Jan 2, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Death Sparks Questions About City's EMS Response
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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The death of a Northeast Philadelphia woman is raising new questions about emergency response in Philadelphia.
CBS
The death of a Northeast Philadelphia woman is raising new questions about emergency response in Philadelphia.
In the early morning hours of New Year's Day, Holmesburg resident Deborah Payne was fighting for her life.
Fire department records obtained by CBS 3 revealed it took more than two hours for an Advanced Life Support unit to answer the 55-year-old's 911 phone call.
The records show that Payne first called at 2:39 a.m. but no medics were available. An ALS unit did not arrive at Payne's apartment until 4:40 a.m.
Engine 36, a fire department pumper truck with a medical technician aboard, did respond with five minutes. The crew repeatedly called for medics to assist them as they tried to save Payne's life.
At 3:15 a.m., there was a call for more oxygen. At 3:24 a.m., a basic unit was en route but that truck broke down at 3:27 a.m. At 3:42 a.m., a second basic unit arrived at the scene.
"They were coming in and out and I thought 'this is crazy, what's going on,'" neighbor Marita Campbell said.
When the ALS finally arrived at the scene, they found that Payne was deceased. An autopsy revealed she died of natural causes.
Fire department officials, as well as Mayor-elect Michael Nutter, said they are investigating the deadly incident.
"We want to make sure that we are getting to people as quickly as possible to provide the kind of life safety support that anyone might need," Nutter said.
Sources said that there is no indication that any fire department personnel did anything wrong. Sources said they did everything they could do to save Payne's life.
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