PA man dies during storm when 911 calls unheeded

[njlib]

PITTSBURGH – With her boyfriend in severe abdominal pain, Sharon Edge called 911 for an ambulance in the early morning hours of Feb. 6. Heavy snow was falling — so heavy it would all but bring the city to a standstill — and Curtis Mitchell needed to go to a hospital.

"Help is on the way," the operator said.

It never arrived.

Nearly 30 hours later — and 10 calls from the couple to 911, four 911 calls to them and at least a dozen calls between 911 and paramedics — Curtis Mitchell died at his home. His electricity knocked out, his heat long off, the 50-year-old former steelworker waited, huddled beneath blankets on his sofa.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100228/ap_on_re_us/us_snow911_death

[midnight]

1. Who are the representatives of that area?

[happyslug]

4. See the previous thread on this incident

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4272587

[happyslug]

2. Discussed previously right after the storm, starting on 3-17-2010

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4272587

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. Law enforcement is not under any obligation to protect people - EMTs may be the same.

Your state law enforcement (police/sheriff/etc...) are not under any legal obligation to protect persons not in their direct custody. This has been established in case law quite a few times - when it comes to protection, you're on your unless the police decide to show up. I would have to imagine the laws are similar or identical for EMTs and other public emergency services... not having to offer services unless they are actually present with someone needing assistance. From a public/city CYA standpoint, this policy makes sense.

This is certainly a tragedy and it should be investigated to see if anything could be done differently in the future.
If laziness or negligence was to blame, hopefully someone gets called on it - but little consequence is likely to occur.