Letter to the Editor 1/27/2010

Published: January 27, 2010

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Reconsidering involvement

EDITOR: Where do you draw the line? As an emergency responder, I am required to provide assistance to victims of various situations. Now, do we as volunteers have to decide, sometimes in a split second, whether to help or to stand back?

Now due to some local witch hunting and personal vendettas, I'm concerned that the dedicated first responders of our and your local communities are left to decide whether to get involved or to sit back for fear of legal action.

I myself, carry only a valid CPR card as I run with the fire/rescue side of the response and not the EMS side. After reading the recent article on an individual whom volunteers not only his time, but also risks his own, along with his family's safety and security only leaves me to question my interests as well.

I am strongly reconsidering my involvement in emergency response. After some 30 years give or take, I am left in doubt as to whether I really want to assume the risk, the liability, and not to mention the countless hours of training, fundraising, etc. to help my, along with your, community.

I feel the emergency responders need to take a hard look at what they are risking, to do something they truly enjoy, that can be jeopardized by not only a few disgruntled people, but just one honest mistake made while trying to help their neighbor. Truly a sad day for the volunteer.

Raymond E. McGuire

Rome

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You have nothing to worry about if you obey the law. If you are a lay person, and render assistance at an accident, you are protected by the Good Samaritan Law. If you are trained as a First Responder, EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, Physician, Firefighter, Police, etc, than you training and your organizations rules, dictate what and how you proceed. It is only is you step outside of those guidelines, and claim to be what you are not, that leads to trouble. You can not impersonate a trained, care provider when you do not have the credentials to back it up. Any fire, ambulance, or other emergency service should take this as a warning to have their records and training in order. Make sure your volunteers understand exactly the scope of their practice.
Being a good guy. Being smart. Having lots of experience in the field. Being observant. Being a fast learner. Will not protect you, if you claim to be what you can not prove. An experienced nurse will often know as much or more, than an inexperienced physician, but that nurse can not claim to be a Doctor. These are not paper titles, these are earned through study, testing, practice, and training. If you want it, go out and earn it.
We have to be able to trust that the person caring for us, is what they claim to be. At the times of illness or accident, people are vulnerable. So, this illegal behavior should not be tolerated, by anyone. Let the courts decide, and then live with the rulings.

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Lifelong BC native, 01/29/10 9:01

Ray,
If you're threatening to quit the emergency services just because Bowen is being held responsible for breaking the law, it says all sorts of things about your own dedication. He wasn't just trying to help. He was trying to control situations that he had neither the training nor the authority to operate. Were you on any of those scenes? His actions were ridiculous. He broke the law, plain and simple. Now he got caught. As a chief, you should understand the severity of what he did. If some untrained wannabe rolled up on one of your scenes and ordered your department to violate standard fire/rescue procedure, would you think he was "just trying to help"? No, you would want him arrested. What Bowen did was even worse. He impersonated a trained position of trust and skill, then tried to order the real EMS workers to break protocol. He's lucky he isn't being charged with manslaughter after one of his stunts. I'm very surprised he isn't.
The worst part, Ray, is that you don't deny he broke the law. You of all people should support these charges. Being one of your buddies doesn't make his actions right.

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Susan, 01/28/10 2:39

I think JulieK was being sarcastic. Kind of equating the blame being put on the reporter, instead of the person who violated the law. At least that is how I read it. She meant, I think, why are you attacking the person who reported the crime, instead of the person who allegedly committed it.
This was not a personal vendetta. The agencies investigating this offense had no axe to grind, they were checking a complaint, and this is what the investigation showed. It will now be up to the courts.
Mr. Bowen may be a kind, considerate, caring individual. He, and no one else, is above the law. Let's see how the court rules.

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Sayrenative, 01/28/10 12:02

JulieK, the problem exactly is he didn't follow the rules.
It is not the person who reported it. Killing the messenger is not the solution.
This was reporting of illegal activity. That is a far cry for tattletale.

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EMT, 01/27/10 7:59

I do not know where you reside in Athens, but the Greater Valley EMS is fast. We live in Sayre, and when a family member collapsed for not apparent reason, they were at the house within 2 minutes of our 911 call. They stabilized him, started an IV, took vitals, and adminstered oxygen. Then took him to the hospital. He was only in his 20's but they did not short change his care at all. Sadly, it turned our this was due to cancer, a fast growing tumor, and he passed away 4 months latter. The Greater Valley EMS responded another 3 times for emergency care, before his final hospitalization. Every call was met by caring. compassionate, professional responders. They comforted his wife, and children, and were so kind, even while administering emergency care. So, Athns, I suggest you pay the very small membership cost annually, and request Greater Valley, in an emergency. If your company takes 45 minutes, perhaps it is all volunteer, and in a remote location from your home. They don't get paid, and often have to leave their jobs or families, go to the ambulance garage, and then come to you. They care enough to do this for free, in fact, most pay for their own training.
I have utmost respect for emergency responders. Those special people who get up in all weather, and leave work, parties, kids games, etc, and reach out to help strangers.

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Sayrenative, 01/27/10 7:57

Mr McGuire needs to get his facts write. This was not one honest mistake.There was nothing honest about it and its been going on for close to 30 years. But thats wright rules and laws do not pertain to a Bowen. Maybe Mr McGuire should step down if he is worried he is next.

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Rome Res, 01/27/10 6:51

This is overblown. It appears that one individual, in one community, violated the law. He, aledgedly, impersonated a trained emergency responder, when he did not have the proper credentials. Just as you can not impersonate a police officer, or practice medicine without a license, you can not simply appoint yourself an EMT or Paramedic. It is not a matter of skill or knowledge. He did not have the credentials required to work as one. That is illegal. This was investigated by outside, impartial agencies. The courts will decide where it goes from here.
Volunteer departments are responsible for the training and conduct of their members. No doubt this will spill over on the department he served.
Those who work hard, and study, and earn the right to be called EMT or Paramedic have a right to be proud. Those who think it doesn't matter, or is "just a paper title, are mistaken.

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emtinbc, 01/27/10 4:46

Welcome to Northeast, where the problem isn't that you didn't follow the rules; the problem is that other people tattled on you. This is just the same infighting and "thee and thine but not me and mine" thinking that is so pervasive in that area.

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JulieK, 01/27/10 3:40

Isn't that this the unfornate truth in today's world. I had been asked about being trained in the office for cpr and the auto defib machine, and I decline, because heaven forbid the person doesn't respond. It's to bad that you want to help and are trainined and if nature takes it's course your sued, but if you help the person your the hero of the day. Way to go society...

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thinkingwmyhead, 01/27/10 10:04

I don't think your the only person with this worry. Each time I have had to call 911 it took well over 45 mins for someone to show up and when they got there they didn't want to do anything other than get the person to the hospital. I don't blame them but I have always said if I have a heart attack don't bother calling 911, I'll be dead before they get here.

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Athens, 01/27/10 10:02

Mr. McGuire- It is regrettable you feel this way, but I do not see the threat to volunteers that you do. I am not from your area of county but have often read of the petty, vindictive and childish antics of some of its citizens. It is apparent that it creates a tension filled environment, especially for those of your citizens who wish to serve.

However in this case I do not see a "witch hunt". I see two outside agencies, who could care less about the personalities involved, investigating a complaint about improper and potentially dangerous conduct. Indeed these agencies probably rolled their eyes when they saw where the complaint came from. But you cannot ignore such complaints. They then found evidence to support the complaint and brought it before a district justice.

Might the originator of the complaint have had an axe to grind with Mr. Bowen? Maybe so, maybe not. But the investigation was conducted by outside sources with no stake in the local community conflict. Now it will be decided in the court system whether the evidence was sufficient to support the complaint.

From what I have read Mr. Bowen is a very passionate, strong willed individual. That can be a good thing. It can be a bad thing if it leads to believe that laws and regulations do not apply to you.

And that is what this is about, following the rules. I have seen nothing in the rest of the county or the region in general that leads to me believe that any legal entity is out "to get" volunteer responders. This is not about volunteering, but following the rules. We will see what the court decides in this case.

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RetiredPO, 01/27/10 9:25

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