Posted on 08/07/2006 5:16:16 AM PDT by Aquinasfan
In an age where being married four times and divorced thrice is not a scandal leading to social ostracizing , one of the things which has been lost is the sense of duty and the consequent prudential thinking through one's choices. It shouldn't have been a surprise to the lifeguards that they might be called upon to do CPR with Mouth to Mouth resuscitation as part of it. The time to get prepared was the first day on the job, and every day they should have checked their gear the way a cop checks (or, at least, SHOULD check) his duty rig.
A cop who suddenly discovers that his job is dangerous is laughable. A lifeguard to whom it is news that he might be called upon to do mouth to mouth rescue breathing is a fool, and so are his trainers, certifiers, and employers.
I would operate on the assumption that I might catch some dread disease. So I would be prepared with the equipment to minimize that risk.
Thanks for the info.
Your "reasoning" on this incident is ludicrous.
Unless Massachusetts has enacted some statutes changing the common law, this lifeguard absolutely can be prosecuted for this.
READ THE PIECE, AND YEP! A LAWSUIT LOOMS. SAYS THE LIFEGUARDS (PLURAL) REFUSED BECAUSE NO MOUTHPIECE. THEY DIDN'T COME ON DUTY WITHOUT THEIR BATHING SUIT; WHY THE H#LL WOULD THEY NOT HAVE A MOUTHPIECE--LIFEGUARDS ARE HIRED TO PULL PEOPLE OUT AND GIVE CPR.
VAUDINE
I bet this "lifeguard" barely knows how to swim.
How old is the, uh, lifeguard?
Only if the mouthpiece were available. I know it.
Does it say the mother was there?
Whether she was or not doesn't mean she knew CPR...
..besides, if she were a negligent mom, more the reason for this lifeguard to do his duty.
This is a little kid....only 3!
Heh. My s-i-l possibly saved the life of a man who attempted suicide a couple of weeks ago. He shot himself(or so it seems) while sitting in his lounge chair. My s-i-l was in her apt. and heard her elderly neighbor yelling. She lives right outside Jackson MS, and was concerned that the thugs who had beaten an old lady senseless had moved out into the burbs. She ran out, then heard a young woman yelling from an upstairs balcony that her husband had shot himself.
S-i-l went running up, grabbed some towels and held them on the wound. While she was doing this, he slumped over, and she saw the exit wound. She had towels on both wounds when the PD came running in, guns drawn. They asked if she was a 'medical', and as she recounts, the first thing that came into her mind was "no, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.". Fortunately for her, she didn't say it; it's likely the cops would not have been in the frame of mind for a joke.
To make a short story long, she had been having trouble with some outbreaks on her hands, and there were places of raw skin. The EMTs gave her something to wash them, but she got tested for the HEPs and HIV a couple of days later. She apparently can't compel blood tests from the guy, and she hasn't been able to get any information about him because of privacy laws.
Yes, she realized later that it was a stupid thing to do, to run IN the direction of a discharged weapon, then hold some bloody guy with her bare hands, but we're awful proud of her. If he lived, it was likely because of her willingness to do what she did.
Things like this always happen in Mass.
During the CPR training lifeguards are told that they need to have mouthpiece to do CPR. If they do not have it is to their personal discretion and risk if they do it. You cannot put them on the same level as career police officers.
Just remember that many lifeguards are just high school kids and in addition such type of odd job in most cases does not provide even health insurance. (to pay for possible infection treatment).
If you make the lifeguard position too demanding and penalizing you will not have ANY lifeguards at all with the exception of few masochistic fools.
Then it is better to save plenty of money by posting "No Lifeguard On Duty" signs, than to give the public a false sense of security wherein paid lifeguards might actually have to live up to their title.
God bless your sister in law. I cannot imagine allowing someone who helped save my life to worry over health issues because I refuse to share medical information. I hope everything works out ok for her.
I've never been in this situation, but I'd like to think that I would help first and deal with consequences, if necessary, later.
Wow! This is the best piece of advice I ahev seen for a while. Thank you!
The main function of lifeguards is to protect people from getting drown in the water. Providing emergency health care is often well above the head of these high school kids (even if they watch the CPR video once or twice). Their primary skill is good swimming.
They failed that responsibility too. If the story is accurate, the little boy was carried all the way to the lifeguard stand, rather than the lifeguard(s) getting off their duffs to meet the water rescuer halfway.
Something tells me that when push came to shove, decency would take over, and you would do what was necessary to save a life. If not, and these words reflect your true beliefs and sentiments, the English language lacks the ability to adequately describe your worthlessness as a person.
"I'll bet he doesn't wear a mouthpiece when he makes out with his girlfriend."
Whats to say he has a "Girl" friend and not a "boy" friend?
Fire the twit.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.