FDNY called to assist 600 lb man

[61MACKBR1 222]

From today's Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/27/2010-07-27_fdny_called_in_to_get_600lb_man_out_of_apartment.html

[JBE 328]

There were two of these yesterday. Both in Manhattan. I will have further info later.

[M' Ave 1,466]

Once had to do the same with a 500lb corpse. Medical examiner couldn't handle it from this particular 5th floor walk up. Called for a TL, used a stokes and out the window we went....

[cas2383 22]

About 2 or 3 years ago we had to assist EMS to remove a 790lb person from their small cramped studio apartment. Took 10 or so personnel to assist.

[JBE 328]

The 2nd one was up on 139. The 1st one was up on 110th, that one went out the window. The 2nd one appears to have just been taken out on a stokes through the front door.

[Remember585 815]

I know many ambulance stretchers are only rated to 300 or 400 pounds. Does FDNY EMS have specialty stretchers for the pleasantly plump?

And, not to hijack the thread, but do any area EMS agencies have stretchers, stair chairs and backboards to handle this kind of scenario?

Lift with the knees....

[FFEMT150 214]

I am pretty sure we have one stretcher at CCVAC that will hold up to 750 lbs.

[nycemt728 49]

A few privates w/in the city have a unit that can be equipped with bariatric stretcher and ramp. Don't know if FDNY does, I suppose if they were willing to swallow their pride they could have an agreement with one of those companies rather than spend the money outfitting one of their busses and risking their peresonnel.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Lift with the knees....

dont lift. I've used a 24' extension ladder as a ramp and slide them onto the floor with a SKED.

Also dont use a metal stokes on the extra large patient. I watched a FD get called back to the ER to extricate the stuck patient. They had to cut the top rail and fold it flat (like a SKED).

[bad box 371]

At times, an F.D.N.Y. Rescue Company has been special called along with a Collapse Unit. In some cases a cargo net has been used, in others a makeshift 'lowering platform' has been constructed from plywood at the scene. A high point anchor was established and a lowering system put in place. At times the actual transport of the patient was accomplished via a large 'box truck'. Situations such as these require Fire and E.M.S. personnel improvise to get the job done.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Sounds like all good jobs, but after using them in Haz-Mat, I'd go with the SKED too.

[ny10570 745]

FDNY has a wide variety of specialty resources available to assist with bariatric patients. Nearly 200 units available to assist with the morbidly obese, 150 units carry specialty equipment uniquely suited to moving even larger patients, and for the uniquely massive there are 5 units strategically located throughout the city to assist with the largest patients. Its 200 engine companies available to assist with carry downs, the 150 truck companies with skeds of which several are tower ladders with a 1000 lb tip capacity. Then its the 5 rescue cos with cargo nets, winches, and other toys.

Fernos newer stretchers are rated at 750 extended and over 1,000 in the lowered position. Older ones were 750 or 700 in the lowered position. The overall weight isn't really the problem. Its the dimensions of the patient. They just don't fit. In those cases the stretcher goes in one truck and the patient on the floor. A few years back in the north bronx, after being winched out by Rescue 3 the patient had to be loaded into a hospital box truck with a lift gate. When you get to those super massive patient even the commercial services turn to FDNY for help.

Its not about swallowing pride, its a logistics issue. In one year I personally had 3 separate critical patients over 400lbs. There's no commercial service that can cover the city with enough bariatric units to be everywhere within an acceptable amount of time as often as we have to deal with this problem. There's been talk of fitting certain units with specialty equipment but its never been found to be cost effective.

Edited July 28, 2010 by ny10570

[Eagle24 2]

sounds like fdny has a good plan on paper. What about Westchester? What resources are out there(besides toning out for more people to help lift)? Critical patients are do what u can,but what about stable ones that can't walk? Please note that if the stretcher HOLDS 750lbs,it doesn't mean an automatic one can lift that much(not even close in my experience)...and already stated is that the patient will hate the normal stretcher and will be hanging off the sides the entire ride.

I think wmc has a bus for this but I'm not sure...

[JimE119 0]

We have a carry stretcher here at WCME to handle up to 650 pounds. It works great.

[M' Ave 1,466]

The 2nd one was up on 139. The 1st one was up on 110th, that one went out the window. The 2nd one appears to have just been taken out on a stokes through the front door.

MAN! You have a GOOOOD memory! I think that was almost a year ago on 139th. You dispatchers........forget nothing....

[JBE 328]

Actually, it was 2 in the same day. It's funny, I can remember fires and stuff from years ago, but I can't remember conversations I had with the special lady friend two days ago.

[Bnechis 3,961]

but I can't remember conversations I had with the special lady friend two days ago.

Never admit to that........

[goon16 155]

east or westside for the 110th one?

[JBE 328]

West 110th. 47 Engine with a special call for 14 Truck.

[M' Ave 1,466]

West 110th. 47 Engine with a special call for 14 Truck.

Where was 22? Needed 95'?

[BFD1054 1,552]

This article and subsequent discussion brings up a great topic. Dealing with barriatric patients can be very tricky and if not done properly can be disastrous.

We had such a patient in the Village (since moved to a nursing facility). There was an instance where we were called twice within 2 days for this patient. The 1st was to assist EMS in removing her from the 2nd floor (naturally) apartment and to assist with transport. The 2nd was to assist when she was released from the hospital.

We actually had to set up a rope system to remove her the first time. We even had to shut down Rt 9A during the incident to make room for the operation. This patient was in the 715lb range and thus made for an intresting removal. Thankfully, between EMS, ALS, FD and PD, we had many people working together to come to a solution and get the job done. My FD works very closly with our local VAC (Cortlandt), and many of us are members of both the VAC and FD. We were fortunate to have members who are very knowledgable in rope systems (not a strong point of mine) and put a great one together to get the patient down the narrow stairs. Unfortunately, 2 members suffered minor injuries during the incident. One injured his foot when the Stokes (and patient) came down on it. I forget exactly what happened to the 2nd member, but again, both were minor. Once the patient was brought down the stairs, she was placed on the floor of the ambulance in the stokes. The stretcher was obviously removed and the Stokes was secured in the rig. Numerous members rode to the ER to assist ER staff with patient transfer.

On a side note, i felt bad for one of the Troopers who assisted us. He was nice enough to ask if he could help and we said sure, we'd appreciate it. He was placed on the line and boy was he in for a workout lol.

Again, these are strenuous incidents and must be dealt with carefully. In our incident(s), there was no urgency and we were able to have time on our side. I dont know what we would have done if she had been in cardiac arrest. This is why pre-plans are great. We do them for fires, why not for EMS calls?

I know that we (Buchanan FD/Cortlandt VAC) also had an incident in the 80's. A barriatric patient needed to be removed from the 2nd floor of his house. I dont remember the particulars, however i do know that a tower-ladder was called in to assist. The FD made a large cut-out of the exterior wall and used a stokes to lower the patient using the tower-ladder.

[goon16 155]

yeah that was my box but i wasnt working....she ended up declining med attention and the brothers didnt remove her

[JBE 328]

22 was out at a job, IIRC.