West Wirral family and paramedics overcome by toxic gas fumes

Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

PARAMEDICS rescuing a couple who had been overcome by carbon monoxide gas were themselves hit by the toxic fumes.

Two of the couple’s relatives were also treated at hospital following the incident at the West Wirral home.

Now the family - and their rescuers - are calling on householders to install carbon monoxide alarms in their homes and to have gas and other fossil fuel-burning appliances tested before winter sets in.

Irene Bishton had been feeling unwell for several days and had arranged for her sister, Sheila Ross, to take her to the doctor.
Her husband, Stan Bishton, said: “Irene felt odd when she got up. She was unsteady on her feet, started to stagger and then collapsed. “Fortunately, she had unlocked the front door in readiness for her sister’s arrival before collapsing. “I was still in bed and thought I was all right but when I tried to dial 999 I couldn’t do it. I had been overcome by fumes without realising it.”

Sheila called the ambulance and also phoned for her husband Brian to come and help.
Stan continued: “They initially thought Irene had suffered a stroke and took her to Arrowe Park Hospital.

“But when some of the paramedics began to feel ill, they realised there was a strong possibility of carbon monoxide in the house.”

All four members of the family along with six ambulance crew were treated in hospital.
Brandon Newman, one of the first ambulance paramedics on the scene, said: “We assessed the condition of Mr and Mrs Bishton but quickly realised something was not right when we began to feel ill ourselves.

“I had a gut feeling it could be carbon monoxide poisoning, so we opened all the windows and doors to ventilate the house and called for a second ambulance.
“This was potentially a very serious situation that could have caused the loss of the whole family.”

Paul Ferguson, area director for the North West Ambulance Service, added: “I am proud of the way our operational staff dealt with this incident. Their actions may well have saved the lives of those involved.”

The build-up of carbon monoxide was caused by a blocked flu from the gas central heating boiler.
Stan said: “I hadn’t had the boiler serviced for two years and it didn’t occur to me there might have been a problem.

“Now we’re having the entire system replaced and we’ve bought audible CO alarms. In fact, everyone we’ve told about this has gone out and bought an alarm.
“It has been a very frightening experience.”

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/2008/10/15/west-wirral-family-and-paramedics-overcome-by-toxic-gas-fumes-80491-22029684/

Woman, 92 Pulls Gun On Paramedics

POSTED: 9:14 am EDT October 5, 2008

UPDATED: 9:16 am EDT October 5, 2008

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A 92-year-old woman surprised some Central Florida paramedics performing a well-being check when she pulled a gun and threatened them.

A friend called emergency services to a home located near the 2700 Block of Wickham Road on Saturday. When the emergency workers arrived, the woman pulled the gun, authorities said.

Melbourne police were called to disarm the woman.

No charges will be filed because of the woman's age and medical condition.

Woman, 92 Pulls Gun On Paramedics

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A 92-year-old woman surprised some Central Florida paramedics performing a well-being check when she pulled a gun and threatened them.

A friend called emergency services to a home located near the 2700 Block of Wickham Road on Saturday.

When the emergency workers arrived, the woman pulled the gun, authorities said.
Melbourne police were called to disarm the woman.

No charges will be filed because of the woman's age and medical condition.

Firefighter Steals Severed Foot From Crash Scene

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Cindy Economou, last years county firefighter of the year who runs a nonprofit horse therapy program for emotionally and mentally challenged people, is the St. Lucie County firefighter accused of taking a Melbourne mans severed foot from an Interstate 95 crash scene a week ago.

Fire District officials on Thursday called a hasty news conference to disclose a firefighter was under investigation for taking Karl Lamberts foot, but refused to identify the person, saying it was a veteran paramedic who trains cadaver dogs, which are used to follow the scent of decomposing human flesh.

On Friday, Fire District officials released a letter dated Thursday to Economou placing her on administrative leave with pay due to an internal investigation of a call to I-95 mile marker No. 118 on September 19, 2008, which you responded, and allegations of inappropriate actions have been raised against you.

Repeated attempts to reach Economou, a firefighter and paramedic since the early 1990s, were unsuccessful.

Lambert, 46, hired attorney Ray Christian, who said it was his understanding Economou wanted the foot to help in dog training. Christian said Lambert is missing a portion of his left leg from six to eight inches below the knee and that the missing portion was returned to St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach five days after the crash, on Sept. 24. Lambert still is in the hospital.

The 19th through the 24th, he was not aware that somebody had absconded with his leg, Christian said.

Christian suspects law enforcement officials started asking questions because body parts typically accompany patients to the hospital.

So when they got to the hospital and he didnt have his leg, I think they started to backtrack and started looking to see what had happened, Christian said. Thats when they realized that someone had taken it.

Christian said when the Florida Highway Patrol returned the leg, it was frozen and apparently couldnt be re-attached. He said only a doctor could determine whether it could have been re-attached if it arrived with Lambert, who was traveling to Fort Lauderdale to pick up flooring material for his brother-in-law at the time.

My understanding, to be fair, is that (Economou) has not really hidden the fact that she has it, Christian said.

Fire District spokeswoman Catherine Chaney said about 17 fire district personnel, including Battalion Chief Jim Hall and Deputy Chief Michael Bailey, responded to the crash near the Tradition exit. Neither Hall nor Bailey could be reached Friday.

Chaney couldnt say whether any of these people knew Economou took the foot, citing the fire districts ongoing investigation. None of the other fire district members at the scene have been placed on administrative leave, she said.

Andy Rebmann, whos been involved in search work and K-9 police dog training since 1972 and wrote Cadaver Dog Handbook, said that in training, cadaver dogs are introduced to the scent of decomposition.

In some parts of the country, Rebmann said, the coroner can release bodily fluids or parts to qualified individuals. Some people want to donate their bodies for use in training dogs for human recovery. Donated placentas also can be used, he said.

A firefighter taking a body part for cadaver dog training or other purposes, Rebmann said, would be unusual and also unethical ... unless it was released by the proper authorities.

Economou runs Fully Involved Farms, which provides physically, emotionally and mentally challenged people an opportunity to experience horse riding at no cost to them.