Comments on: Toronto Emergency Services Down to 75% Staffing Levels http://macbraughton.com/2009/06/23/toronto-emergency-services-down-to-75-staffing-levels/ Culture - Creativity - Conflict Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: macbraughton http://macbraughton.com/2009/06/23/toronto-emergency-services-down-to-75-staffing-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-335 macbraughton Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:44:32 +0000 http://macbraughton.com/?p=295#comment-335 Well, apparently, Reality Check, hero's do stage because a hero such as yourself is not willing to identify themselves more than by an incredibly vague and self-righteous pseudonym. From your banter I can tell that you have some experience with the system, though you're antagonistic to both paramedics and dispatchers makes me think that you're probably a self-loathing dispatcher. For the public who has no idea how medical 911 calls are prioritized, Echos and Deltas are our highest priority calls. While I've been 25% on strike over the last three weeks, I've seen plenty of Echos and Deltas with much worse than usual response times. More often than usual there are more calls coming in than people to answer, also slowing our response. I've also seen calls that are not considered a high priority wait for hours to be serviced, even when that involved a patient lying on the ground in severe pain the whole time. Granted, a cracked hip is not as high a priority as a heart attack, but from what I've heard it is damn painful. I would say leaving somebody who really has no alternative but emergency transport to hospital to wait hours is extremely demeaning and degrading. This strike is not good for public health, no matter how the City of Toronto corporation tries to justify it. Well, apparently, Reality Check, hero’s do stage because a hero such as yourself is not willing to identify themselves more than by an incredibly vague and self-righteous pseudonym.

From your banter I can tell that you have some experience with the system, though you’re antagonistic to both paramedics and dispatchers makes me think that you’re probably a self-loathing dispatcher.

For the public who has no idea how medical 911 calls are prioritized, Echos and Deltas are our highest priority calls. While I’ve been 25% on strike over the last three weeks, I’ve seen plenty of Echos and Deltas with much worse than usual response times. More often than usual there are more calls coming in than people to answer, also slowing our response.

I’ve also seen calls that are not considered a high priority wait for hours to be serviced, even when that involved a patient lying on the ground in severe pain the whole time. Granted, a cracked hip is not as high a priority as a heart attack, but from what I’ve heard it is damn painful. I would say leaving somebody who really has no alternative but emergency transport to hospital to wait hours is extremely demeaning and degrading.

This strike is not good for public health, no matter how the City of Toronto corporation tries to justify it.

]]> By: Reality Check http://macbraughton.com/2009/06/23/toronto-emergency-services-down-to-75-staffing-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-333 Reality Check Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:28:06 +0000 http://macbraughton.com/?p=295#comment-333 25% less staff on the road means that TRANSFERS are not getting done, and that business is going to private transfer companies. Emergency response times for Delta's and Echo's are probably better than before the strike. If any delays are occurring, its due to the EMD's taking longer to talk people into agreeing they are having trouble breathing or flu like symptoms, or making a call seem like a dangerous crime scene and staging vehicles around the corner because the caller "wasn't nice to them and wouldn't answer all the Q/A and SRI questions". Hero's Don't Stage. 25% less staff on the road means that TRANSFERS are not getting done, and that business is going to private transfer companies. Emergency response times for Delta’s and Echo’s are probably better than before the strike. If any delays are occurring, its due to the EMD’s taking longer to talk people into agreeing they are having trouble breathing or flu like symptoms, or making a call seem like a dangerous crime scene and staging vehicles around the corner because the caller “wasn’t nice to them and wouldn’t answer all the Q/A and SRI questions”.

Hero’s Don’t Stage.

]]> By: Judy http://macbraughton.com/2009/06/23/toronto-emergency-services-down-to-75-staffing-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-316 Judy Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:08:03 +0000 http://macbraughton.com/?p=295#comment-316 Hey Donnie... I think that people should also know that staffing is at 75% of our minimum. This means that while they usually staff above minimum (at least by 2) they are now going to be 75% of the least we ever have. I'm off tomorrow and have heard that lots of us are. Hey Donnie… I think that people should also know that staffing is at 75% of our minimum. This means that while they usually staff above minimum (at least by 2) they are now going to be 75% of the least we ever have.

I’m off tomorrow and have heard that lots of us are.

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