Imagine having cardiac arrest and getting picked up by an ambulance that won't take you to a hospital. Or having a medical emergency and languishing outside an emergency room for hours.
UpdatedSat, Jan 9, 2021 at 6:31 am PT
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SMFD RN Catherine Borman administers the vaccine to firefighter Jacob Proano. (Courtesy of the city of Santa Monica)
SANTA MONICA, CA A sign of hope arrived last week in Santa Monica, with Santa Monica Fire Department firefighters and paramedics among the first fire departments in Southern California to receive the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. This is a critical milestone in keeping all frontline medical personnel safe as they prepare for an increase in the number of cases across the county, which is occurring as local hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, city officials announced.
In addition to SMFD frontline personnel receiving the vaccine, SMFD leadership was integral to the rollout of the vaccine to 20 fire departments across Los Angeles County, officials said.
Human disaster unfolding in LA will get worse, experts say krdo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from krdo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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AILSA CHANG, HOST: Ambulances are waiting for hours to admit new patients here at overwhelmed hospitals. EMTs are being told not to bring in people who have little chance of survival and to conserve oxygen out in the field. Also, the number of COVID patients in ICUs has quadrupled since November. And with the holidays just behind us, public health officials warn that the situation could get worse for emergency services. And that is why we are joined now by Dr. Nichole Bosson, assistant medical director at the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency.
Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images
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In Los Angeles, ambulances are waiting for hours up to eight, in some cases to admit new patients at overwhelmed hospitals. The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care units has more than quadrupled since the beginning of November.
And with the holidays just behind us, public health officials warn that the situation could get worse for emergency services. A lot of what s happening right now, even though people are talking about it, people are reporting about it, people aren t really seeing it. And the reality is, things are worse than people think, says Dr. Nichole Bosson, assistant medical director at the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency. And I say that because I see how people are still congregating in groups and making decisions to have family gatherings or New Year s parties. And these decisions are what continues to impact our