COems411 Blogging

A South Metro Fire Rescue paramedic killed in an avalanche was trying to help another snowmobiler when a wall of snow collapsed, burying them both.

Brian Kopp, 38, an eight-year veteran of South Metro, and Mark Goetz, 19, of Arvada, died in the Grand County avalanche on Saturday.

"Mark had gotten into trouble on the hill and Brian turned to help him when he himself got caught in the slide. As a fireman, that was his thought, to help others," said Michael Porter, another South Metro paramedic who helped to train Kopp for his job.

GRAND COUNTY - A South Metro firefighter, one of two snowmobilers killed in an avalanche in Grand County Saturday, was trying to save a teen's life when he died, according to a friend and co-worker. "We are still in shock and trying to help the family and the fire department," Becky O'Guinn told 9NEWS.

Sunday morning, the Grand County Coroner's Office identified the firefighter as 38-year-old Brian Kopp of Larkspur.

"He dedicated his life to others," Michael Porter, a friend and co-worker of Kopp, said.

Porter worked out of the same fire station as Kopp, Station 34, located at 8871 Maximus Dr., near Park Meadows.

"We live with each other at our job, and it's like losing a brother," said Porter, who described the firefighters as "a very close knit family."

The Grand County Sheriff's Office says three snowmobilers were caught in an avalanche around 2:40 p.m. Saturday. One of them was able to escape, but two, Kopp, and 19-year-old Mark Goetz of Arvada, died.

Porter says the lone survivor of the avalanche told him Kopp was rushing to help Goetz, who had got into trouble on the mountain, even though he knew it could be dangerous.

"He was trying to help someone else who was in trouble, and it cost him his life," Porter said.

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DENVER - A day after Continental Flight 1404 veered off a runway at Denver International Airport and slammed into a ravine, two people were upgraded from critical condition and as many as five others remained hospitalized.

A spokesperson for Continental Airlines says only seven, or possibly fewer, passengers were still in the hospital following Saturday's plane accident.

After calling local hospitals, 9NEWS determined at least five people remain hospitalized.

The initial reports from the scene varied. Continental Airlines initially reported there were no serious injuries, but that soon changed as an army of ambulances responded to DIA, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Later Saturday evening, Kim Day, the manager of aviation for DIA, reported 38 passengers had been transported to local hospitals, none of whom were critically injured.

By Sunday morning, it was learned that two people had suffered critical injuries and Jeff Green, DIA spokesman, reported the total number of passengers injured was 20 more than reported Saturday night. He said 58 passengers had sustained some sort of injury as the Houston-bound Boeing 737-500 slid off the runway and became engulfed in flames.

However, hours later, Green retracted the count of 58 injuries, instead returning to the count of 38 injuries, as was reported Saturday night.

Also on Saturday night, reports of how many injured passengers were taken in at each hospital varied.

The two patients who were listed in critical condition Saturday night, both women, were taken to University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora. As of Sunday morning, one of those patients had been upgraded to serious condition and the other was upgraded to fair condition.

Officials at University of Colorado Hospital say those two patients are the only ones who remain at their facility. They say seven other passengers were admitted, treated and released.

Swedish Hospital, which reportedly had taken in only four injured passengers, said on Sunday they had treated and released eight passengers - four men and four women.

Over at the Medical Center of Aurora, where it was initially reported that 15 passengers had gone for treatment, officials said Sunday they had treated and released all eight injured passengers they took in.

Officials said Sunday 10 passengers were taken to Denver Health Medical Center with minor injuries. However, on Sunday, officials at Denver Health say 11 injured passengers were admitted. Eight were treated and released on Saturday night. They three passengers who remained on Sunday were listed in good condition.

Captain Brian Gallager of the Denver Police Department said on Saturday the most serious injuries were a head injury and one patient who was having shortness of breath. Other injuries included broken bones and strained backs.

Another number that varied from Saturday to Sunday was the count of how many people were onboard the flight. According to Continental's first release, there were 107 passengers and five crew members, for a total of 112.

However, on Sunday, it was reported there were three non-ticketed children sitting on laps on the flight, upping the count to 110 passengers and five crew members for a total of 115 people onboard the flight.

Continental Airlines says it is providing family services for those involved in the accident.

Officials at the airline say they have organized a private flight for those still wishing to complete their trip to Houston. The time and details were not released because the airline says it wishes to provide privacy for the passengers of Flight 1404.

A hotline was set up for family members seeking information on Flight 1404. That number is 1-800-621-3263. 

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We were disappointed that the Auditor chose not to include our response with the audit report, as he did the City's.  I have attached the Denver Health response and supporting documentation.  I believe there is opportunity for us in the profession to define meaningful outcome-based performance measures for EMS systems, and am looking forward to working with all of you to do so.

-James
 
James L. Robinson
Acting Chief Paramedic
Denver Health Paramedic Division
660 Bannock St.  MC0172
Denver, CO  80204
james.robinson@dhha.org
(303)436-6242 office
(303)436-8195 fax
(303)356-6484 mobile

Denver Health's Response:

Appendix A. Quarterly Reports 2.12.08:

 READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

December 18, 2008
Honorable John Hickenlooper (Mayor) City and County of Denver
 
Attached is the Auditor’s Office Audit Services Division’s performance audit report examining the City and County of Denver’s emergency medical response system.  The audit period was for January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2007.  The purpose of the audit was to examine and assess the City’s emergency medical response system and structure to identify possible inefficiencies or weaknesses.  This system is operated in conjunction with the Denver Health and Hospital Authority.  The audit focused primarily on response times and related processes as a key performance indicator.  Though we acknowledge there are other ways to measure performance, response times as performance indicators are a part of the agreement with Denver Health in its role in the emergency medical response system, and are the most meaningful and comprehensible to citizens.

Audit work identified systemic structural weaknesses and limited oversight practices that hinder the City’s ability to effectively monitor and assess the emergency medical response system in a comprehensive, strategic and deliberate manner to optimize the overall system.  These limitations result in limited levels of transparency and accountability within the system and emergency medical responses that are longer than the timeframes recommended by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) industry standards.

I am pleased to note that in the City’s response to our audit, the City is moving forward to address issues and recommendations identified by our audit.  The City’s commitment to improving the emergency medical response system is admirable and I applaud you for that
commitment.

It is distressing however, that emergency medical response times continue to increase year over year, and that Denver Health has not been in compliance with response time measurements as specified in the Operating Agreement during the period audited.  Furthermore, they have failed to recognize and adopt accepted standards in their performance goals even though they were
adopted by the City in the Building and Fire Code in 2004.  

When it comes to public safety and matters of life and death, the public demands and should expect that those entrusted with responding to a medical emergency do so in a timely manner, consistent with industry standards and best practices.  Audit analysis and evidence fully support 

recommendations presented in this report, and has identified significant opportunities for collaborative process improvements that can improve patient outcomes through improved emergency medical response.  While Denver Health is widely recognized for their quality services and staff, they may risk diminishing public confidence if audit recommendations are
dismissed.
 
If you have any questions, please call Kip Memmott, Director of Audit Services, at  720-913-5029.

Dennis Gallagher (City Auditor)

 READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

Greeley will soon dissolve its 13-year Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority to gain more control over the department’s budget and the fire chief.

Greeley City Council on Tuesday night decided to end the Authority and gave the Western Hills Fire Protection District, which forms the Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority with Greeley, notice of its intent.

The name of Greeley’s fire department will change to the Greeley Fire Department.
Greeley officials said vague wording in the original intergovernmental agreement with the Western Hills Fire Protection District from 1995 made it difficult for the council to have control over the budget and leadership of the Fire Authority and created additional costs for Greeley of up to $30,000.

Also, a plan to create efficiencies by signing other communities up — such as Evans and Eaton — to join the fire authority never panned out as the authority just turned into another level of government, said Greeley City Manager Roy Otto.

The Fire Authority’s board now oversees its operations. The board’s members include representatives from the Greeley City Council and the Western Hills Fire Protection District.

Residents in Western Hills will still have fire protection, however. Greeley will contract fire protection to the Western Hills area — which lies east of Greeley and extends as far east as Weld County Road 51 along O Street.

“They’re our partners,” Otto said. “And we’re going to provide the same level of service to them we have been.”

The Western Hills board of directors will still have to consider the termination before it is permanent, which officials hope will happen in January.

“They seemed open to the issue,” said Greeley Finance Director Tim Nash.

If no agreement is reached with Western Hills Fire Protection officials — though officials say an agreement is likely — Greeley will unilaterally end the agreement at the end of 2011.

The Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority was founded in August 1995 when Greeley agreed to provide fire protection to the Western Hills area east of Greeley.
Greeley City Council also maintained the city’s 1 percent for art program Tuesday night.

The program puts aside 1 percent of the budget from capital improvements to use for art.

There was a proposal on the table that would have cut the program to 0.5 percent and totally eliminated all city water and sewer projects from the art program. The proposal had support when it was considered at a work session, but the council decided against the cut after hearing from residents through letters and at council that art was important to their quality of life in Greeley.

Council members had previously said some of the money in the program can be better used for projects elsewhere in the city, but ultimately decided against the proposal.

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Denver Health: Outcomes More Important Than Response Times

 DENVER -- Emergency ambulance response from Denver Health Medical Center is failing to meet obligations to the citizens, according to Denver's auditor.

Auditor Dennis Gallagher formally presented the findings to the city's audit committee on Thursday. Click here to read a pdf file of the audit.

Officials with Denver Health said the hospital has the best trauma survival rate in the United States and it must focus primarily on clinical outcomes, not response times.

DENVER -- Emergency ambulance response from Denver Health Medical Center is failing to meet obligations to the citizens, according to Denver's auditor.

Auditor Dennis Gallagher formally presented the findings to the city's audit committee on Thursday. Click here to read a pdf file of the audit.

Officials with Denver Health said the hospital has the best trauma survival rate in the United States and it must focus primarily on clinical outcomes, not response times.

"The auditor says your response times don't meet standards and they need to improve. Will you improve the response times of your paramedic unit?" CALL7 Investigator Tony Kovaleski asked Denver Health CEO Patricia Gabow.

Gabow said, "I think what you heard from the audit report is that response time is not a very good reflection of performance of the system."

"That's not what I heard," said Kovaleski who continued, "I heard from the auditor that the response time is not meeting what the city needs and what the community needs. So will you improve that response time?"

"I think we need to work with the city to get good patient outcomes," said Gabow.

The audit follows a series of CALL7 Investigative reports that exposed a number of failures in the city's emergency ambulance response.

Earlier this year, one paramedic told 7NEWS that patients were waiting as long as 15 minutes for an ambulance and that "sometimes in Denver you would be a lot better off driving yourself to the hospital."

7NEWS also found the hospital does not station an ambulance at Denver International Airport even though it is the nation's fifth-busiest airport and has hundreds of emergency ambulance calls a year.

The nation's top four airports all have ambulances on site.

While DIA does have paramedics stationed in the airport, patients who need emergency room care have waited as long as 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

The audit released Thursday lists "three general areas of deficiency" with the city's emergency medical response system, including confusion as to exactly when an emergency call begins.

The audit said the contract between the hospital and city has "significant weaknesses" and "two ambiguous 'clock start time' points for the emergency response measurement."

The audit goes on to say, "Denver Health is currently adhering to a third 'clock start time' point that is less restrictive."

Gallagher also points to a lack of city oversight for emergency medical response and inefficiencies with call processing at Denver's 911 center.

"I was dissappointed with the response of Denver Health which sort of implied, 'we're the Doctors, we know,'" said Gallagher.

"Do you feel like Denver Health has essentially snubbed your audit?" asked Kovaleski.

Gallagher answered, "Well that's a great way to put it ... I would say yes, I think they indeed snubbed our audit and think it was very unfortunate."

Denver paramedic Bob Petre told 7NEWS, "[The audit] suggested some hard parameters and I don't think Denver Health wants to be held to hard parameters. I think if you are going to serve the community that's what you have to do."

In a written response, Denver Health officials said the paramedic division lost $1.6 million in 2007, leaving the hospital to subsidize the service and "Denver Health and the City have begun to collaboratively review prospective changes that could help ... the Emergency Medical Services System perform even better, including enhanced data sharing, streamlining of the 911 dispatch system, improved identification of true like-threatening emergencies, and expanding citizen training in CPR and AED use."

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Attached is the final report on the Operational Efficiency Study for Littleton Fire Rescue...HERE

Department, completed by Organizational Effectiveness Consulting (OEC). The Study Session with OEC, City Council, and the District Boards is scheduled for December 9, 2008 in the Council Chamber from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. OEC will review the findings and recommendations in the report and answer any questions.

The final report contains an executive summary, separate chapters for each area of study, tables, graphs, appendices and specific information on the costs of recommendations. While the very size of the report may appear daunting, we think you will find the information very informative.

When you're ill or injured, the last thing that should be on your mind is why the ambulance is taking so darn long to arrive.

But when you have the best trauma survival rate in the country, as Denver Health does, it's hard to criticize ambulance response times too harshly, either.

From 2004 to 2007, ambulance response times have increased in Denver at multiple steps of the 911 process - 46 more seconds for the police call center to process a request for help; 32 extra seconds for the call to emergency medical staff; 38 additional seconds of ambulance transit time.

South Metro Fire Rescue, which merged earlier this year with the Parker Fire Protection District, is finishing work on a new fire station on Tomahawk Road, one mile north of East Parker Road. Some residents in the area east of Parker opposed the construction of the station, partly because of an increase in noise and an access point near the crest of a hill that was described as dangerous.

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