedly Pulled From D.C. Fire Engines
WASHINGTON: The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department will scrap a 3-year-old program that put paramedics on fire engines to deliver emergency medical care before ambulances could respond. The decision to disband what had been considered a successful program threatens plans to unify the fire and EMS divisions and is likely to delay delivery of critical care to neighborhoods served by the six paramedic engine companies, some experts said. Beginning on 15 December, the 15 paramedics assigned to fire engines will be reassigned to ambulances to cut overtime costs.
Margret Nedelkoff Kellems, D.C. deputy mayor for public safety and justice, said the move not only will save money, but also help stabilize ambulance response times by bolstering the allegedly under-manned EMS staff. Kellems said: "If I have a finite number of EMS resources, I'd like them on transport units before I'd like them on fire engines."
In other cost-cutting moves, the department will put 15 of its 16 fire
inspectors back on the streets after a seven-day refresher course in
firefighting, leaving inspection duties to on-duty firefighters.
Additionally, there will be a consolidation of crew at Engine 1, which
currently houses separate crews to operate its fire engine and its ladder
truck. The crew will respond to emergencies on the engine during the day and
in the ladder truck at night. A city-wide budget shortfall of $323 million
has forced the 1,920-member fire department to trim more than $7 million
from its projected $130 million fiscal 2003 budget.
10 Nov 2002
New Motorcycle Fire-EMT Program in Florida
MIAMI: Rescue workers may establish a motorcycle fleet that will
help them save lives on Florida's highways. Under a proposed program,
Miami-Dade County firefighters would respond to emergencies on specially
designed motorcycles, navigating through gridlock to accidents before other
emergency vehicles arrive. All county firefighters are trained as emergency
medical technicians and would have access to defibrillators, oxygen tanks
and first aid equipment. The Miami-Dade County Commission will consider the
program on 19 November, 2002. Click here to review:
"EMT-P-Operated Motorcycle Rescue, A Preliminary Note," by Staten, C., EMT
Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, June, 1980. (Requires Adobe .pdf
reader/viewer)
23 Sep 2002
Attention EMS/Health Dept./Medical Personnel:
Important Guidance on Smallpox Vaccinations
WASHINGTON: Health officials have released a set of guidelines on mass vaccination against smallpox in the event of a bioterrorist attack. It sets down detailed plans for setting up emergency clinics, supplying vaccine and briefing the public. Experts believe that smallpox could well be the weapon of choice in any future bioterrorist attack -- it is frequently fatal, spreads easily from person to person unlike anthrax, and -- as vaccines have not been used for decades in the West -- many people have no immunity...
The CDC Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines now contains a very
important addition to our smallpox preparedness efforts—a comprehensive
annex titled "Smallpox Vaccination Clinic Guide." This new section—part of
the upcoming Version 3 of the CDC Smallpox Response Plan and
Guidelines—describes the operational and logistical considerations
associated with implementing a large-scale voluntary vaccination program in
response to a confirmed smallpox outbreak. This provides details on all
aspects of immunization clinic operations and staffing and includes an
example of a model smallpox vaccination clinic.
Download Smallpox Vaccination Clinic Guide Annex - (949 KB/48 pages)
directly from CDC at:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/pdf/smallpox-vax-clinic-guide.pdf
(requires Adobe .pdf reader/plug-in to view)
14 Sep 2002
Emergency Responder Awareness Advisory From FEMA/USFA
More Suspicious Activities at Fire Houses...
More suspicious activities at fire and emergency medical service departments have occurred. During the month of August, three engine companies of the St. Louis Fire Department reported incidents involving male subjects of "middle eastern" appearance who fled the scene when approached or questioned.
At one Engine Company the suspect was observed video taping the fire house. At another company the subject escaped after video taping the facility and the apparatus inside. At a third location the suspect entered the fire house and made inquiries regarding the size, floor space, and load capacity of the ambulance housed therein.
These recent events reinforce the necessity for all emergency response departments to remain vigilant for data collection by potential adversaries. They are reminders that all department personnel must fight complacency and remain ready to quickly stop unauthorized information gathering by the questions and filming of alleged visitors. Also, first responders should avoid sharing information with unknown individuals who communicate by telephone or electronic mail. Intelligence experts confirm that terrorists study the information they obtain to identify existing vulnerabilities and to plan their attacks accordingly.
Failure to prevent unsanctioned collection of details about the fire and emergency medical services may jeopardize the critical infrastructures upon which the protection of life and property depends. It is as important to avert as the theft of uniforms and vehicles used by emergency responders.
When a suspicious incident occurs such as the ones mentioned above, in
addition to notifying the local authorities, the National Infrastructure
Protection Center (NIPC) requests contact using the NIPC information seen at
the bottom of this INFOGRAM. Notification of the NIPC will enable their
specialists to attempt identification of the patterns, methods, and sources
of past and future malicious actions directed against the critical
infrastructures of emergency first responders.
-- Go
to the USFA CIP Report
09 Sep 2002 --
Training
Technology Against Terror: Using Advanced Technology to Prepare America’s
Emergency Medical Personnel and First Responders for a Weapon of Mass
Destruction Attack
(With footnote reference to ERRI's Steve Macko and his article,
"Senate Hearings Say Local
Fire and Emergency Services not Prepared" March 1996, on Page 18 of
report)
16 Aug 2002
District Of Columbia EMS Shortage Worsens
WASHINGTON, DC: The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department reportedly faces a severe shortage of medics that is allegedly wrecking its overtime budget and slowing its response times. A shortage of emergency medical services personnel has driven staffing levels below half of what is needed to staff the city's fleet of ambulances. According to a report prepared this month by the EMS department, on any given day, the EMS department has enough personnel to staff 15 of the 34 to 36 ambulances it has in service.
The remaining units are staffed by overtime personnel or firefighters, or they are placed out of service. The EMS department is budgeted for 392 full-time jobs for field providers, supervisors and support staff. According to the report, which was presented to fire officials this month, the city operates 36 ambulances, of which 22 provide around-the-clock service and 12 provide service in 12-hour shifts during peak hours. Two additional paramedic units work a 40-hour, Monday- through-Friday schedule.
The system, as configured, requires 335 field providers, but the
department's authorized strength for field providers is 277 -- enough to
staff 24 ambulances. Of the 277 medic positions, 46 are vacant. Another 57
medics are not staffing ambulances because they are detailed to paramedic
engine companies, are assigned to the training academy or are off duty with
injuries. That brings the number of field providers to 174, enough to staff
just 15 full-time ambulances.
FDNY Ambulances Get Daily Colors In Security Measure
NEW YORK CITY: In an effort to thwart terrorists from using ambulances as weapons, the New York Fire Department's ambulances now bear placards with a color of the day to mark them as legitimate. The system began on Sunday, according to a departmental order issued on Friday, a day after law enforcement officials warned New Yorkers to be alert to the possibility that terrorists could use emergency vehicles like ambulances, fire trucks, police cars or replicas to sneak explosives or homicide bombers into restricted areas.
The union for emergency medical technicians criticized the new system,
saying it was "too simplistic to be effective." Robert Ungar, counsel for
the union, the Uniformed Emergency Medical Technicians -- FDNY, said
terrorists could figure out the color by looking at ambulances and then
replicate the placard that is placed in the windshield. ERRI's Clark Staten,
who previously recommended
security identification and passwords for EMS/Fire personnel said,
"Simple is often better...while we are not familiar with all of the details
of the NYC program, our original suggestion was flexible enough to allow it
to be adapted easily and that security I.D.'s could be frequently changed,
as dictated by the security situation and by the jurisdiction having
authority for such decisions." "One thing is certain...Police, Fire and EMS
personnel must become more aware of operational security issues and help
develop effective strategies to thwart terrorists from taking advantage of
their almost unlimited ability to gain trust and entry into otherwise
restricted areas," the retired emergency services chief concluded.
12 June 2002
Radiological Survey Equipment Needed By Emergency Forces?
By Steve Macko, EmergencyNet News Managing Editor
CHICAGO, IL: ERRI's senior national security analyst and
retired emergency service chief, Clark Staten said that given recent warnings about attempts by
terrorist forces to attack American targets with a Radiation Dispersal
Device (RDD), it would be prudent for U.S. Fire. Police, and EMS units to
obtain and use radiological survey equipment during any response to a known
or suspected explosion. "Our recommendations would include, at this time,
that someone (as determined by the jurisdiction having authority) among initial response forces
to an explosion, be trained and equipped with
appropriate radiological survey equipment to include a geiger-counter type
device and dosimeters," Staten said. "This equipment could then be used to
conduct a preliminary assessment of the scene and determine what appropriate
protective clothing and equipment might be needed, or if other special units are required," the
veteran analyst added. "As times and tactical situations change, so
must the capabilities of our emergency service agencies...we think it only
prudent to make such a suggestion at this time," Staten concluded.
Additional reference:
1981
-"Handling of Radiation Accident Victims; A Prehospital Care Point of
View," by Staten, C. L. , Fire Command Magazine, January 1981, Pg. 14-15,
19
(Note: requires Adobe .pdf reader/plug-in)
Updated - 22:30EDT - 25 May 2002
DC: Mass Casualty Incident Reported At Rock Concern in RFK Stadium
Washington, DC (EmergencyNet News) -- Secondary
reports are coming in to EmergencyNet News concerning a declared "Mass
Casualty Incident" at the W.H.F.S. music festival at the R.F.K.
Stadium in DC. The incident is being called a "mosh pit stampede" by one
unofficial source. Multiple
fire, police and EMS units were reportedly dispatched to scene and a
number of people were treated within the stadium. At least six people were
transported to area hospitals with "cuts and bruises." An unconfirmed
report says that paramedics were performing CPR on one person and that 30
other people were injured in the melee...
19 May 2002
Expert Says U.S. bio-terrorism Plan Not Good
Enough
WASHINGTON: A a bio-terrorism expert says the U.S.
government's response plan against a bio-terrorism attack does not include
adequate preparation at the city and county level, which could lead to
delays and additional deaths. R Gregory Evans, director of the center for
the study of bio-terrorism and emerging infections at Saint Louis
University, said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the agency charged with developing and implementing the
bio-terrorism response plan, has not placed enough emphasis on training and
preparing local public health officials to respond to a bio-terrorist
attack. Evans said this is critical because local city and county
officials, rather than federal officials, will be the first to recognize
and respond to an attack involving a bio-agent such as smallpox or
anthrax.
According to Evans, the CDC can provide vaccines and
antibiotics but does not have the human resources to set up quarantines
or distribute medications. That has to come from local governments and
will require
training local physicians, nurses, pharmacists [ Ed. note:
And EMS personnel] how to
deal with an outbreak. A major flaw in the CDC plan, according to
Evans, is there is no protocol for establishing who will be in charge
at the local level in the event of a bioterrorist attack...
26 Apr 2002
Virginia Medical System Urged To Plan For Terrorism
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Officials said on Thursday that Virginia's medical system is ill prepared to handle mass casualties from a biological, chemical or radiation attack by terrorists. James Cole, president and chief executive officer of Arlington Hospital Center, said: "There is a crying need" to educate the public and medical professionals on what to do in the case of such attacks. The system is not prepared to deal with that now." Dr. Dan Hanfling, an emergency room physician for Inova Fairfax Hospital, where two persons were treated for inhalation anthrax last fall, said the medical profession has "paid scant attention" to bioterrorism. Hanfling said there is an absence of essential communications links in which hospitals, public health agencies and the broader medical community can share information immediately about patients exposed to biological weapons.
Dr. Susan Allan, director of the Arlington Health Department, said
detection of biological agents like anthrax is too slow. She said: "Disease
surveillance has made a lot of headway, but there is a lot of work that
still needs to be done. There are insufficient resources everywhere." Dr.
Allan's remarks were echoed by Linda Baker, a registered nurse in Norfolk,
who serves on a regional disaster planning group. She said: "We need to make
disease detection quicker, faster, smarter."
19 Apr 2002
NEW YORK CITY: Authorities said two New York Fire Department
emergency medical technicians are clinging to life after their ambulance was
struck on the way to a call in Brooklyn. Three civilians in the car that hit
the ambulance were also seriously injured. The accident happened at about
23:00EDT as the ambulance, with lights and sirens blaring, was headed to a
shooting scene. At the intersection of Fountain and Wortman avenues, a car
broadsided the ambulance, forcing it to tip over onto its side. A witness
said the ambulance was hit so hard it appeared to have been bent in half.
The EMTs were in critical condition, one at Brookdale Hospital and the other
at Kings County Hospital. Of the three passengers in the car that hit the
ambulance, one was taken to Brookdale Hospital, one to Kings County Hospital
and another to Jamaica Hospital...
EmergencyNet Resource Notification:
"Protecting First Responders: Lessons Learned From Terrorist Attacks",
RAND Corporation Study, Feb 2002.
http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF176/CF176.pdf
(Requires Adobe .PDF reader/plug-in - available for free)
"EMS (medical) personnel are traditionally 'non-combatants' and they
should not be targeted or involved in violence, according to the Geneva
convention and any number of other international agreements," ERRI's Clark
Staten said this morning. "This latest attack bothers me greatly... this
humanitarian principal would appear to be disintegrating in the face of a
new type of terrorist (asymmetric) warfare, which has absolutely no
rules...EMS personnel, everywhere need to become cognizant of this new
danger," Staten concluded.
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO: Police are still looking for a motive in the case of a man who was injured in a house explosion who shot at his rescuers, killing a paramedic and a neighbor and wounding the fire chief and a child before committing suicide on Saturday. The shooter had suffered burns in the house fire and had sought help from a neighbor. Steve Lovato, an emergency medical technician, and other fire officials were treating and questioning the man at around 0200 MST when he began shooting. Lovato and the neighbor were killed.
Firefighters took cover behind the fire truck and the rig reportedly sustained damage from several gunshots. Roswell Fire Chief Louis Jones and a 4-year-old boy who was in the home were wounded. Both were air- lifted to a Lubbock Hospital. Jones was in critical condition after surgery. The condition of the boy was not released by the hospital.
The shooter, a security guard at a bowling alley, killed himself. the
entire matter remains under intensive investigation...
Commentary - Op/Ed -- By C. L. Staten, CEO and ERRI Sr. Analyst, retired paramedic supervisor
As an almost 24 hour-a-day observer of current events since the 11th of September, there is a major point that I am having some difficulty in understanding. Perhaps one of our readers can help me on this point. Didn't a number of EMT's and Paramedics (Emergency Medical Service - EMS personnel) die on September 11th?
At this juncture, I'm afraid that it has become increasingly difficult to tell, as many public officials and the popular press only seem to be able to remember that many firefighters and police officers gave their lives at the World Trade Center tragedy. And, as terrible as that fact is, an accounting of events that we have received would suggest that at least nine (9) single role EMT's/Paramedics perished on that fateful day (along with scores of others who also carried dual-titles as both EMT/Paramedic and firefighter or police officer). Tragically, the sacrifice made by EMS personnel seems to have somehow been forgotten in the urgency and confusion of surrounding events.
Open Note to the Media and Public Officials: It would be our considered opinion that it is only fitting and proper to include recognition that EMS personnel have and will be involved in the U.S. fight against terrorism....and to give them, their families, and co-workers their due by remembering to include them in our public accounting of the WTC casualties...and in our prayers.
In closing, I also have a rhetorical question for all of our EMS readers:
Who and where are the current crop of EMS leaders in regard to the
issue of educating, equipping, and better preparing Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) personnel for the coming challenge of terrorism in the
United States? Both the fire service and law enforcement seem to have a
fair share of advocates who are very busy at present in Washington,
ensuring that these two other essential services receive the necessary
funds to adequately prepare them for responses involving terrorism and
Weapons of Mass Destruction. The outstanding question is...who is
representing EMS in all of these professional discussions and assuring
future programs and funding for the preparedness for EMT's and
Paramedics...and why haven't we heard from them since the 11th of
September??
23 August 2001
NEVADA:
EMS INNOVATION
Wireless Video To Link Speeding Ambulances with Hospitals
Source:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nf/20010823/tc/13061_1.html
LAS VEGAS (Wireless NewsFactor) -- An ambulance in Las Vegas, Nevada, has
been fitted with a wireless video and data connection in a test of a
mobile application intended to help paramedics and doctors treat patients
in emergencies.
Unique Broadband Systems and Las Vegas, Nevada-based systems integrator
International Digital Communications have begun trial demonstrations of a
new mobile system that can allow reliable, robust throughput even in an
ambulance moving at high speeds, according to UBS.
The current trial links the ambulance to the local fire station. Video and
such data as blood pressure and electrocardiogram readings are transmitted
within an eight-mile radius to the fire station using COFDM (coded
orthogonal frequency division multiplex) technology. Within the next few
weeks, the trial will complete the link to the hospital, with the fire
station relaying the data onto the Internet.
"The paramedics have an analog video camera that they can take out of the
ambulance," UBS chief operating officer Mohammed Benidi told Wireless
NewsFactor. "Inside the ambulance they have an MPEG encoder digitizing
that analog signal and sending it out..."
ERRI emergency service analysts said that similar ideas were first
advocated in a 1992 article, "A VISION OF TOMMOROW;
PREDICTIONS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEMS 1992 & BEYOND." In the
article, it was predicted that "Video and audio consultation could take
place between the pre-hospital provider and a physician if that were
deemed necessary, and all of the information obtained by the emergency
medical personnel would be immediately available on-line for evaluation.
No patient records would need be kept by either the pre-hospital personnel
or the receiving hospital; that would be done automatically and
simultaneously by the computers..." The article can be referenced at:
http://www.emergency.com/emsvisio.htm
IDAHO:
EMS Providers Reportedly Remove Firestone Tires
ADA COUNTY -- According to Boise's NewsChannel 7, there hasn't been a recall of Firestone "Steeltex" tires, but Ada and Canyon County EMS operators have new tires on their ambulances anyway. Now, other ambulance operators are following suit.
Darla Dalman/Vale Ambulance Supervisor said: "It's not all nice paved highway, we do a lot of back roads and gravel roads." Dalman doesn't trust the Steeltex wheels to hold up anymore. Dalman: "We're going to go ahead and change our tires just to be on the safe side."
This after the tread reportedly separated on a Steeltex tire on a Canyon
County ambulance yesterday. The ambulance careened across a highway at 75
miles an hour. Dalman: "It was a very near tragedy." Get the whole story:
http://ktvb.com/news/newstory.html?StoryID=8382
14 August 2001
HOUSTON, TX:
18 Overdose Deaths In Four Days
According to authorities, the deaths of 14 out of 18 people are believed to have overdosed on a mixture of cocaine and opiates known as a "speedball." Eighteen overdose deaths have been reported in the past four days, but toxicologists did not detect the heroin-cocaine mixture in four of the victims. The overdoses far surpass Harris County's usual two or three in an average weekend.
A syringe discovered on one of the victims contained a mixture of heroin, cocaine and lidocaine. Small bags of a powder also containing the cocaine-heroin compound were found on another victim. Dr Joye Carter, Harris County's chief medical examiner, said that historically, it is normally a single pure drug that causes overdose deaths. The combination of drugs causing overdoses is apparently new to Houston authorities.
Carter said some of the victims' initial symptoms, including sluggishness and nausea, suggested heroin overdoses. While Mexican black tar heroin typically found in Houston is about 40 percent pure, drug users may have encountered a heroin from Colombia or Southeast Asia that could be 90 percent pure.
As was the case in England recently, the drugs may have also been
adulterated with some poisonous substance. Toxicology tests should reveal
the make-up of the drug in question and help resolve the cause of the
deaths.
INSTANT 
12:00CDT - 01
August 2001
MINNESOTA:
Athlete Dies of Heatstroke...
MANKATO -- Minnesota
Vikings tackle Korey Stringer, who collapsed at the team's training camp
after workouts on Tuesday, died early Wednesday morning due to
complications from heatstroke, the team said.
Stringer, who was 27,
was taken by ambulance to Immanuel St. Joseph's Hospital after collapsing
following conditioning drills at Minnesota State University (Mankato) in
temperatures that soared to the upper 90s with a heat index of up to
110.
He was unconscious when he arrived at the hospital and had a
temperature of over 108 degrees, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. He
never regained consciousness. Source: Reuters News Service
*****
HEAT ADVISORY
Caution Is Urged During Heatwave
Chicago, IL, July 31, 2001 (reprinted from July 13,1995)-- With the temperatures and humidity at dangerous levels, the air quality diminishing, and no end in sight in some parts of the country, the Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) is urging extreme caution for persons with cardiac and respiratory problems. According to Clark Staten, director of the Chicago-based emergency service think-tank, the recent heat wave has already resulted in the untimely deaths of several people in the Midwest and Southwestern part of the United States and more heat injuries or even deaths can be expected.
"The conditions are ideal for heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke", the veteran (retired) paramedic said in an interview today. "This is the kind of weather that is dangerous to the elderly, children, and those that have diseases that prevent them from regulating heat well", he continued. "People with cardiac, respiratory, diabetic, asthmatic, and seizure problems should be warned to use extreme caution when exposed to this type of hot weather...it can aggravate their condition and even result in death", Staten added.
"We would suggest that people with these conditions remain indoors in the air conditioning or even (if necessary) move to 'cooling centers' that have been established by many municipalities", he continued. "Even those that don't have a pre-existing medical condition can easily be affected by this type of heat and high humidity...they should take some simple precautions to prevent the onset of heat injuries", Staten concluded.
Editor's note: This advisory is similar to one originally published 13
July 1995, just prior to a heatwave that killed more than 700 people in
the Chicago region. Similar weather circumstances appear to be developing
in much of the Mid-West at the time of this report. This complete report
and additional information on the 1995 Heat disaster appears at: http://www.emergency.com/heatwave.htm
03 June 2001
ALLIANCE, OHIO:
Meningitis Causes Massive Pubic Concern
More than 10,000 people, some fearful of contact with their family and friends, lined up at hospitals for preventative antibiotics after a meningitis outbreak killed two high school students and left a third teen-ager seriously ill. Health officials began handing out antibiotics on Saturday when an 18-year-old female was hospitalized with an unidentified strain of Neisseria meningitis. She was listed in serious condition. A 15-year-old boy died on 23 May, and a 16-year-old female died on 25 May after being diagnosed with identical strains of Neisseria meningitis.
With some medical experts suggesting that treating 10,000 people with antibiotics is unnecessary and engaging in "over-reaction," Atlanta-based Center For Disease Control (CDC) officials are reportedly enroute to Ohio to assist local authorities in determining the seriousness and implications of the three cases diagnosed so far. While everyone wants to err on the side of caution, most infectious disease specialists recommend that only those actually closely exposed to a person with known or suspected meningitis should be given prophylactic medications. Click here to access a CDC factsheet on Meningitis
28 Apr 2001
LOS ANGELES, CA:
Two Ambulance Crashes Within Two Days
Two ambulances have been involved in collisions in the past two days in Los Angeles. One ambulance collided with a fire engine on Monday morning in West Hollywood. Officials say that the two vehicles, with sirens blaring, were responding to the same medical call. A firefighter and paramedic sustained minor injuries. On Sunday night, a pickup truck crashed head-on with an LAFD ambulance, which had its lights flashing and sirens blaring.
The fire department says that the truck crossed the center divider on Glen Oaks Boulevard, colliding with the emergency vehicle. The ambulance caught fire, and both paramedics were taken to a hospital where they were in stable condition. The driver of the truck was in serious condition. Both accidents are under investigation.
There are an estimated 15,000 accidents annually involving emergency vehicles nationwide. The city of Chicago has recently started cracking down on drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles.
15 Mar 2001
UNITED STATES:
Emergency Room Overcrowding Said To Be A Problem
The American Hospital Association reported on Thursday that hospital emergency rooms visits are rising and this may be causing some patients not get the urgent care they need. The report came as no surprise to many cities that for more than a year have reported ER overcrowding is so bad that hospitals routinely divert ambulances to other emergency rooms. The situation reached crisis proportions last winter when ERs around the US were overwhelmed with flu patients.
But the hospital trade group suggests the overcrowding may only get worse because of financial problems. Federal law requires hospitals to care for patients who come to emergency rooms. But there is no federal program to reimburse hospitals for the care of poor, uninsured people. Additionally, Medicaid reimbursement is low for emergency services and managed-care plans sometimes deny payment for ER visits.
ERRI emergency service analysts said that the problems is also a sociological one. Namely, they say, because many people now inappropriately use emergency room facilities to replace a "primary care physician" that they no longer have. EMS (Emergency Medical Services) systems report that an overly large percentage of patients that they transport to hospital emergency rooms these days are not really "emergent," but simply want or need care that otherwise could/should be provided in a doctor's office.
The AHA reported that ER visits rose by 15 percent in the 1990s, hitting 99.5 million in 1999. One of every five Americans has been to the ER at least once, visits accounting for 40 percent of all hospital admissions. Yet the number of emergency departments dropped as 493 hospitals, particularly in rural areas, closed in the 1990s.
21 Feb 2001
Dangerous Drug
Advisory:
Police Say Ecstasy/PCP Mix Can Be Deadly
FAIRFAX CTY, VIRGINIA: Fairfax County Police are warning the public to be on the lookout for a new drug being sold, which combines the drugs Ecstasy and PCP. The pills sell for about $20 each. Police say they may be orange or white and engraved with a stamp of the Pokemon character, Pikachu. Ken Larson, a former Fairfax County Narcotics detective, says the mixture of the two drugs can make for a potentially fatal combination. Larson says the PCP laced ecstasy was first brought to attention of police when an undercover officer made a buy from an adult male in December.
04 Feb 2001
MESA, ARIZONA:
Ambulance vrs. Truck Crash Reported
A serious collision on Sunday night involving a pickup truck and an ambulance left four people injured. Police said the ambulance was responding to a medical emergency call when it was broad-sided by the truck at Ellsworth and Elliot Roads. Three of the injured victims were airlifted to a hospital with life threatening injuries. Police report that there were two EMS personnel in the Rural Metro Ambulance, a 20-year-old driver and a 35-year-old paramedic and that one of them was trapped inside the vehicle. Investigators say a 30-year-old man and a 38-year-old female were riding inside the pickup and that it was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the collision.
20 Dec 2000
NEW YORK CITY:
EMT's Come Under Fire For Alleged Response Time Abuses
Two Emergency Medical Technicians have been fired and 28 others have been suspended after an FDNY investigation of unusually high response times in Queens and Brooklyn. Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Esson says the probe turned up a number of serious violations, including two EMT's caught on videotape sleeping in public view while on duty. Von Esson says none of the violations worsened patients conditions, but in at least one case the response time was delayed by EMT's who wanted to complete a fast food lunch order. EMT and paramedic union president Patrick Bahnken says he does not condone blatant negligence, but will only act after the facts of the investigation are clear.
18 Dec 2000
WEST MIFFLIN,
PA: Three people were injured on Monday when a Medivac helicopter made a
crash landing at the Allegheny County Airport. The helicopter, which is a
medical chopper for Parkview Health System in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was on a
test run out of the airport when the tail rotor became crippled. The pilot
tried to land the chopper several times before it finally spun and crashed
into a grassy area near a runway. The pilot and two emergency medical
technicians were seriously injured.
06 Nov 2000 - 14:00CDT
FDA, today, is taking steps to remove phenylpropanolamine from all drug products and has requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products containing phenylpropanolamine.
FDA today issued a public health advisory concerning the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain, associated with phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride.
Phenylpropanolamine is an ingredient used in many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription cough and cold medications as a decongestant and in OTC weight loss products.
Adverse events reported with these products led to concerns that this ingredient might increase the risk of hemorrhagic strokes. Manufacturers of products containing phenylpropanolamine worked with FDA to plan a research program to clarify whether any increase in risk exists.
17 Oct 2000
HOUSTON, TX: To assist
with the rising volume of medical emergency calls to the Houston Fire
Department, a city official has devised a plan. David Persse, the city's
EMS director, suggests the use of a fleet of Suburbans equipped with
medical gear and manned with two paramedics apiece. The Suburbans, acting
as rapid response vehicles, would
accompany ambulances to medical emergencies until assessment of the
patient could be made. Persse suggests the city start with a dozen
Suburbans within two to three months.
12 Oct 2000
BOSTON, MA:
DEA Says New Club Drug Can Kill
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning of a new drug gaining popularity with club-goers. Chemically similar to the rave drug ecstasy, the drug PMA is blamed for several deaths in the club scene. The DEA said that Boston is a prime target area for PMA dealers, as it has a large student population and youths with disposable income. Since February, PMA use has increased in clubs and raves in Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Canada.
Special Agent John Gartland of the DEA said: "Two of the most serious side effects of it are increased pulse rate and elevated body temperature. It's my understanding that in one of the deaths that's been recently reported, the person that died had a body temperature of almost 117 degrees." Elevated temperature can lead to organ failure and death.
Officials said that PMA is responsible for two deaths in Chicago and seven more in central Florida. Like ecstasy, PMA is manufactured in illicit labs. DEA agents said that the dealers themselves might not always be aware that they're not selling ecstasy. Both drugs give users a euphoric high, and those who buy it may believe they are buying ecstasy.
29 Sep 2000
ORLANDO, FL:
Imported Dangerous Drug ALERT: New Fatal Drug Hits Nightclubs
Able to fry a person's brain like an egg, a new drug being sold on Central Florida's nightclub scene has set off a statewide alert after being tied to six deaths. Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner Dr Shashi Gore said on Wednesday that the pills burn out users' central nervous systems by raising body temperatures to as high as 108 degrees (F).
Costing as little as $10, each dose is white, slightly larger than an aspirin and is stamped with three diamonds in the shape of a Mitsubishi logo. The pills, which have no connection with the Japanese company, apparently came from illegal labs in Germany and Denmark. They appeared in the United States last spring and caused the deaths of three young people in the Chicago area.
According to drug agents, Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) is the latest in a series of illegal drug-related health threats in greater Orlando that began with crack cocaine in the mid-1980s and continued with heroin, Ecstasy and GHB in the 1990s. The so-called Mitsubishi pills contain a mixture of Ecstasy and PMA. Authorities do not know when the pills first arrived in Central Florida, but the drug was first detected in July after Wuesthoff Reference Laboratories in Melbourne ran comprehensive drug screens on a suspected Ecstasy overdose victim. On Tuesday, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning that routine drug screens may not detect PMA.
The Wuesthoff tests showed that five of seven Ecstasy-related deaths in Orange and Osceola counties this year involved PMA. Two of those five deaths came during a triple overdose Labor Day weekend. Two young men died after being ejected from a Lee Road nightclub. The third survived. In addition to those five victims, a woman who died in Lake County, Florida, may have bought the drug in Orlando. PMA in her blood was found by a laboratory in Gainesville.
Nothing about the taste or initial euphoria from taking a diamond pill alerts drug users they may be on the verge of a fatal experience. According to the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, PMA shares hallucinogenic qualities with mescaline and Ecstasy. The first sign of impending death is a soaring temperature. Stupor can follow within an hour. By then, widespread bleeding of the brain and internal organs may have begun. Prompt emergency medical care does not guarantee survival.
In two Orlando deaths, drug agents said, the victims were found thrashing on the floor like fish out of water. All of the local PMA victims consumed more than one drug, which is typical of overdose victims associated with the nightclub and rave scene. The other drugs included alcohol, Valium and marijuana. It`s possible the combinations and taking more than one dose contributed to their deaths. There is no known safe dose for PMA...
12 Sep 2000
Disaster Book On-line:
"Disaster Response: Principles of Preparation and Coordination," by Erik Auf der Heide, MD, MPH, FACEP. Check it out...
20 Aug 2000
ORLANDO, FL: Thirty-five lifesaving automated defibrillators are to
be installed around Orlando International Airport. The devices are
becoming increasingly common in public places in Central Florida and
around the country. The machines actually instruct the user how to operate
them, so no special skills are necessary, plus a device can't shock a
person it determines to be healthy. The Florida State Department of Heath
has contributed $120,000 toward the lightweight machines and the airport
board put in $40,000. About one person every month goes into cardiac
arrest at OIA.
08 Aug 2000
RALEIGH, NC: Three people were killed when an ambulance
transporting a police officer who was wounded in a fatal shooting crashed
into a car. All three of the cars occupants were killed in the crash. The
officer was not seriously hurt in Sunday evening's accident on U.S. Route
1 in north Raleigh. The Wake Forest, North Carolina, officer had been
wounded as he responded to a domestic dispute between a man and a woman
inside a vehicle. When the officer arrived, he tried to take the female
out of the vehicle to talk to her, but before she got out of the vehicle
she was shot. The woman was killed, and the bullet ricocheted into the
officer's hand. The male suspect was taken into custody. The ambulance was
taking the officer to a hospital when it crashed into the car making an
illegal turn.
05 Aug 2000
Resource Notification:
"Rural Ambulances: Medicare Fee Schedule Payments Could Be Better Targeted." HEHS-00-115. 25 pp. plus 6 appendices (10 pp.) July 17, 2000. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/he00115.pdf (Note: Requires Adobe .PDF document reader/plug-in)
TEXAS
Four Die In Medical Helicopter Crash
A 4-month-old girl and the three-person crew aboard a medical helicopter that was transporting the child with breathing problems from a remote Oklahoma town crashed on Friday shortly after taking off in fog. The crash happened about 20 miles north of the Texas Panhandle town of Dalhart.
The Life Star helicopter left Northwest Texas Healthcare System in Amarillo to pick up the girl in Boise City, Oklahoma, about 100 miles to the north, and was returning at the time of the crash. The craft had landed about 15 miles south of Boise City because of fog and was met by an ambulance carrying the baby. After the child was put aboard, the helicopter took off in fog at 06:05CST, and the crew was not heard from again. When the fog lifted nearly five hours later, the wreckage was discovered less than a mile away.
The transfer and the crash occurred near the community of Coldwater, Texas, three miles south of the Oklahoma state line. The helicopter was following power lines along a roadway. Officials at the crash scene said that it appeared the helicopter impacted on its nose. It looked like it either exploded or started burning immediately on impact, and then it caught the grass on fire. Debris was scattered over an area about 400 feet by 100 feet.
The cause of the crash was uncertain, but a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said investigators would be looking to see if the chopper hit power lines, had a mechanical failure and will also try to determine if weather might be a possible cause in the downing.
27 Feb 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm
ANAHEIM, CA:
Ambulance Stolen; 2 Killed in Subsequent Accident
Police said two people were killed when an ambulance stolen from a hospital parking lot ran a red light at high speed and crashed into a car. A police spokesman said that the woman driving the ambulance was "apparently disoriented," and not a EMT. The ambulance had been taken from Anaheim Memorial Hospital, about a mile from the site of Saturday's crash. The victims in the car, which was ripped in half, were both males in their early 20s. The woman driving the ambulance was also injured, but her condition was not given.
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