A 911 Emergency
Rhode Island’s Deadly 911 Flaws
The way Rhode Island handles medical emergencies puts people in harm’s way.
EMS Crews Brought Patients to the Hospital With Misplaced Breathing Tubes. None of Them Survived.
In the world of emergency medicine, an unrecognized esophageal intubation is a “never event,” meaning that it shouldn’t happen under any circumstances. In Rhode Island, it’s occurred 12 times in the last three years. In each case, the patient died.
A Misplaced Breathing Tube Can Be Fatal. New Studies Suggest They Should Be Used Less Often.
EMS agencies perform intubations to help restore breathing to cardiac arrest patients. New studies show patients fare as well or better with less-invasive alternatives.
Going Quiet: More States Are Hiding 911 Recordings From Families, Lawyers and the General Public
Troy Phillips has tried everything to piece together his brother’s final moments and figure out if he received CPR. Rhode Island’s secretive 911 laws have gotten in the way.
After Serious 911 Mishaps, Rhode Island Will Now Pay for Better Training
Lagging rates of cardiac arrest survival and bystander CPR in Rhode Island could soon improve if lawmakers approve a budget allocating $220,000 to strengthen 911 call taker training.
One Cardiac Arrest. Four 911 Callers. And a Tragic Outcome.
Rhode Island’s 911 operators are unprepared to handle cardiac arrest calls, and Rena Fleury, 45, lost her life.
After Baby’s Death, Rhode Island 911 Operators May Receive Enhanced Training
The governor supports a recommendation from the state police superintendent to have all 34 telecommunicators and eight supervisors in the 911 emergency center certified in emergency medical dispatch.
Doctors, EMS Leaders Call for Changes to Rhode Island’s 911 System
At a legislative hearing, witnesses decried the lack of CPR instructions provided by call takers at the state’s 911 center. Meanwhile, the State Police superintendent pledged to review procedures and training of 911 call takers.
How Rhode Island’s Emergency 911 System Failed Baby Alijah
Rhode Island 911 telecommunicators rarely instruct callers in CPR, doctors and EMS officials say. Better training could save hundreds more cardiac arrest victims per year, experts say.
Rhode Island, Have You Called 911? Do You Work in Emergency Response? Talk to Us.
We want to hear from Rhode Islanders who’ve called 911 in a medical emergency and those who work in emergency medical response to uncover challenges facing the state’s 911 system.
