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Working At Events
I will be working at a event in about a week as a staff member of a Japanese Animation Convention. My roll will be to be sure anyone attending the show lines up to get into the events or programs during the show or patrol for any problems like attendees doing something they should not being doing. The only thing is that we have members of our group who have first aid, EMS skills and CPR, but in the event of a medical problem we can not touch or preform any medical procedures on anyone within the building we are working in because of rules set by the ownership of the building.
We have been told the facility will provide someone with some sort of training in first aid or we have to call for 911 and wait for the local fire service to get there. There are AEDs stationed on the walls around the building but we are not allowed to touch or get them if there is a need.
It may look like a citizen will have to do what we would do to save someone because of a license or contract agreement that the group holding the event worked out with the company contracted to run a city owned facility.
The contractor provides the maintenance and cleaning staff, a food service staff, and checks the security cameras around the facility but I have never seen a uniform sercurity group in the facility. As for medical trained staff that I have seen over the years have been something to see. One year a pregnant nurse riding a get around scooter, another a cleaning lady or a maintenance man, and another someone in a suit and tie.
There have been some off duty fire ems personnel at times during the events but they were few and at different times and that was under another contractor Now the city will provide police officers to be on site during the convention so I would guess they would help in a medical emergency.
Some of our staff feel its not right if something happens that could lead to a serious medical condition or someones death because no one did anything. I would guess if anyone in the staff does something they could be band from the show and never allowed to return by the leadership of the group.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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I have made suggestions that could help with this situation.
The city provide a ems crew that may want to work the show for the three days its being held.
A private ambulance service provide a unit to be there paid for by the convention center or the group holding the event.
If the convention center has a ems provider present during the show have them come out and meet the people involved in the show so that they will know who they are working with.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on
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WOW, many questions about that setup. first and foremost is what is your training level and how do the Duty to Act laws read in your state. In my state unless I am "on duty", identify myself as a member of emergency services or involve myself by beginning patient care I don't have a duty to act but I believe some other states might obligate you to act based on your level of certification.
Another issue I see is if you are a certified and authorized to practice by your local EMS organization it may be outside the contractors level of authority to forebid you to act especially on city property.As a certified First Responder I lose my states protections under the Good Samaritan laws, my county responds to this by providing malpractice insurance that covers me any time I am providing medical aid within the county whether it be within my fire district or out and whether it is a paged call or an incident I witnessed or happened upon. As such there are very few people with the authority to stop me from providing care in an emergency. Those who could would be the patient through a refusal of care, law enforcement due to an unsafe scene, any EMS personnel or if I'm in another fire district responders assigned to that district can relieve me of duty on that scene. A private organization or third party can no more deny me access to treat a patient in a true emergency any more than they could an EMT or Paramedic responding on an ambulance. This authority would require a true emergency where the patient either asked for or accepted my care OR was unable to give consent. As always common sense applies, if I see someone getting a paper cut bandaged I'll probably walk on by where as someone looking pale and holding their chest I'm probably going to stop and offer assistance.
I think the renter is trying to protect themselves from liability by restricting who can provide First Aid but if you are properly certified and they prevent you from administering CPR/First Aid/AED if necessary I'd bet they're actually opening themselves up to more liability than they're protecting themselves from.
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I am a Maryland State EMT and National Certified Firefighter 3 and due to have National Certified EMT by the state. The show is in Virginia about 5 to 6 hours from where I live. This is the only place that this show event has had to be told that the volunteer staff can not touch any one sick or injuried in the 15 years the event has been held around the this area of Virgina. The location where its being held was a new facility when the event moved there and we have been using it for 7 now going on 8 years. Everywhere else we have been let the event volunteers do EMS work sometimes with a local EMS provider working with us during the show. There have been a few times staff has step in because they had to wait for someone to come, but they have made it clear DO NOT TOUCH OR HELP ANYONE.
There is a mix of staff who have the certifications for EMS training from Virginia but they can not act because of this the agreement.
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One thing I have asked is that the staff get to meet the people providing the EMS for the contractor, but I think that has been shot down by the event leadership.
I was thinking of it as a ice breaker between the two operations.
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Well during this event there was a couple of things that meant that there was a medical situation happening I seen and heard of another.
One I seen the local fire service arrive with cot and equipment and started into a exbit hall but stopped by a convention center employee and told to follow them to another area.
Then someone walked up to a staffer, not a member of our staff group, and pointed out a woman sitting in a chair. The staffer walked over to to the woman and then walked away toward our event operations room which was in another area of the building leaving the woman sitting there. I thought what if this woman has a serious medical problem and just walked away without calling to someone with a radio to call the operations desk to call the center's operation to call their medic to the woman. I did keep my eye on her while trying to control a line of people. It turned out the woman had scraped her leg and needed it cleaned and bandaged.
Another incident I heard from my friend was that someone had walked into a bathroom and vomited blood so I guessed that brought the center's medic and EMS.
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As a question.
Are there fire depts that have vehilcles that maybe second line or that are assigned to be used for just special event operations?
Say golf carts, ATVs, maybe a pumper or ambulance that is just for events and not used for anything else.
Crews would be made up of personnel wanting over time to work the event so that on duty personnel are not taken out of stations.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Are there fire depts that have vehilcles that maybe second line or that are assigned to be used for just special event operations?
Say golf carts, ATVs, maybe a pumper or ambulance that is just for events and not used for anything else.
Crews would be made up of personnel wanting over time to work the event so that on duty personnel are not taken out of stations.
That would be every special event we run. We have a few community "runs" a marathon we cover for, our 4th of July event, some concerts, and every Packer home game.
We have a couple gators with a stretcher, EMS gear, fire extinguishers, etc. For Packer games we have one of these on the upper and lower levels respectively.
We have several paramedic bike teams with a cache of EMS equipment split between both bikes. They are used for a faster response in the crowds and vary by event on how many are used. We have 6 bike teams for each Packer game, and a couple teams staffing the EMS rooms (2 of them), and a walking team.
We will usually staff a spare ambulance (or 2) for special events for transports, and Packer games get an engine staffed with at least 2 HAZ-MAT qualified personnel. For the 4th of July, we will have the fireboat staffed as well at 7pm.
Every special event is an OT opportunity, no on duty crews are used to staff the events, but on-duty crews may have to respond at times. (if both ambulances are out at a Packer game, a front line rig will be sent to standby). OT is awarded by seniority and one has to sign up at least 10 days prior to the event. OT costs incurred are paid by the special event sponsors. Packer game OT is double time, so mostly senior personnel get the games, other events are time and half.
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