State of EMS in the 1970s.

[Paul Steinberg]

Thanks to Mike McDonald for sending this to me... Click here to view...

You have watched and read the battles concerning EMS in the Nation’s Capital over the last three years here at STATter911.com. I have been covering the very same issue from my first days at Channel 9 25 years ago and before that at WTOP Radio. But the problems precede my reporting.
The video above has two stories from the late Bob Strickland in 1976 reporting on difficulties during the early stages of providing ALS in Washington, DC.
Below is a half-hour special (in two parts) by reporter Steve Gendel that takes a wider view. Besides the District of Columbia it covers the suburbs in Maryland and Northern Virginia. When you look at the credits you will see the name Tad Dukehart as the photographer for the broadcast. Tad retired from Channel 9 and is now a volunteer firefighter in Wisconsin.​

You will also see the name Rich Adams. Up until his death in 1996 Rich was a columnist on EMS issues for Firehouse Magazine and was a member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. Rich was also the editorial director at Channel 9. In that role Rich helped pushed the fire and EMS community to improve EMS in the region. There were many other similar public safety issues where I believe my friend Rich left a lasting mark. He is greatly missed.​

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30317508001?bctid=88541563001

 

[John ED Renstrom]

clear back in 76 they stated miss management in DC. glad to see that is cleared up. I do know just what they are saying. we ran a basic service here for a number of years with the nearest trauma center 60 miles away. the day we hauled my dad up with a popped ulcer and no Iv because we did not have a nurse free to ride up with us was the day my wife and I pushed the service up to intermediate. I'm glad to say today they are running one NRPM a shift.

 

[Scott Crittenden]

love that Powercall!

 

[Steve Lichtman]

I'll have to look at the videos when I get to work due to slow dial-up. But I can assure you that any problems mentioned in the news reports from '76 probably still exist today. DC is a city that acts like a state, and does neither very well. EMS in DC is still haphazard at best, sometimes you get a good ALS crew, sometimes not, sometimes you don't get ALS at all - just a BLS crew, and sometimes ya ride to the hospital in a firetruck. Sometimes you get told by a paramedic that you don't need to go to the hospital at all and later end up dead. And this is 2010. Too many calls, too few crews, too little money, too much politics.

By the way, Dave Statter, who writes the Statter911 blog, is a friend of mine, as was the late Rich Adams mentioned in the article. They are both local media-types with long ties to EMS who spent many years in the back of an ambulance, as well as reporting on them. Rich's wife was the head of the city EMS office of the Health Department for many years.