OPINION: “I am going to vent and I hope this makes it to one of the New Bedford councilors or our mayor!!

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“So I am going to vent and I hope this makes it to one of our councilors or our mayor!!!

I apologize ahead of time for this but this needs to get out!! My mother woke with shortness of breath so my brother called 911. My mother started calling out for help not wanting to die and my brother called 911 again and then again. 3 times! NO one came!

My mom collapsed in my brother’s arms after over 30 min of no ambulance and being told by the New Bedford Fire Department that there are only 3 ambulances at night and all of them were busy in Freetown.

When the ambulance came, it was too late. OVER 30 F******MINUTES FOR A AMBULANCE ????????????

Oh and let me add this no police or fire dept until after the Freetown ambulance came!!!!”-Annmarie Edwards.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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9 comments

  1. When the Mayorvdecided to stop sending the fire department to medical emergencies what did you expect. Jon Mitchell is no friend of public safety or this city. You need to do mire than rant you need to speak out….

  2. This is devasting to hear. My heart and condolences to you and your entire family.

    Something this tragic should never happen and could have been prevented if only the emergency services in our area weren’t so poor. Someone who’s capable of doing something needs to actually give a shit about the people they claim to represent. Perhaps if it were a wealthy local family member or relative, something would’ve been done.

  3. Kathleen Moutinho-Leppert

    I too hope the mayor does something! Sorry
    for your misfortune. I too had a heartless EMT
    responder on Nov 28th who talked me out of
    going to St. Luke’s Hospital and I was
    experiencing awful symptoms after testing
    positive for COVID on 22 of November. I was
    getting worse but because of him I did not
    go at that time. On the 29th I could hardly
    breathe so I called up my physician and he told me to call 911 and get to the hospital. Well the same EMT
    responded and tried desperately to talk me
    our of going again! I explained that my doctor
    informed me to go… The EMT responded, “Of
    course he told you to go ,,, he does not want
    to get sued.! You don’t have to go, they will
    not keep you! Well I decided to go and Thank
    the Lord I did not listen to him! I had COVID
    pneumonia in my lungs! They admitted me!
    The EMT would not let me bring my CPAP
    machine or my pull ups. He was just awful.
    The hospital advised me that I could have brought
    my CPAP and pull ups. This was New Bedford
    Ambulance Service. By the grace of God and
    the medical intervention I received, I am slowly
    recovering. What an awful experience people
    have with some of these heartless EMTS. He
    definitely is in the wrong field. Thanks for
    listening.

  4. Dam if this is true the system failed you and my heart goes out to you and your family. This is no way to leave this earth never mind this dreadful year! I hope you heal soon for this unjustis.Godspeed.

  5. Anti-maskers are keeping COVID alive and well – fed by fear-mongering right-wing propagandists. First-responders do what they can to help, because they care – definitely not for the low pay and misplaced anger! The pro-COVID crew are doing everything they can to keep COVID alive, fed, and spreading. Focus your anger where it belongs – NOT on the front-line workers, but instead on the right-wing media that is responsible for making this the country the festering disease-pool that we are all wading through… Sorry for your loss, fellow citizen.

  6. Please don’t blame the short staff medical workers!!! The amount of sick people is out of control, we told you all to wear a mask, stay home, and now you want to blame medical staff already out straight!!! We do not have enough trained staff!!! It’s the bottom line, we will see this more and more as the need grows!!! Take this as a warning stay home for Christmas and don’t invite your family over!!! I’m terribly sorry that this happened but put blame where it needs to be put!!! AT THE PEOPLE THAY REFUSED TO STAY HOME OR WEAR THE MASK!!!!

    • Hmm, no one came for 30 minutes. Let’s see if you’re so forgiving when your loved one dies in your arms pleading for help as the dispatcher repeats “they are on their way.” She wasn’t bashing the first responders, just the city’s ability to handle emergencies.
      Something is wrong with communication if the dispatcher does not know that the ems is not on their way. That really needs to change quickly.
      Covid should not dictate who and how many are allowed to respond to medical life threatening emergencies. Did we not receive Covid relief money? If we need ems for covid patients, who the hell would shut down fire stations to save money?

  7. Being in the EMS field for over twenty years there is absolutely no excuse that no. First Responder showed up . Not trying to be the armchair quarterback, but New Bedford Emergency Medical Service is a shadow of what an EMS service should be. They have Three Ambulances at night nothing less than poor management that ‘s it . They have so called Paramedics in “ non – transporting “ vehicles which possibly could have responded but did not hmmm I wonder why busy, possible. Assisting on a call possibly? Lazy possible whatever the case if any unit of NB EMS received that call and their were no ambulances available ( all the time ) then the whole department should be reviewed by the Commonwealth Department of Public Health which is probably happening. But this incident will be one of many to come, the City of Fall River does not have this issue because it is properly managed and funded by its own revenue Maybe its time for a financial and leadership change in New Bedford EMS Geez we the tax payers definitely pay for it but we are always getting the short end of patient care truly sad !!

  8. I worked EMS years ago in a community near New Bedford and live out of state now. I also worked for two private ambulance companies. I don’t get a 30 minute response time in an area like New Bedford- unless Covid is royally screwing up response times. If that were the case, though, you’d think they’d put more than 3 rigs on at night in the city. And they’d have fire respond to the scene to treat before EMS arrived.

    What about mutual aid? Do they still do that there? I’ve been on runs to surrounding communities from the place we lived in, as I worked part-time there also for their community-run service. If this stuff is happening like was reported then you can’t help think dispatch is not optimal. They should be calling mutual aid, they should not be dispatching 3 city ambulances to another community while they have no coverage in New Bedford. Lots of things don’t seem right.

    I realize that EMS has lots of grey areas. Once, working for a private company that is still in business, I responded late on a Friday, horrible traffic afternoon for a life threatening epilepsy call. It took me 25 minutes from our station quite a ways away going full lights and siren. The long-term care facility, who had a contract with us, called us instead of Bridgewater Fire. They had a 5 minute ETA. Where I live now they have some city run services, but mostly a high-quality private company (they pay well, have great benefits, pay tuition in lots of fields and have paramedics on all units) that covers lots of territory in several communities quite efficiently. Fire responds to all EMS calls as well.

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