Spanish Education Class Causes Outcry in the Hispanic Community

[Guest guest]

San , CA—In an effort to better communicate with California’s

increasingly Spanish-speaking population, firefighters at the San Fire

Protection District arranged for a brief Spanish language class. Chief Steve

Baker asked station custodian Jesứs to teach a brief Spanish class to

firefighters. The classes were conducted last month.

However, shortly after the classes, city hall started receiving calls from

distressed members of the Hispanic community stating they were spoken to

inappropriately by paramedics. Lucinda Munoz stated that a San paramedic

told her mother in Spanish that “the fumes from her armpits smelled like

refried beans.†Ms. Munoz mother was being transported for abdominal pain.

Paramedic Rocky was on the call. He stated, “We told her exactly what

Jesứs had taught us in class. We said, “Los humos de su axila huelen como

frijoles refritos. That means that we are going to take you to the hospital.â€

A fight broke out on Saturday when paramedic Stan Richmond and EMT Marcia

said, “La cola de su madre puede causar un eclipse lunar.â€

said, “I don’t know happened. We simply asked him in Spanish if he was

taking any medicines. The next thing I know he came off the stretcher swinging.

A family member stated that the paramedics said something about the patient’s

mother’s rear end causing a lunar eclipse.

Chief Baker said, “It appears that our Spanish language classes were not up to

snuff. Interestingly, Jesứs has not been to work in several days.â€

EMS personnel have been ordered to refrain from speaking Spanish until further

notice.

[Guest guest]

That was good...

 

" A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the

simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. "

Proverbs 22:3

Subject: Spanish Education Class Causes Outcry in the Hispanic

Community

To: Paramedicine , texasems-l

Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 2:18 PM

San , CA—In an effort to better communicate with California’s

increasingly Spanish-speaking population, firefighters at the San Fire

Protection District arranged for a brief Spanish language class. Chief Steve

Baker asked station custodian Jesứs to teach a brief Spanish class to

firefighters. The classes were conducted last month.

However, shortly after the classes, city hall started receiving calls from

distressed members of the Hispanic community stating they were spoken to

inappropriately by paramedics. Lucinda Munoz stated that a San paramedic

told her mother in Spanish that “the fumes from her armpits smelled like

refried beans.†Ms. Munoz mother was being transported for abdominal pain.

Paramedic Rocky was on the call. He stated, “We told her exactly what

Jesứs had taught us in class. We said, “Los humos de su axila huelen como

frijoles refritos. That means that we are going to take you to the hospital.â€

A fight broke out on Saturday when paramedic Stan Richmond and EMT Marcia

said, “La cola de su madre puede causar un eclipse lunar.â€

said, “I don’t know happened. We simply asked him in Spanish if he was

taking any medicines. The next thing I know he came off the stretcher swinging.

A family member stated that the paramedics said something about the patient’s

mother’s rear end causing a lunar eclipse.

Chief Baker said, “It appears that our Spanish language classes were not up to

snuff. Interestingly, Jesứs has not been to work in several days.â€

EMS personnel have been ordered to refrain from speaking Spanish until further

notice.

[Guest guest]

I and a past partner resemble this...<G>

Called to a young man who is unconscious. When we arrive there are several

" young men "

sitting around talking. No one speaks " good English " as they say. and

I (yes, we were

known as the Jewel squad, or so we were told.<G>), had completed

the " Spanish for Healthcare providers " class about 2 months prior and we

were SURE

we had gotten this down well.

We also had a very helpful Hispanic doctor do worked

acute care in our ED at night who taught us all the " other " words our

Spanish instructor

forgot.<G>

But I digress.....

begins assessing the now conscious patient and I begin attempting to

get some

kind of " events leading up to " from the other gentlemen present.

There are many empty Corona bottles

and I ask the bystanders how many " cabeza " the patient had, my partner was

asking him:

" Dolor Cerveza " .......

A laugh was had by all.....<G>

On Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 2:18 PM, Bledsoe, DO

wrote:

> San , CA—In an effort to better communicate with California's

> increasingly Spanish-speaking population, firefighters at the San

> Fire Protection District arranged for a brief Spanish language class. Chief

> Steve Baker asked station custodian Jesứs to teach a brief Spanish

> class to firefighters. The classes were conducted last month.

>

> However, shortly after the classes, city hall started receiving calls from

> distressed members of the Hispanic community stating they were spoken to

> inappropriately by paramedics. Lucinda Munoz stated that a San

> paramedic told her mother in Spanish that " the fumes from her armpits

> smelled like refried beans. " Ms. Munoz mother was being transported for

> abdominal pain. Paramedic Rocky was on the call. He stated, " We told

> her exactly what Jesứs had taught us in class. We said, " Los humos de su

> axila huelen como frijoles refritos. That means that we are going to take

> you to the hospital. "

>

> A fight broke out on Saturday when paramedic Stan Richmond and EMT Marcia

> said, " La cola de su madre puede causar un eclipse lunar. "

> said, " I don't know happened. We simply asked him in Spanish if he was

> taking any medicines. The next thing I know he came off the stretcher

> swinging. A family member stated that the paramedics said something about

> the patient's mother's rear end causing a lunar eclipse.

>

> Chief Baker said, " It appears that our Spanish language classes were not up

> to snuff. Interestingly, Jesứs has not been to work in several

> days. " EMS personnel have been ordered to refrain from speaking Spanish

> until further notice.

>

>