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San Diego Brownouts May Have Contributed to Toddler Death
SAN DIEGO - San Diego's fire chief says service cutbacks increased the time it took paramedics to reach a toddler who choked to death on a gum ball.
But police got there within minutes and Fire Chief Javier Mainar said Wednesday he doesn't know whether firefighters could have saved the boy if they'd arrived sooner.
Two-year-old Bentley Do of Mira Mesa died Tuesday night.
The family lives about a block from a San Diego fire station but that crew was away on another call, filling in for another station whose engine was sidelined by a rotating series of service "brownouts" designed to save money.
Police arrived within five minutes of the call to 911 and began CPR. Fire paramedics arrived 4 1/2 minutes later and took over but the child was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
But police got there within minutes and Fire Chief Javier Mainar said Wednesday he doesn't know whether firefighters could have saved the boy if they'd arrived sooner.
Two-year-old Bentley Do of Mira Mesa died Tuesday night.
The family lives about a block from a San Diego fire station but that crew was away on another call, filling in for another station whose engine was sidelined by a rotating series of service "brownouts" designed to save money.
Police arrived within five minutes of the call to 911 and began CPR. Fire paramedics arrived 4 1/2 minutes later and took over but the child was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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Two things come to mind. DUH and the Chief has some big ones to publicly say this. He's not towing the mayors line.
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Permalink Reply by Dwayne on
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And why shouldn't he tell it like it is, no reason to sugar coat these things.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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And why shouldn't he tell it like it is, no reason to sugar coat these things.
The issue is that many chiefs wouldn't say such a thing because they are accountable to the mayor and council, of which, probably made the decision that money needs to be cut. So it is in a sense bashing that decision, which in turn could lead to a decision of a being forced out as chief.
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Russell on
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If the chief doesn't have the guts to say the truth about the situation with public safety, then he doesn't need to be chief.
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If the chief doesn't have the guts to say the truth about the situation with public safety, then he doesn't need to be chief.
I agree, but then again it is probably a different issue when put in the same situation as a chief. Fact is that most chief's answer to political leaders who demand such cuts, but when faced with the reality, many who have spoken out, didn't hold onto their jobs long. Problem is there are always people out there willing to take such a job, who will bend to the political pressure.
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Sad but true.
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