Page 4 - aruba-today-20230213

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 13 February 2023
Union: Fired EMTs didn’t get enough info in Nichols response

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The department said. An am-
head of a union repre- bulance was called, and
senting most of the Mem- it arrived at 8:55 p.m., the
phis Fire Department said statement said. An emer-
three employees who were gency unit cared for Nich-
fired after the death of ols and left for a hospital
Tyre Nichols weren’t given with him at 9:08 p.m., which
enough information as they was 27 minutes after Long,
responded to the call for Sandridge and Whitaker ar-
medical help. rived, officials said. Nichols
Thomas Malone, president died three days later.
of the Memphis Fire Fighters An investigation deter-
Association, also wrote in a mined that all three vio-
letter to city council mem- lated multiple policies and
bers that information was protocols, the statement
withheld from those first re- said.
sponders by people on the “They were reacting to
scene. what they saw, what they
Nichols, who is Black, was were told at the scene,”
beaten by Memphis police In this image from video released and partially redacted by the city of Memphis, Tenn., Tyre Sweat recently told city
after he was pulled over Nichols lies on the ground during a brutal attack by Memphis Police officers on Jan. 7, 2023, in council members. “Obvi-
Jan. 7 for an alleged traffic Memphis. ously, they did not perform
violation. However, police Associated Press at the level that we expect,
Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis given adequate informa- pended. Two of the former Fire Chief Gina Sweat has or that the citizens of Mem-
has said publicly released tion upon dispatch or upon fire department employ- said the department re- phis deserve.”
footage failed to show why arrival of the scene,” Malo- ees, EMT Robert Long and ceived a call from police Before suspending the li-
Nichols was stopped at all. ne wrote. “Quite frankly, advanced EMT JaMichael after someone was pep- censes of Long and San-
The union leader came there was information with- Sandridge, had their profes- per-sprayed. When the dridge earlier this month,
to the defense of the fire held by those already on sional licenses suspended workers arrived at 8:41 p.m., the state EMS board
department as a whole, the scene which caused by a state medical board. Nichols was handcuffed on watched 19 minutes of
saying its more-than-1,600 our members to handle Lt. Michelle Whitaker was the ground and slumped surveillance video that
employees “serve this city things differently than they the third employee let go. against a squad car, the showed the two first re-
and its citizens with purpose should have.” Her license was not consid- statement said. sponders as they failed
and intent each and every Three fire department em- ered for suspension, though Long and Sandridge, to care for Nichols, who
day.” ployees were fired after state Emergency Medical based on the nature of the couldn’t stay seated up-
The Daily Memphian re- Nichols died. In all, 13 po- Services board members call and information they right against the side of the
ported on and published lice officers have either commented that more ac- were told by police, “failed vehicle, laying prone on
a copy of the letter, which been disciplined or are un- tions could follow. to conduct an adequate the ground multiple times.
says “there is no way any der investigation for their Memphis city spokeswom- patient assessment of Mr. EMS board member Sulli-
member could be truly pre- roles in Nichols’ death. Six an Arlenia Cole told the Nichols,” the statement van Smith said it was “ob-
pared for a situation that were fired, and five of them Daily Memphian that all said. Whitaker remained vious to even a lay person”
occurred on January 7, are charged with murder. three former fire depart- in the vehicle with the that Nichols “was in ter-
2023.” Two Shelby County sher- ment employees have ap- driver during the response rible distress and needed
“Our members were not iff’s deputies were also sus- pealed their firings. to Nichols’ beating, the help.”q

1st infant in Kentucky surrendered anonymously at ‘baby box’

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) healthy. This baby is beau- months. Safe Haven Baby
— Kentucky has seen its tiful. This baby is perfect,” Boxes are installed in the
first infant anonymously said Kelsey, who added exterior wall of a fire station
dropped off at one of its that officials are now look- or hospital. An exterior door
“baby box” safe surrender ing to place the child in “a automatically locks when a
locations. At a news con- forever home.” newborn is placed inside,
ference Friday, Safe Haven Gov. Andy Beshear signed and an interior door lets a
Baby Boxes founder and a law in 2021 that allows medical staff member se-
CEO Monica Kelsey said the the use of baby boxes for cure the baby from inside
child was dropped off with- children less than 30 days the building. “This child
in the last seven days at a old. The law requires the was legally, safely, anony-
Bowling Green Fire Depart- boxes to be located at po- mously and lovingly placed
ment location, declining to lice stations, fire stations or inside of this Safe Haven
be more specific to protect hospitals that are staffed 24 Baby Box, and that speaks
anonymity. She said fire hours a day. It also requires volumes about the par-
department staff was able equipping them with a no- ent,” Kelsey said. Republi-
to tend to the child in less tification system to alert the can state Rep. Nancy Tate,
than 90 seconds. The child first responders on site that who sponsored the legisla-
is the 24th in the country to a child has been placed in- tion, told WNKY-TV that it’s
Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey speaks at a be surrendered at one of side the box. her goal to have at least
news conference at a Bowling Green Fire Department station, more than 130 baby boxes Kentucky now has 16 baby one box in every Kentucky
Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ky. and drawers the organiza- box locations. The Bowling county. “It makes my heart
Associated Press tion has established across Green box had been op- full to know how supportive
nine states. “This baby is erational for less than two this project is,” Tate said.q