Pittsburgh EMS has been thrown into a controversy after a Hazelwood man died February 7th who had called EMS 10 times over a two day period seeking help for a stomach ailment. It is a terrible tragedy to be sure. From a Public Information standpoint, the Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Michael Huss and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl have been blunt with their reactions to the episode. It remains to be seen what happens over the next several days but initial reaction has fulfilled some of the main tenets of The Fire PIO’s 7 primary responses to a crisis.
Here is some background information on the story:
1. Prompt Response – Although I am still investigating why it took 10 days to release the history of the call, (please comment if you know more facts) once the story did break in the media, the Mayor and Public Safety Director were quick to respond to the public.
2. Accept Uncertainty – Although all facts have not been totally digested Pittsburgh officials were quick to admit what they did know and also admit what they did not currently know.
”We should have gotten there,” Public Safety Director Michael Huss said. “It’s that simple.”
“I’m deeply disappointed, angry and most of all sad that this event occurred. We failed this person.”
Complicating matters, communication problems meant that each call was seen as an individual request for help. Information gained on previous calls was not passed down during the next request, said Ron Roth, medical director for the city’s public safety department and Allegheny County’s emergency operations center.
“As a result, we made the same request over and over,” he said.
3. Acknowledge Public Concern
“We owe our apologies to [Curtis] Mitchell’s relatives, and specifically [Sharon] Edge, his girlfriend,” said Public Safety Director Michael Huss. “Our citizens deserve better, and they’re going to get better.”
“I’m deeply disappointed, angry and most of all sad that this event occurred. We failed this person.”
The city planned today to start dispatching firefighters as first responders on medical calls of the two highest grades of severity, and on calls of the third highest level that remained unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Firefighters are currently only called as first responders to the most severe incidents.
4. Be Open and Honest
“The fact is, the guy needed help,” Huss said. “Simply getting this patient to the hospital is all that would have needed to happen.”
5. Communicate Compassion
The Mayor and officials have been open and acknowledge a major flaw in their EMS system.
“It’s unacceptable what happened,” Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. “It needs to change. We’re talking about somebody who lost their life, and it’s no small matter.”
6. Start to make tangible corrections to avoid a similar crisis in the future.
Mr. Huss said the dispatch system is not set up to take into account a caller’s history, so no one noted the repetitive nature of the calls.
He said he wants to change the system so dispatchers can take call history into account, but added that it would take time.
7. Be Accessible to the Media
Officials have been available and forthright with their statements.
Also on The Fire PIO…
- Austin, Texas IRS Plane Crash – Virtual JIC Critique – March 5, 2010
- Press Conference Tips – February 10, 2010
- PIO Responsibilities – June 18, 2010
- A PR Guy Gone Wild – June 2, 2010
From Lev Turner via Linkedin
Jeff,
Good take on governmental response. Thanks for your blog, a lot of neat content.
In crisis PR I believe that crafting a three-part message is critical.
The first message needs to be an expression of sincere concern for those affected. After that, you need to demonstrate that you are taking action to determine what happened and how it happened, and what you are going to do to get to the bottom of it. Finally, explain what measures you’re taking to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
It appears that in Pittsburgh at least, #8 is “Throw the crew under the bus (or ambulance) to appease the media.” The facts can sort themselves out after the crew is disciplined. Which of course will involve the union and arbitration. Act in haste, make whole at leisure is the take home message here.
Funny how no one in the media seems to be interested in the fact that Huss was formerly a fire chief and might have something other than better patient care on his agenda.
Please review all of Mr. Huss’ remarks in his press conference. He verbally crucified the paramedics on their decisions TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE A FULL REVIEW WAS COMPLETED. His remarks (per AP) included “We failed this person”, “… You get out of that damn truck and you walk to the residence,” Huss said. “That’s what needed to happen. We could have carried him out.” The AP also paraphrased that “…Regardless of how deep the snow was, Huss said it was unacceptable that paramedics didn’t walk to help Mitchell. If they had, Huss believes Mitchell may have survived”.
He has opened the city and medics to liability and horrible PR by publically drawing a correlation to the death and the crews actions. Medics are sure to see this as an unacceptable breech in trust and confidence by upper administration.
I have yet to see any Department policy discussed in this matter, only opinions. I teach EMS Management and I’ll use this event and the remarks by Mr. Huff and the Mayor as glaring examples of WHAT NOT TO DO and WHAT NOT TO SAY.
I am a city of pittsburgh paramedic. Make no mistake, we have been thrown under the wheels of the bus by HUSS. He has the COMPLETE investigation, report in full. He stands behind what he says, and will not retract and/or apologize. What you won’t hear is that he was M.I.A. the weekend that over 20 inches of snow fell, and plows were not available to help EMS. You also won’t hear that ALL OF OUR CREWS did in fact “get out of the damn truck” and dig themselves out time and time again, all working 16, 20, 24 hour shifts, stuck in the cold, stuck for over 8 hours in some cases. WHERE WAS THE EMERGENCY PLAN? HE’S THE PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR, WHERE WAS THE PLAN MR. HUSS? WHERE WERE YOU?!?!?
You won’t hear him tell you how the entire neighborhood was IN COMPLETE Darkness, in almost waist high snow, with wires down and trees everywhere. Scene safety? That’s the first thing, we, as paramedics, learn. If the scene isn’t safe, you don’t go. Mr. Huss has ZERO idea what the hell he is talking about, but shift the attention away of his absenteeism and FAILURE to plan for this storm…shift it and make a man dying his golden opportunity to take the heat off his sorry a$$!
They kick us, and then kick us some more when we’re down…. The article most recently reported that the fire truck, first responders, got to the home 2 minutes…what it won’t tell you is that that fire house is less than 2 blocks away, the road was plowed when they got the call…so in all reality, it took them 4 days and 2 minutes!
I work side by side with the firemen. I have no beef with them other than the fact that we are now looking at a HOSTILE TAKEOVER by PBF (let’s call it like it is, it’s NOT a merger, anyone that has taken a few business management classes knows the difference). I say step up boys and girls, grab a hold of the stair chair, have a patient crap all over you, and then do it everyday, again and again….then show me that being a paramedic is something you really want to do. I am a paramedic, and it’s hard enough, but having our own leaders (absent and in the shadows) discount everything we worked hard for that weekend, it’s like a slap in the face.