"I have heard that the devices are not being properly maintained," Ravitch wrote in the Oct. 27, 2003, e-mail. "Specifically, they may no longer contain an adequate electrical charge."
Ravitch raised the same concern in an e-mail the following month to John McCourt, the airport's occupational safety administrator.
McCourt was unavailable for comment yesterday.
"Unfortunately, I can only bring problems to management's attention. I can't make them give a damn," Ravitch said last week. "This tragedy was entirely predictable and entirely preventable.""
This is so typical of a bureaucracy,
The only thing they are capable of properly maintaining is a overbloated payroll.
This is Pennsylvania, one of the worst malpractice climates in the country. Poor doc better call his insurance provider and say a few mea culpas for daring to play Samaritan. Wonder what kind of jurisdiction an airport is...
< The only thing they are capable of properly maintaining is a overbloated payroll. >
...and fire extinguishers. Think about it. In my building every so often (I don't know the schedule) we see the fire safety guys walking around checking the FEs. I've watched it for years. There is no reason that the same process can't be done for these defibrillators.
Prayers for the man's family and friends. And a reminder that our time on earth is limited, and precious. We never know when we'll be called home.
This simulated security camera comes with a functioning motion detector and activation light that allows the camera to move simulating a real video camera. Yours for only $16.95 The Philly airport could have saved a whole lotta dough if they had purchased 'simulator defibrillators'. /s
Well, makes me wonder then...I received an AED for my school. When we placed the batteries in the device and put it through a partial test...no use of any pad, the device then began to beep for the 'low battery' warning. Great! Either these devices came with weak batteries, or there is not enough battery power to operate them. I wonder if these airport devices suffered from the same thing. You would leave the battery in to be ready for use, obviously, but if that drains the battery, someone might not realize that in time. For me, we were talking about 3 minutes from placing the batteries in before the beeping started. Not very long life!
I would have to wonder why these units were not capable of 110v operation. Plenty of that kind of power around an airport.
Was the airport required by law to have the defibrillators?
If not, the sad thing is that the airport may have been better off if they didn't even the defibrillators in the first place, as it creates even more of a legal liability for them if they don't work.
There are radios, flashlights and other "camping" gear that runs on electricity but requires no batteries.
These devices should be equiped with a hand crank device that generates its own power. You may not be able to find a helper for CPR , but I bet you can find someone who will crank on a handle a few times so you can try to save a persons life.
Even charge your cell phone for those of you that believe in them.
There's no guarantee that he would have lived had the defibrillator been in working order.
It has a 2 percent to 30 percent effectiveness when administered outside of the hospital.
It has a 6 percent to 15 percent effectiveness for hospitalized patients.
And there is less than a 5 percent effectiveness rate for elderly victims with multiple medical problems.
One might ask...why are the numbers sort of skewed for the "hospitalized" patients...The answer is..hospital's are where the chronically ill, very sick are...and they are less likely to survive.
FWIW--
Since the patient died, does this mean the officers and EMT's could get arrested (or discharged) for "assault with no batteries"? 8<)
Maybe Judge Greer ordered the batteries taken out?
Somewhere there's a lawyer picking out a yatch.