Curtis Mitchell, Dies During Snowstorm After 10 911 Calls Go Unheeded for Nearly 30 Hours

Curtis Mitchell, of Hazelwood, Pittsburgh, dies after waiting nearly 30 hours for paramedics to come to his home during snowstorms. He suffered excruciating stomach pains.

Curtis Mitchell, who lives in the Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, was ignored by EMTs for 30 hours after the initial 911 call was placed. He reportedly told the 911 dispatcher that "entire stomach [was] in pain." Still, they did not come. His girlfriend, Sharon Edge, made the 10th 911 phone call nearly 30 hours later. At that stage he wasn't breathing and was cold to the touch, according to the Post-Gazette. She told the dispatchers at that time that they had been trying to get an ambulance over to the home for three days. When the paramedics finally arrived, it was too late. Curtis Mitchell, 50, died on February 7. This is horrific and the fact that city officials apologized to the woman is damning. They did not carry our their jobs are they were supposed to. This is a stark reminder of the fact that there are two systems at work in this country -- one for whites and one for blacks and Latinos. The excuse they are using is snow-covered roads, poor communications and a 911 center bombarded with more than double the average number of calls during the crippling snowstorms, all played a role in the decedent's long wait. Is this America or did this occur in a Third World country?

Ambulances were dispatched three times on Saturday, Feb. 6, to the couple's home in the 5100 block of narrow Chaplain Way, but couldn't get there because of the snow. Paramedics twice asked whether Mr. Mitchell could walk to an intersection, even after he told them that he could not because he was in too much pain. Emergency vehicles were within blocks of his home three times -- once so close Ms. Edge could see the ambulance lights from her porch -- but did not make contact with him. They finally reached the home on Sunday morning, Feb. 7, but Mr. Mitchell was already dead. Source: Post-Gazette

While we are in the throes of the worst economic conditions in decades, Main Street always bears the brunt. There is no reason why the paramedics weren't able to get to this man. It is unconscionable that it took them three days to get there. Additionally, they expected Mr. Mitchell to meet them at the intersection. That's just ridiculous and an insult. Why are we constantly dogged by faulty communications systems in this country?  According to the Post-Gazette, Ron Roth, medical director for the city's public safety department and Allegheny County's emergency operations center said, communications problems meant that each call was see as an individual request for help. Information gained on previous calls was not passed down during the next request. In essence, he said they made the same request over and over. Who's fault was that? Why couldn't they have walked to his house to determine the severity of his condition and make necessary arrangements to get him the medical assistance he needed?

The fact that this man, who has a history of pancreatitis, lost his life because the lack of action by the city is disgraceful. The initial call was tagged as a non-emergency call and was pushed down the list. The fact that this man lost his life due to a lack of response is no small matter. Pittsburgh has implemented a new plan of action. They will start dispatching firefighters as first responders on medical calls of the two highest grades of severity, according to the Post-Gazette. They will also do the same on calls of the third highest level that remained unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Firefighters were previously only called as first responders to the most severe incidents, the Post-Gazette says. No amount of money from a lawsuit will ever compensate for the anguish and shock Sharon Edge has suffered.