Whetstone Fire Chief should be in prison!

[EMS Pilot]

I just watched a story on Channel 11 news about this clown that calls himself a Fire Chief.

For those who don't know, it seems the Chief is also a flight medic for Lifeline Air Ambulance, and got caught calling his own helicopters in from over 60 miles away for an car accident when there was already one helicopter from another company (LifeNet) over the accident scene. The Chief refused to let the LifeNet helicopter land because of some personal beef with one LifeNet flight nurse who'd critqued him about how he prepared a patient for a flight. Regardless of his personal issues with LifeNet, there was also a second helicopter just 6 minutes away, owned and operated by Air Evac. The Chief for whatever reason, decided not to use Air Evac either. Instead, he chose to use his buddies from Lifeline Air Ambulance. These two Lifeline helicopters each took approximately THIRTY minutes to arrive on scene! The whole time he was waiting for his buddies to arrive, there was a perfectly capable helicopter just orbiting a few hundred feet overhead waiting for permission to land! Oh yeah, and because it took so long to get a helicopter on scene, one of the patients (the son of another local fire chief) died!

I hope the town of Whetstone hangs this guy out to dry. I hope the families of the two accident victims (especially the one that died due to his neglegence) sue him for everything he's worth and then some. I hope the State of Arizona revokes every medical license he has to his name. And lastly, I hope he's charged with criminal neglegence and put in prison for a long time!

When EMS and Fire officials start putting personal gain ahead of patient care and wellbeing, something is seriously wrong. This is the man you've entrusted with caring for you and your loved ones in your hour of need. Please, GET RID OF HIM NOW!!!

[Arizonaffcep]

The only problem with this thought is, the patients were not ready to be transported at that point. If you were watching the interview...he said that had they been ready, he would have landed them. But...the Lifeline Helicopters each had from skid down to skid up times in the relms of 6 minutes. The patients had just been extricated when the Lifeline helicopters landed. He did nothing to endanger the patients. There was NO neglegence to be had. Please, know ALL your facts before posting hate mail.

[EMS Pilot]

Are you high? The Arizona Lifeline helicopters each came from over 60 miles away! That equates to a 30+ minute ETA (You're SO clueless about the "6 minute" ETA...), once they got the call! That is a complete disregard for patient care! The LAW states that the CLOSEST available resources will be utilized, not whichever helicopter company the Chief happens to work for! This is a CLEAR case of criminal negligence, and I hope the "Chief" loses everything he has to his name as a result of it! I also hope the Lifeline crews lose their licenses and certifications for not obeying the instructions given by Tucson Meds to stand down (On tape...).

The LifeNet helicopter was orbiting the scene for 30+ minutes, and the crew SAW that the patients had been extricated prior to Lifeline ever calling the LZ commander, so spare me the lies about how they weren't ready to be transported until after Lifeline arrived.

The "Chief" is incompetant, ignorant, and only cares about his own personal gains. He used HIS helicopter company, and killed one patient as a result. His absolute LIES on TV can all be disproven by the tapes, which are now in the custody of the proper authorities. He was just trying to save his career, because he knew full well that he'd screwed up big time and been caught. A desperate man will lie about whatever he can in order to save face.

I only hope that some day, one of your family members are subjected to the same kind of ridiculous logic you and the "Chief" use. Maybe then you'll better understand what "Closest Available Assets" means.

I suggest you get your facts straight and stop believing the lies of a killer.

[John]

Let the law suits fly! I bet a judge and jury will be able to determine both conflict of interest and closest available asset.

[Air Evac Medic]

Sounds like a pretty cut and dried case to me. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, especially with tapes! What a bunch of dummies.

[James]

WOW! Lawsuit heaven can the crash victims and their families say "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!" The residents of Whetstone can thank the chief properly for wasting their tax dollars in person at the Whetstone District Fire Department, located in Whetstone.

[EMS Pilot]

Yeah, it's pretty comical trying to watch the Arizona Lifeline crews and the Chief trying to defend their criminal negligence.

Like I said, I hope the families of the victims sue the Chief for all he's worth. That guy deserves nothing more than to spend many years in prison contemplating the meaning of the phrase "Closest Available Assets". What a dunce!

[Air Evac Medic]

http://originalforum.justhelicopters.com/Disp...

Cut and paste, read this clown's lies for yourself. He's so full of it even his eyes are brown!

[I wasthere2]

I Know that the young man was out and ready to go the Fire Cheif said Hell No. He not going with Life net. made him wait till they got the Old Man. ready and package to go.. and that is the fact. just wait and see this chief will get
caught in a lie..Trust me.

[Air Evac Medic]

I wasthere2: You should really call the Arizona Department of Health Services and tell them what you witnessed. That chief needs to be in prison, or at the very least have all his licenses and certifications stripped from him so he never gets the chance to do something like this again.

[Phoenix FIre]

It's entertaining watching how often this guy changes his stories. What a dumbass. He deserves everything that's coming his way.

[still laughing]

He shouldn't still have a job. Having worked in the medical field for many years, there are protocols that we don't like, but we have to follow them. This man flat out came on the news during his interview and said he would not follow protocol. Is this a man you want working on you or your family? NOT. I figure if they give him just a little more rope he will sufficiently hang himself.

[Unbelievable]

I just can't get over the fact that people are actually defending this guy! I wrote to the reporter who wrote an article on this subject, and she says about 25% of the emails she's received have been in the Chief's defense! How can anyone possibly justify this obvious conflict of interest/patient neglect? It's beyond me that this guy is still even allowed to work for either agency!

[Seenitall]

What a retard this guy is!

[Tango]

Come on EMS Pilot, At least get your facts right before you hang the guy. You have many of the details wrong to begin with, so how can you judge?

EMS Pilot wrote:

I just watched a story on Channel 11 news about this clown that calls himself a Fire Chief.
For those who don't know, it seems the Chief is also a flight medic for Lifeline Air Ambulance, and got caught calling his own helicopters in from over 60 miles away for an car accident when there was already one helicopter from another company (LifeNet) over the accident scene. The Chief refused to let the LifeNet helicopter land because of some personal beef with one LifeNet flight nurse who'd critqued him about how he prepared a patient for a flight. Regardless of his personal issues with LifeNet, there was also a second helicopter just 6 minutes away, owned and operated by Air Evac. The Chief for whatever reason, decided not to use Air Evac either. Instead, he chose to use his buddies from Lifeline Air Ambulance. These two Lifeline helicopters each took approximately THIRTY minutes to arrive on scene! The whole time he was waiting for his buddies to arrive, there was a perfectly capable helicopter just orbiting a few hundred feet overhead waiting for permission to land! Oh yeah, and because it took so long to get a helicopter on scene, one of the patients (the son of another local fire chief) died!
I hope the town of Whetstone hangs this guy out to dry. I hope the families of the two accident victims (especially the one that died due to his neglegence) sue him for everything he's worth and then some. I hope the State of Arizona revokes every medical license he has to his name. And lastly, I hope he's charged with criminal neglegence and put in prison for a long time!
When EMS and Fire officials start putting personal gain ahead of patient care and wellbeing, something is seriously wrong. This is the man you've entrusted with caring for you and your loved ones in your hour of need. Please, GET RID OF HIM NOW!!!

[EMS Pilot]

Ok, you've accused me of being wrong, but failed to explain exactly which of my facts you feel are incorrect. Please explain yourself, and I will do the same.

The biggest fact is that this guy called his buddies in from 60 miles away when there were two perfectly capable aircraft within 15 miles of the scene. Even if everything else I said is wrong (which it's not), that one solitary fact is enough for this guy to lose both his FD job and his Lifeline job. He has no business taking care of sick and injured people with the priorities and personal issues he so obviously has.

[Gene McCullough]

The Chief was absolutely correct in his actions. He was the on-site commander and peoples lives were at stake. If any of you naysayers feel that you can do a better job; step and be counted. Do not second guess a man who had the plumbing to do his job. I can tell you from personel experience that it is a rare type that has the intestinal fortitude to take control and responsibility for actions that will be critized by arm chair Emergency Responders.

Stand in there Chief; if necessary I will speak on your behalf.

Gene E McCullough
City Council person, Commissioner for P&Z and Senior Citizens Center and ex-Assistant Fire Chief
Town of Huahuca City, Az

[Hey ASSistant Chief]

So, since you seem to feel that you "have the plumbing" the same as the dunce in question, please explain to me/us how you can possibly justify making critically injured patients wait in excess of 25 minutes, when there were equally qualified and capable assets available less than 5 minutes from the scene?
Why would it EVER be preferrable to make a patient wait for a higher level of care (RNs vs. EMTs and maybe a Paramedic)? Hmm? Explain that one.
I can only hope that someday, you or your loved ones are left bleeding on the side of the road for half an hour while the guy with the "intestinal fortitude" to gamble with your life sits on his ass waiting for his buddies to arrive, rather than doing the right thing and calling the closest available assets.
Sounds to me like you're just one damn fool defending another. It doesn't take "intestinal fortitude" to call your buddies from 60 miles away. It takes intestinal fortitude to put aside your PERSONAL issues with a company and do the right thing for the patient. THAT is a real man. This guy is a snake in the grass coward, and he WILL get what is coming to him, whether you "speak on his behalf" or not. Just who the hell do you think you are anyway?

[How About it Gene]

Interesting how Mr. McCullough hasn't addressed the question asked of him. I'd like to hear his justification as well.

[Shocked and appalled]

All you people should be so embarrassed and ashamed for wishing this on someone that you dont even know and plus you have all this by here say and have no clue to the truth what a disappointment to society all of you are and as for all you 1st responders and ems personnel you just better be careful about what you wish on others as karma is watching!