NCC:If you appear hopeless, Paramedics don't have to try!

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I was going to pick the boys up from school early for a dental appointment

when a wreck happened right in front of me.

The woman didn't have a heart beat and wasn't breathing. I began CPR. There

were no obstructions, her chest expanded with my breathing. We, thought we

got a slight heart beat, so we continued until the paramedics got to the

scene. I then backed away to let them do their job. I watched for about a

minute and realized they weren't planning to do anything. I asked the

paramedic, " Aren't you going to do something to help this woman? " She told

me, " By the time we get her out of the car, it'll be too late anyway. "

The woman was penned in the car, but there were no obvious cuts, no blood.

Her eyes fluttered open one time while I was administering CPR. I was

flabergasted that they weren't even going to try to help her. The woman died.

I contacted a friend of mine who works at 911. I told her what happened and

she said that is the new protocol, that the paramedic is able to make a

judgement call on the scene and choose not to administer CPR if it is felt

the person may not live anyway. This infuriates me. How is it that one

person is given the authority to decide if a person should or should not be

given the chance to live? Is anyone else aware of this? My friend said this

is nation-wide.

I couldn't help but think, what if that was my mother, sister, child in that

car? I was so upset I began to cry right there on the scene. What can be

done about this? Who makes these laws anyway?

Still angry and still crying,

Peppi