Connecticut police officer fights for answers after being told his life-sav

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Connecticut police officer fights for answers after being told his life-saving attempt not 'related' to work
(http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/20/connecticut-officer-who-tried-to-save-dying-boy-to-receive-clarification-after/)
I am Throughly Disgusted by this story, What is wrong with Politicians Today?

Sam :D

[starmac]

He apparently wasn't injured and has not gotten ill, I don't understand why this is even an issue or news.

[Olevern]

He apparently wasn't injured and has not gotten ill, I don't understand why this is even an issue or news.

Because the city should pay for the baseline tests and the followup tests, which they apparently do not want to do.

By stating that the officer's actions were not part of his duties, the city is stating they will not pay for the precautionary testing.

What a bunch of (can't say here).

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Muddy,
Politicians ain't people, they are much lower than that.

starmac,
The officer appearently asked if he would be covered if he caught anything from the person he performed mouth to mouth on. My instructor in college told us we would be lucky if we ever gave anyone MtoM and did not get vomited on/at/into.
The city's response was "Not your job, you ain't covered!" But I expect the lawyers used pretty words.

It still sucks big time.
CF

[starmac]

OK I now understand. He went to the doctor to see if he was going to get sick.

I had a friend that was a city leo involved in a chase, chasing a county leo. He wrecked the car and was injured, supposedly minor (a broken shoulder) The city terminated him the next morning while he was in the hospital, because he had left the city limits in pursuit.
This turned out bad as he wound up with some infection in his shoulder, nearly died and it was a couple months before he came home from the hospital.
The city settled out of court, and the only reason he ever worked after that was because he wanted to.

[Bret4207]

I'm sorry, but the way I read that he was on duty when he performed the MTM. How can they possibly say it's not a cops job to try and save a life? What would have happened if he hadn't tried? The family probably would have sued the city because he didn't try! This is simply wrong.

As I've said before, I can not imagine why anyone would want to be a police officer these days.

[starmac]

X2 bret and it isn't just with leo's, how many people have been sued for trying to help someone.
I just read another article where several people called 911 while watching aseveral people severely beat someone. It just isn't the same world I grew up in.

[Pigslayer]

It's all about liability & money. Honor seems to have gone out the window.

[BeeMan]

It's all about liability & money. Honor seems to have gone out the window.

This.

[MtJerry]

There is an important question that needs to be considered but the information is not noted in the article.

Was he dispatched to the call or did he go on his own? If he was dispatched, he should be covered for ANY action he took while on scene.

[Trey45]

If the departments are going to make it this hard for honorable men to become police officers, what kind of men are they hoping to recruit for the job? Just something to think about.

[Olevern]

The way it works, is you go and get a 'baseline' test immediately after exposure to someone's body fluids, to establish that you do not have a serious, communicable disease (most serious communicable diseases will not show up for a time). Then, you get followup tests several weeks later, if you then have a communicable disease a good case can be made for it's having been acquired in the exchange of body fluids.

City doesn't want to assume the liability, just in case he did get something, so they are denying that his actions were in the line of duty.

Let's say he does contract something serious, say AIDS, just for instance, city would have to at some point grant a medical retirement.....something they don't want to do, because a good case could be made that he contracted it in the line of duty. They are already setting up a reason not to do so, just in case.

(A former LEO) seen it before....

[DIRT Farmer]

But the city is also setting theirself up if he gets something somewhere else.

Nonfeasence is not preforming a duty you are trained to do. If he knew CPR, then he was duty bound to do it.

I went 36 years before I got there first without a bag valve mask. It wernt purdy.

[fatnhappy]

There is an important question that needs to be considered but the information is not noted in the article.

Was he dispatched to the call or did he go on his own? If he was dispatched, he should be covered for ANY action he took while on scene.

What difference does that make? No offense but that the same type of BS reasoning that they're trying to use to deny his legit claim.

The man was either on duty or off duty.

[starmac]

I don't know if on duty or off duty should be of any concern, by that line of thinking a police officer should just stand back and watch, if he isn't on duty.

In the case of the off duty atf officer that was just killed in the friendly fire incident. The moment he got involved to thwart the robbery he was considered on duty, as it should be.

[Recluse]

Even though I was a lowly fed, I was told that I was NEVER "off-duty."

:coffee:

[ErikO]

"Serve and Protect" must just be the car shop that paints the cop cars these days.

[472x1B/A]

I agree with Trey45. What's next, Robo-cop?

[canyon-ghost]

I read that Connecticut or Massachusetts, all I need to see.

[wtfooptimax200]

This is yet another reason for me to want to move out of my home state of CT. I feel so bad for this officer.

[45nut]

I don't see it as a cop's job alone to save a life if such a situation arises, aren't we all supposed to help?
We get the duty to intervene drilled into us from a young age about CPR and such.
Life is a gamble,, and a blessing and a female dog at times, you do what you do and sometimes the feedback loop is twisted doing the right thing. Save a life and maybe give your own is what that Medal of Honor is based on is it not?
I remember many times here on this board of members going above and beyond the "call of duty" with no expectations of compensation and remembering that little thing called "karma" blessing them back tenfold. This gentleman merely did was his instinct directed him to do,, and of course the same people he expected would instinctively act the same way instead left him abandoned for a loophole and not the honor that he acted with. Such fecal policy should not be but it is. He is but a casualty of the .gov and corporate world that drives this nation now. I am not shocked at all.

[Ronbo256]

"Serve and Protect" must just be the car shop that paints the cop cars these days.

My Local LEO cars don't even say that anymore they say "An Honor to Serve", kinda throws that idea under the bus.

[DCM]

CPR note: My latest CPR update class said the breathing assistance is not needed for MOST cases. JUST an FYI nothing more.

Personally I don't think it matters if he was dispatched to the scene or not! If he was at a hold up scene at the right moment, but wasn't dispatched to be there should he ignore it because he was not dispatched to the scene?!

Stuff happens and he did the right thing at the right time!

I bet his CPR training/updates are part of his job!

IMO this IS part of his job and it should be treated as such!

[Storydude]

I'm sorry, but the way I read that he was on duty when he performed the MTM. How can they possibly say it's not a cops job to try and save a life? What would have happened if he hadn't tried? The family probably would have sued the city because he didn't try! This is simply wrong.

As I've said before, I can not imagine why anyone would want to be a police officer these days.

Simple. It's no longer the police's job to protect people. They protect PROPERTY.

There now is no legal requirement for a LEO to protect you from harm.

[Recluse]

There now is no legal requirement for a LEO to protect you from harm.

Actually, there never has been.

:coffee:

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

we have , and have had for 20 years or so what they call the good Samaritan law here in Wisconsin, were if you try to help some one but say injure them as a result of trying to help them , they can't sue you

for example you drag a guy out of an over turned car smoking and assumed it is going to catch fire and he ends up a quadriplegic he can't sue you because your didn't take the time to put him on a back board , it allows you to stop and help without the fear of being sued.

or if you preform cpr but your last cpr training was 10 years ago and you didn't get your breaths to compressions right and the person died , you can't be sued , because they would have died had you not helped at all

but i don't get why cpr wouldn't be part of official job duties , here most of the police carry AED defibrillators in addition to medical kits in their cars , they are the medics till the rescue squad gets there.

[Old Ironsights]

... My instructor in college told us we would be lucky if we ever gave anyone MtoM and did not get vomited on/at/into...

This.

I NEVER leave home w/o a MTM barrier of some sort. Microshield(s) are great, the Ambu keychain one-way barrier is even smaller.

I will NOT do MTM w/o BSI. Period. I'll do everything else & wait for a BVM first.

[waynem34]

Ive heard if you just keep the heart compressions no need to breath for them.Is this true or false or true and false?and That cop never thought he sprung into action seeing a 10 year old dying.I hope he is well.whops just read dcms post.

[Bret4207]

I've done CPR several times, MtM once. That guy puked in my mouth. Then I puked. From then on I was happy to do the compressions, but you couldn't get me anywhere near the mouth without a bag.

Funny, the first courses I took were administered through the Bureau of Mine Safety. That was back in the days of pinning a persons tongue to their lip if they were seizing or jamming a stick in their mouth. I'm really glad were past those days!

[Old Ironsights]

Ive heard if you just keep the heart compressions no need to breath for them.Is this true or false or true and false?and That cop never thought he sprung into action seeing a 10 year old dying.I hope he is well.whops just read dcms post.

You are correct. The current "non healthcare provider" Red Cross Standard is "compressions only".

This is because:

(A) 1st responders (non healthcare) were not providing CPR because of the MTM issue and
(B) There is usually enough oxygen in the blood to keep the vital tissues alive until EMS arrives even without respiration so long as the blood is being circulated.

I'm an EMT, so I'm a different story. I DO have to do MTM so I carry a Barrier.

[stubshaft]

Shameful.

[cajun shooter]

First if IIRC the Supreme Court ruled sometime back that a police officer is always on duty regardless of the fact if he is sent to a call or not.
That was brought out in a shooting case I think. It stands to reason that if the Mayor of that town had his backside in trouble and that cop was passing by on his day off; he would want that cop to react.
While a Deputy on duty in Louisiana I had a similar case come about. I was transporting a prisoner from the Downtown Jail to one of our sub-stations. A Kleinpeter Farms Dairy truck pulled directly in front of me exiting the plant. I had only feet between us and was unable to stop.
The impact was so severe that we had to be extracted by the jaws of life. The engine block and transmission were through the firewall and the prisoner who was 6ft 5inches was in a small ball on the passenger floorboard and had slid out of the seat and shoulder belts.
The Louisiana State Police investigated and arrested the driver of the milk truck as he was not licensed to drive a commercial vehicle.
Both the trustee and myself had several cuts and fractures but no serious injuries.I received a Bill from Blue Cross who was our insurance carrier at that time for payment of 20% of the total bill. I asked why was I not covered for 100 % as I was "ON DUTY". They advised that they were only paying 80% by law and that I was responsible for the rest.
I rasied all kinds of noise and said that was not correct for a officer on duty being hurt and paying his own bill. What if I was shot while stopping someone from killing the Governor and they said I would be paying that same 20%.
I contacted my Congressman and he drafted a bill which passed. The bill stated that any officer hurt while in the performance of his duties and on or off duty was entitled to have any injuries incurred at this time was to be paid in full by the carrier of that department.
This took place in 1980 and I was surprised that no officer had brought it up before me.

[Houndog]

My way of seeing it is this LEO did his job and the jurisdiction he's working for should have his back 100%, no if's ands and but's. It's hard enough to find GOOD people to be LEOs, and even harder to keep them without some such BS! I wonder what his decision will be if and when he's offered another job? It'd be a no brainer for me!

[CT-shooter777]

I read that Connecticut or Massachusetts, all I need to see.

How this Leo got past the Psychological exam is interesting, since "Protect and Serve" has been changed to "Tax and Abuse".

Bravo to this Stellar example of what a "Peace Officer" used to be.

CT is only somewhat comparable to Mass., CCW's are common, practically unavailable in Mass., no mag restrictions, unlike Mass.

Most states have unique issues as to Gun laws, Since Fed.gov loves running roughshod over the Tenth amendment anyway, I say unified gun laws for all states, Similar to a Montana proposed gun rights law, even Texas has not introduced something similar. Perhaps your Politicos are too busy finding gainful employment for all those Illegals.

Of Course you have Rick "I'm a globalist" Perry, my condolences.

Glass houses and stones, Historically, not a good mix.............

P.S.

CT ranks as #2 in registered Full autos, only surpassed by Texas in the #1 slot.

The majority of CT residents don't agree with State gov. rules, but we are run by a bunch of N.Y. city carpetbaggers and it's a constant vigil to slow them down......

[KCSO]

This is pretty typical. I had an officer who was paged out from his home for a call and he slipped on the ice and fell twisting his back. They refused to pay anything on the claim because even though he was called oout he had not gotten into his cruiser yet! Another officer was assaulted IN the jail by a drunk, in booking and they didn't want to pay for that either, he had to sue to get coverage.

[Old Ironsights]

Typical. And people wonder why I grouse about LEO stupidity/thuggery. 99% of the time the "problem" can be directly laid at the feet of the unelected bureaucrat brass...