The Memphis 5

[UNM1136]

The firemen may have been afraid of the cops or just reluctant to get in their business. Some would be surprised at what people will ignore. When the powers that be punish rather than reward stepping forward and objecting, then folks usually don't. I've seen such in corrections and in the school business. For example, school administrators are known to ignore teacher directed cheating on standardized tests. Blowing the whistle is career suicide. I won't comment on corrections.

Just this month, I literally watched a fire truck waffle a guy. The truck was running code, on a dark street, and smashed a guy in dark clothes... video shows the guy staggering. The hose draggers spent almost 3 minutes wandering aound the truck and chatting, before one of them approached the dude. By policy and contract City Fire are THE medical first responders (oh, the stories that can be told) and a private company does the transport. Fire truck waffles a guy and he lays in the street for almost three minutes before someone checked on him...I will buy the "oh fuck, what just happened?", but almost three minutes, just to chat amongst yourselves before? The driver was pretty crushed.it was clear. It was also clear he may not be a driver for a specified period of time, but, given the circumstances his career will survive.

They darted his chest on one side, but could not palate the ribs on the other side. Both morbidly obese, and obviously crushed. Along with the pelvis.

Now to contribute to the conversation, the first people arriving on scene (the original pumper was being followed by a Heavy Technical Rescue rig, which immediately blocked traffic, contributed another few trained EMTs, but don't count) were battalion commanders... Not EMS personnel, not cops, but MANAGERS I get the radio usage priorities, but the first TWO units to show up were FD Brass. I wonder who was running the scenes at the structure fire they were supposed to be running to at the time...

I get it. STRESS...but when liability concerns outweigh...oh, I dunno, checking on the victim, things are pretty backward.

I have pulled cops off of people before, but not for a few years, and I understand the next time will involve testimony, and depositions, and...consequences.

Won't keep me from doing it, though...

ETA: I heard on the national news earlier this week that the retired LT in charge of recruiting was vocalizing on the reduction of hiring standards to meet numbers. Hell, 20 years ago I worked with a cop that came from Detroit when that Dept was hiring folks with felony arrests (not convictions, mind you) as long as they fell into specific categories. My one attempt at pre hiring background investigations include three applicants, one of whom was a City Police Department employee (non sworn) with a felony arrest for burglary.

pat