DC Fire and EMS ... disaster

I caught wind of this from Eric Wemple over at the City Desk (his quick post is here), but Washingtonian has a 14-page (yea ... it is looooooooooong) article about DC Fire and EMS.  They are mainly discussing the EMS component of why DC FEMS sucks.  Props go to John Pakkanen for writing a great article - and one that is indeed quite thought-provoking.  Pakkanen makes note that during his campaign, Adrian Fenty had promised that he was going to break up DC FEMS into two separate departments - because things clearly were not working.

We all know that FEMS sucks ... you hear of long response times, horrible care - just absolute disaster.  Remember over the summer those two ambulance companies that were found to be sitting in a radio dead spot up in NW to avoid calls ... and that occurring in a city that is already short-ambulanced.  GREATTTT.  That is after the whole thing back in 2006 where a reporter for The Paper of Record, David Rosenbaum, suffered a head trauma and FEMS treated him as if he was intoxicated.  They took hours to get him to the hospital - stopping at one of the EMT's house to pick up something.  Unreal.  

It seems to me after reading this article - in which Pakkanen outlines failure, after failure - you are better off stealing a car and attempting to drive yourself to the hospital in most cases.  That is pretty sad, and quite dangerous.  Actually after reading this article I fear having to call 911.  

But the article did answer some very interesting questions for me - like why does a fire engine ALWAYS show up, even when it is just a routine medical/EMS call.  It always seemed to me like an incredible waste of resources, since the engine could not transport people - and more often than not it seemed like the firefighters were just standing around.  It would make sense if they were all trained EMTs, which I did think for a while - but this article completely debunked that theory.  While DC FEMS doesn't seem to have an official reason for doing so, fire calls have dropped by one-third in the past 20-ish years and yet budgets and staffing levels have stayed the same.  It seems that sending the engine just justifies reasons to keep staffing levels and keep up with the newest and best equipment in the fire houses.

Firefighters hate EMS personnel and vice versa ... its a bad situation.  And instead of fulfilling his campaign promise to rectify the situation and break the two departments up - he is doing exactly the opposite.  He is going along with the plan to fully integrate the two departments - basically truly making it FEMS, eliminating the separate arm of EMS.  All firefighters would be trained as first-responders, and all EMTs as firefighters.  Sounds like the worst idea ever ... clearly he has never watched Third Watch.  Firefighters and EMTs are completely different personalities; you have firefighters who are macho and love to jump into burning buildings to save people, and conversely you have EMTs are do love to save people - but aren't that keen on jumping into burning buildings.  I hate to generalize, but it seems that basically firefighters are not into it if there isn't something on fire.

I'm sure EMTs and paramedics can be jerks too ... but it seems to me from the my understanding of the situation (and everyone's accounts - including the firefighters), that firefighters think they are better than EMTs.  Hmmm ... I'm not quite sure about that.  Not to really rag on firefighters - but their jobs were made close to obsolete with a little invention called the sprinkler system.  And while we do have first-responder aids, such as AEDs, we still rely on EMTs to transport us safely in the event of a medical emergency.

Both units obviously perform very important functions, but I personally think they really need to be separate entities.  How do you feel about it?  What did you think of the article?  Did you think my portrayal of the situation is accurate, or do you feel that the services should remain under one umbrella?

I've babbled on enough - here is the actual article.

The roundup...

Quick and easy ...

* Merry Christmas Eve!

* Yesterday GM closed its two biggest SUV factories - Janesville, Wisconsin (a plant which has been open for over 90 years) and Moraine, Ohio.  This move follows in the footsteps of Chrysler closing its Newark, Delaware SUV plant last Friday.  Each of the Big Three is now left with only one plant dedicated to producing SUVs - an odd thought in a consumer society that was once so dedicated.  The Paper of Record reports - here.

* Obama promised change, and people expect it, whether or not he mentioned it specifically.  The Paper of Record reports on people around the country hoping/expecting a massive shift in American food policy from the Obama White House.  I join them in that expectation, considering our food/farm policy is based on almost century old concepts and ideas.  Here.

* The Paper of Record and Danger Room both have leads about the changes that lie ahead for the State Department under Hillary Clinton.  In an era where the Pentagon has become so large that most diplomacy is handled through their staff offices - some argue that a Department of State should just be merged into the DoD.  Thankfully Clinton and Obama are reversing that trend, and at a breakneck pace.  The world needs to know the the US is their friend, not just a mighty military power, and the State Department has set out to do that.  Both USAID and the Foreign Service are recruiting and hiring people in record numbers - preparing for the new roads that lie ahead.  [Foreign service hires, here; Clinton expanding DoS role, here; Danger Room on it all, here]

* Via We Love DC, here - which references WaPo, here.  Why do you never see Metro in films?  Because Metro has the most ridiculous rules ever in regards to filming.  No shooting.  No jumping faregates.  No death.  And of course, no eating or drinking.

* The end of Paper Transfers -- January 4th, I can't wait.

* GGW has the new committee assignments for the DC Circus, chosen by Ringleader Gray.  Tommy Wells has been placed on Graham's Public Works & Transportation committee, which GGW says is a great thing as Wells showed up to meetings when not even on the committee and is very pro-smart growth.  Here.  CityPaper has a full rundown of committee assignments, here.

* WaPo, here, has Michael Brown's appointment to the WMATA Board, as an alternate, by Gray.  And our good friend Jim Bojangles Graham was reappointed.  Bojangles currently serves as Vice-Chairman, and his reappointment will hopefully solidify him as Chairman.  If Bojangles does good as WMATA Chairman, I might think about forgiving him.

Ummm ... Hi

Okay, I'm back in the District.

First off - we have the stupidest girl in the world.  Click here to see the girl who accidentally texted her Dad after losing her virginity.  [cite: H]

In other news - River Road in Potomac, MD (outside Bethesda) has actually turned into a river this morning due to a 66-inch water main break.  Cocktail sent this to me this morning, the article can be viewed here on WJLA's website and I have embedded the video below.

And...

Via DCist - The Examiner is reporting that over 300 bars, clubs, and restaurants that have 'voluntary agreements' with their ANC's must close at their current closing time - not the 4am that the DC Circus Ruling allows them too.  You can read about it here, but basically DC AG Nickles has determined that the agreements with the ANC's are binding contracts and must be upheld - unless of course the particular ANC votes to change their feeling on the matter for the 5 day inaugural party (which they should).

Metro ... Metro ... Metro - They are at it again.  Following Thursdays Board Meeting, with many protests over the Google Transit debacle (over 750 signed GGW's petition) - Metro has begun working on some better lines, rather than telling people they just want money.  They now say they are going to work with Google Transit, and that getting their data out in the open is very important to them.  Righttttttt.  Though this is coming from Metro's Chief Administrator, Emeka Moneme - who is a step about Metro's Bumbling Idiot, John Catoe.  Metro has been kind enough to put up an FAQ page as to why they hate data-openness, you can read it here.

Justice?? Hahaha.

Bojangles wants to get 8 year olds drunk - and Corrupt and GWSkank want to be there for the party too!

Now CharlieCorrupt ... I knew about the 1-year thing, but what I didn't know is that each ANC had the choice to decide what they wanted the rules to be after that one year period (whether to keep it, or to back) - that puts me even more against it. That is exactly what we don't need - rules that vary across the city. Laws like this need to be uniform ... it would be like allowing each ANC to set their own last-call time ... utterly ridic.

And I don't really understand the argument 'Kriston' ... she/he seems to want the DC Council out of the business of managing bar employees - and so do I. The licenses are currently managed by the DC ABC, the Circus just decided to put into the argument and make a new rule. So Kirston it seems that you and I agree - lets go back to the old way of the ABC making the rule, and guess what - the ABC thinks the way it used to be is the best way.

Under either system the problem falls to the bar owners ... but under the pre-Bojangles way, the bar owners and managers would have to be much more careful with selection and training of new employees. Underage drinking isn't life or death - but it is honestly important that bar owners enforce it properly. When there is a new bartender or bounder - the manager should have someone (or them self) rechecking IDs of people they think maybe shouldn't have be let in. The employees should be screened and have references ... and yes, I know mistakes happen. And suspending a license is tough for a single mistake, but I really think that it makes the bar owners and managers much more aware and on-top of their employees.

Oh Bojangles (Jim Graham) ... looks like its you and the entire city versus me.

Late edit: Apparently Corrupt wrote this post, not GWSkank as I had initially said.

Justice!

At the risk of infuriating Tim (and his newfound teetotaling ways), here is a link to a great post on DCist by Kriston about Graham's (Bojangles') proposal to issue a warning to first time offenders that serve alcohol to minors.

A quick excerpt:

It never made any sense for the D.C. Council to be in the business of managing bar employees. A more reasonable rule (such as the one that will govern D.C. for the next year as an experiment) would provide a warning so as to tease out the lazy or merely mistaken bartenders from the habitual offenders. That puts the onus of enforcement on bar employers, where it belongs. Where bar owners and managers are negligent, repeat offenders will prove.

Now this measure will only apply for a year on an experimental level After the year has ended any ANC may reverse the measure as they see fit without any say from DC Council (The Circus). Here's hoping it works (and that my local Adams Morgan ANC pays close attention to see if this is a successful measure)!

Thursday Grumblings

***I just spent the past hour trying to reset my PIN for my ATM card at Citibank - absolutely ridiculous. I primarily bank through Bank of America, but I opened this account at Citibank because they had one of those "We'll-give-you-$50-if-you-open-an-account-with-us" scams. I basically never had anything more in my account than the original $50 gift they promised, and I certainly had never used my Citibank ATM card. I kept the account open for the requisite number of months to qualify for this $50 and then forgot about the account, but I recently received a new ATM card in the mail for no apparent reason. Mayhem ensued.

So ... because I received this new ATM card, my online access was disabled until I registered the new ATM card. To register the new ATM card, I needed to enter my PIN ... but I have no idea if I even had a PIN for this card, nonetheless what the hell the PIN was. I called Citibank to rectify this and was told that they could not tell me my PIN over the phone ... fair enough security measures, I suppose ... but was told I needed to go to a branch to reset my PIN.

So to the branch I went, but was told they could not reset my PIN because I originally setup my account online. UNREAL. I was told by the customer service agent to walk over to one of the ATMs inside the branch, which have telephones attached to them. I picked up the ATM-phone and it automatically dialed someone in internet-land, where I set up the account originally. ::rolls eyes:: Then things went pretty south ...

The witch on the phone proceeded to tell me that I could only reset my PIN at a branch, and I thus proceeded to explode that I was in fact IN A BRANCH, and was told to talk to her on this clown-phone for assistance. I imagine I drew a few funny looks from everyone in the branch as they witnessed me screaming and dancing around, looking as if I was trying to somehow beam myself up to the bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise through this ATM phone. Anyhow, she put me on hold for about 5 minutes and then told me that the branch now had acccess to change my PIN. I walked back over to customer service rep #1 who pressed a lot of buttons, but was (to no surprise) unable to produce any results. I was no joke living a real-life Carole Beer skit from Little Britain.

With this, I decided that a bank that is unable to change my PIN is unfit to properly manage my $53.28. I closed the account and will take my monies elsewhere.

*** The DC City Council, or the DCCircus as Tim has wittingly coined it, has given in to Congress yet again. They moved the bar hours during inauguration back to 4am to compromise with the Senators that were upset about the late 5am hours. If you answer to criticism from these people who have no place telling us how to govern, you are unable to assert your autonomy in the future. BAH! Grow a pair, DCCircus!

*** Lastly, a little morbid sarcasm to wrap up my post. My friend Sandi (who lives and works in the burbs) came over last Saturday and happened to be on the particular Green Line car where the stabbing occured as they passed through the U Street station. The group of kids boarded her metro car fighting, screaming, and taking off clothes to apply pressure to wounds ... naturally, she was incredibly traumatized and completely out of breath by the time she showed up at our apartment. Of all the people for this to happen to, it's of course the person I give the most shit to for living in the suburbs ... now she has enough ammo to friggin' rationalize moving to West Virginia. Despite the craziness, Sandi was still able to provide some light anti-suburbs in an email to me ... haha: "I guess all neighborhoods have problems, but at least there haven't been 8 murders in my zip code this week. Somebody did throw themselves on the train tracks in shady grove this morning, but I can't say I blame him, if i lived in gaithersburg, I'd probably throw myself on the tracks as well."

In Defense of Jim Graham...

While we like to keep things nice and cordial here on Connetiquette Ave, I have to disagree with Tim's post about Councilmember Graham. First off - I totally agree that the drinking age is absurd, particularly the strict manner in which it is enforced. DC is particularly strict about enforcing drinking regulations (maybe because with 90+ law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions in the metro area, it's hard for MPD to find anything better to do. Oh wait, there's this. And this.).

While I (of course) believe it is important to enforce the law as written and that public safety is and should be a priority. That being said, we simply have bigger fish to fry. Even with these stringent laws underaged people are going to drink. We've tried the whole MADD experiment now for pushing 30 years. It didn't stop underage drinking, it just pushed the issue to even more dangerous clandestine binge-drinking, particularly on college campuses. In a sick way these types of laws are leading to a much greater risk for underage people.

Some would argue: fine, get rid of the laws. Well, here's hoping that somedays we do. But with the current federal regulation that removes the transportation funding for any state/territory that changes the drinking age, that really isn't a possibility. Not to mention there's that whole (unjust) Congressional review thing for DC laws. So what's a councilman to do? He makes what changes he can.

Spending time, money, and energy forcing this into a larger issue by having unnecessarily high penalties for what amounts to a small infraction is simply not worth it. I agree that simply waiving the first infraction while retaining the eventual penalty doesn't solve the issue, but to me it's a step in the right direction -- getting rid of these absurd requirements in the first place.

Community Issues- Hate Crimes

While hardly a topic in the spirit of holiday cheer, just a quick post on a serious issue: hate crimes. Those who follow the news closely will recall that there has been a spate of bias-related crimes in the area, particularly directed at members of the LGBT community. DC is ahead of the curve in many ways, particularly by having a specific unit of MPD that specializes in LGBT issues, but this hasn't stopped hate and bias crimes from being perpetrated. Moreover, the number of hate crimes in DC is believed to be greatly underreported, partly because of hesitance on the part of victims to come forward and partly due to a lack of recognition of a crime as hate-motivated.

Recently the DC Council Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held hearings on the issue. Our friend and Dupont ANC Commissioner Jack Jacobson presented enlightening testimony on the matter that can be found here. Jack's testimony includes a set of suggestions to help increase the reporting (and accuracy) of hate crimes as a starting point to reassess how to curb the incidence of these crimes. Interested in getting invovled? Check out Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, MPD's Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, get in touch with your Council member
or keep up with Commissioner Jacobson and his important public safety work.