Audit: D.C. Fire Hasn’t Implemented Reforms Promised Nine Years Ago

The D.C. Fire and EMS Department has not implemented reforms intended to improve emergency responses and patient care that District leaders agreed to more than nine years ago, a new audit of the agency found.

The reforms were called for after New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum died after he was mugged not far from a firehouse in upper northwest D.C. 

He died in part due to a botched response from emergency personnel. His family sued the District, but dropped the case after the mayor and the fire chief agreed to reforms to ensure the delays would never happen to another patient. 

Thursday, the District’s auditor released a report which found most of the promised reforms never happened.

“Things are better than they were nine and a half years ago,” said Marcus Rosenbaum, David’s brother. “There’s still a long way to go.”

I’m not sure how things are better, but I don’t live there and don’t plan to go there. If I have to go to DC for some reason, I’ll pray I don’t get sick or injured.

Acting fire chief Gregory Dean and Mayor Bowser promised improvements Thursday.

“I have been on the job for six weeks and we are hard at work to implement the Task Force’s recommendations,” Dean said. “Under the Bowser Administration, the Department has taken steps to enhance our EMS system.”

Today, Dean named a new assistant chief of medical services — one of the promised reforms. However, that person is not a certified paramedic, which was one of the requirements for the job.

So, someone who knows nothing about EMS is now in charge of EMS. That should make things better. The only thing that will fix the problems with DC Fire and EMS is to remove the “Fire” part and return EMS to separate agency status. That alone won’t do anything, but it will remove several layers of bureaucracy and flat out bull shit from the process.

Then EMS in the nation’s capitol needs to be properly funded, properly managed, have a system of remediation for medical errors, and discipline and discharge for misconduct.

I won’t be holding my breath for any of that to happen because the people who could make that happen (politicians) won’t make it happen because it might offend a constituency.