Oh, New York, never change. In a very Brooklyn feel-good story a school teacher on her lunch break used her CPR skills to help save a woman suspected of overdosing on drugs—only to be thanked with the woman's middle finger. more ›

Shouldn't New York's Emergency dispatch system be well protected from the computer problems that plague the rest of us? The city has spent a lot of time and money on its ongoing Emergency Communications Transformation Program (which NASA was recently called in to help with). And yet still, the FDNY's computers decided to go offline not once but twice this weekend. Luckily a rep for FDNY tells us that "No Operational, Response, or Patient issues reported," and that "response times remained at normal levels." more ›

In January John Peruggia, the former head of the Emergency Medical Services Command, was the first and highest-profile head to roll in the wake of Blizzageddon. But it looks like there was more to his firing than snow drifts. In a recent settlement with the city's Conflict of Interests board Peruggia has admitted to having a secret deal with a California firm that makes a device that reads carbon monoxide levels in the bloodstream. Peruggia, who still works for the FDNY and still makes his salary of $153,895, has agreed to pay a fine of $12,500 for the violation. more ›

The family of a 75-year-old Corona woman who died of a heart attack on December 27th is suing the city for $20 million, claiming Yvonne Freeman could have survived if the ambulance hadn't taken three hours in the storm to get to their house. Freeman's daughter, Lauren, told the Daily News, "She never had a chance. I felt so helpless. I can't believe they wouldn't plow the streets. The city can't let this happen again." more ›

According to Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano, 911 received 4,662 calls on December 27th. Unfortunately many of those may not have been life threatening, and that reportedly slowed EMS response time to 55 minutes, about ten times last year's average rate of response. Cassano told the Post, "While we might expect more calls reporting chest pain as New Yorkers exerted themselves by shoveling snow, our statistics indicate a spike in calls for every category of medical emergencies." Like stubbed toes and being cold. Anyway, if there's a blizzard going on and your kid won't do his homework, you're probably better off calling Amy Chua. more ›

Medics are claiming that they may have been able to save people like a 75-year-old Queens mother who died during the storm had the 911 lines not been clogged with prank or just plain stupid phone calls. EMS units claim one man called complaining of a stomach ache, but later admitted that he had eaten a whole pizza about 20 minutes earlier. Other units responded to a call of a sick child in Brooklyn only to find that his parents were just hoping EMTs could make him finish his homework. more ›

We've likely seen the last of the blizzard deaths, but blame game is just beginning. Last night Chief John Peruggia, head of the Emergency Medical Services Command, was sacked by Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. Peruggia, who will stay on with the FDNY in a "new role to be determined," is being replaced by 25-year FDNY veteran Abdo Nahmod. more ›

And another sad story from the aftermath of Blizageddon has emerged from the snow. 73-year-old Joel Grossman didn't feel great on Monday. Around noon he called 911 but because his situation wasn't life-threatening the dispatcher chose not to send an ambulance to his Kensington home. As the day progressed Grossman stayed in touch with the 911 dispatcher, but nobody was sent to him since it didn't sound too serious. And suddenly it was, and it was too late. more ›

The FDNY is hiring EMTs to man a new "Organ Preservation Vehicle" that will race around Manhattan to make sure fewer organs go to waste. Starting next month, the $1.5 million pilot program will dispatch two EMTs, a "family services coordinator" and a doctor to the scene of accidents or cardiac arrests. If the next of kin consents, after attempts to resuscitate the decedent have failed they'll keep the "potential organ donor" on a ventilator and rush him or her to Bellevue Medical Center to remove the organs. more ›

A fire broke out in a Bronx public housing project this afternoon, leaving residents "hanging from the windows" until firefighters arrived. According to police scanner reports, the blaze erupted in a building in the Pelham Parkway Houses near the corner of Pelham Parkway and Wallace Avenue. The scanner indicates the fire injured nine people, one of them seriously. ABC reports the fire started on the fifth floor at around 2 pm and injured five people, though none of them suffered life threatening injuries. more ›

A 35-year-old man was killed by a No. 5 train just before 10 a.m. this morning, according to City Room. The victim was pinned between the train and the tracks at Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue station, where police say there was no evidence of foul play. EMS was called, and power was cut to the tracks but by the time the man could be transported to Brooklyn Hospital Center, he was already in grave condition. Doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. more ›

The city EMTs accused of ignoring a dying pregnant woman while they were buying breakfast in a Downtown Brooklyn cafe called the allegations against them "lies and fabrications." Queens residents Jason Green and Melissa Jackson — whose 30-day suspensions end today — said they did everything they could on the morning of Dec. 9, when Eutisha Revee Rennix collapsed in a backroom of an Au Bon Pain and later died of an asthma attack. Her unborn child also perished. more ›

Preliminary results from an autopsy have revealed that an asthma attack claimed the life of a pregnant 25-year-old who died after two EMTs refused to treat her inside a Downtown Brooklyn cafe. Now, the question is, could Eutisha Revee Rennix's asthma attack have been treated? more ›

The body of Eutisha Revee Rennix — a pregnant woman who died after two city EMTs refused to treat her — will be exhumed for an autopsy, the Daily News reports. Rennix passed away on Dec. 9 after collapsing at work in a Downtown Brooklyn cafe where medics who were buying breakfast reportedly declined to help her. more ›

The EMTs accused of abandoning a dying pregnant woman in a Downtown Brooklyn cafe might face charges that could send them to prison. According to the Post, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is considering charging Jason Green and Melissa Jackson with reckless-endangerment for telling employees to "call 911," instead of putting down their breakfast and providing aid to Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, who was having trouble breathing in a back room on Dec. 9. Rennix and her baby both died at the hospital. more ›

The two paramedics accused of refusing to help a pregnant woman who was having a fatal seizure have been suspended without pay. Jason Green, 32, and Melissa Jackson, 23, were suspended for allegedly telling employees in a Downtown Brooklyn café to "call 911" instead of aiding 25-year-old Eutisha Revee Rennix, who was six months pregnant when she collapsed on Dec. 9. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg called out two EMTs accused of refusing to aid a dying pregnant woman because they were on break. According to onlookers, the medics told employees at a Downtown Brooklyn Au Bon Pain to call 911 when cafe worker Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, collapsed and began having a seizure on Dec. 9. "It was unconscionable, [an] outrage, pick some adjectives and stick it in," said the Mayor. "The Fire Department, including EMS, is responsible for life-saving, and their first responsibility is to do that … [b]ut even if they weren't part of the Fire Department sworn to protect all of us, just normal human beings, drop your coffee and go help somebody if they're dying. C'mon." more ›

City medics refused to help a pregnant woman who was having a fatal seizure inside a Downtown Brooklyn café, according to witnesses. The Post reports that two FDNY medics were inside the Au Bon Pain in Metrotech Center when café employee Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, began complaining of shortness of breath and intense stomach pains. more ›

The fire department has eliminated regular maintenance of its defibrillators — prompting concern among some medics that the machines might fail. more ›

From 1970 until 1996, when it was merged into the FDNY, most of the city’s Emergency Medical Services needs were performed by New York City Emergency Medical Service (NYC EMS). It was part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation for all of its existence starting as a “scoop and run” operation and eventually incorporating paramedics who were able to render aid in the field. This ten minute video from the early 1990s follows some paramedics on their runs along with explaining their duties and equipment. Some of the procedures are still used by the FDNY EMS today. more ›

The Fire Department revealed statistics showing that response times have decreased for the third year in a row. The 2007 average response time, based on 490,767 calls, was 4 minutes and 49 seconds (for FDNY & EMS services). In 2006, the average response time was 4 minutes, 54 seconds and in 2005 it was 5 minutes, 9 seconds. Response time is a general term for any sort of vehicle to come on the scene, not necessarily a fire truck, and could be for a water main break. more ›