FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo

FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo

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Author Note

FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo

Yadira Arroyo, a 44-year old FDNY EMT, was killed while she was on duty. Arroyo was driving the ambulance with her EMT partner when a bystander alerted them about a man, riding on the bumper of the ambulance. Arroyo immediately stopped the ambulance to confront the man. His name was Jose Gonzalez. He was a mentally disturbed man who dragged Arroyo away and got into the ambulance and ran it over her. He kept on driving and crashed the ambulance into two parked cars and then finally came to a rest. Gonzales tried to escape the crime scene, but one of the police officers, with the help of other people, held him down. According to a report, He was charged with the stealing of an ambulance, murder, burglary, and impaired driving. EMT Arroyo, being in critical condition, was sent to the nearby hospital. Unfortunately, she was reported to be dead due to her severe injuries. The EMT partner of Arroyo was also reported as being in a dangerous condition. Reports show that she was fighting with the suspect and suffered from some minor injuries. CITATION Gre17 \l 1033 (Friese, 2017)

Causes

Arroyo and her partner compromised their safety as soon as they got out of the ambulance. After recognizing the attacker on their ambulance, they should have locked their doors and asked him to go away with the help of hand gestures/ waving. They stepped outside the ambulance to confront the mad man and to resolve the matter. If they could have stayed calm and remain inside the ambulance, and didn’t divert from their fundamental goal of saving people, Arroyo could be alive today. Moreover, they should have been prepared for any physical encounter, noticing the increased events of stealing ambulances and violence on sites. If proper defensive measures were taken by Arroyo and her partner, this tragic event could have been avoided.

Preventive Measures

After the mourning of this very sad and tragic death of Arroyo, FDNY EMS taken the following measures to avoid such cases in the future:

Special Training

The staff was provided with special training in order to deal with violent physical encounters. They were taught some useful techniques like resolving the conflicts, identifying the paths of escape, self-defense. (Grange & Corbett, 2002)

Locking the doors

FDNY EMS advised its staff to lock the doors of their vehicles, either it is an ambulance or a firefighter. This is the simplest solution to the problem. The staff must not compromise on their safety in any case. (Grange & Corbett, 2002)

Try to escape

When the staff experience violent encounters, the option of a fight is not so safe and easy, in these situations, they must try to escape the scene to avoid any unnecessary damage, realizing the fact that the stolen ambulance can be as harmful and dangerous as a weapon. (Grange & Corbett, 2002)

Training mind

Apart from the physical skills, the staff should have the skills to think and analyze the situations; they are involved in, critically. They should be able to differ between the real patient and the actual attacker. Opting to fight in violent encounters may have many undesirable consequences. It may result in the violation of laws related to abandoning patients. That’s why mental awareness and preparation are as essential as any of the necessary physical skills. CITATION Kip19 \l 1033 (Teitsort, 2019)

Stay Calm

The staff may have to face numerous tensed incidents in a day. They were advised not to lose their cool and to stay calm and avoid panicking. They must always be able to see the bigger picture in every situation and deal with the real problem.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Friese, G. (2017, March 17). Rapid response: Learning from the tragic death of FDNY EMT killed by ambulance hijacker. Retrieved from EMS1.com: https://www.ems1.com/violence/articles/rapid-response-learning-from-the-tragic-death-of-fdny-emt-killed-by-ambulance-hijacker-RqxnnuSxzTukA9Hv/

Teitsort, K. (2019, February 12). 4 ways to prepare EMTs for violent patients. Retrieved from EMS1.com: https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/online-training/articles/4-ways-to-prepare-emts-for-violent-patients-tbqK8S0wTHoCJAKD/

Grange JT, Corbett SW. Violence against emergency medical services personnel. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2002;6(2):186–90.