When responding to a call, EMTs
and Paramedics never know what sort of obstacles they
will have to face. Oftentimes, gaining access to a
patient can be just as difficult as treating a patient.
Paramedics George Steffenson and Andrew Mazzola were
nearing the end of their shift when they received
a call indicating a "jumper down." They
arrived at the scene of a construction site, expecting
the patient to be on ground level. Much to their surprise,
the patient was on the seventh floor. Paramedics Steffenson
and Mazzola used the elevator and climbed several
flights of stairs to reach the injured patient. They
found the 26-year-old male patient lying face-up,
alert and oriented, but in severe pain. The construction
worker had fallen two stories before bearing down
on aluminum temporary flooring. Upon crashing to the
floor, the metal tool the construction worker was
using impaled his forearm, leaving him in agony and
unable to move. Paramedics Steffenson and Mazzola
had a difficult situation to attend to, but they were
ready for the challenge. The surface the construction
worker landed on was very unstable. It was strong
enough to break his fall, but interestingly enough,
left an imprint of his body. There were also several
holes in the surface. One false move and both the
patient and the paramedics could have fallen through
to the ground. The paramedics injected the patient
with morphine to ease his pain and prepared him to
be transported to the hospital. They worked carefully,
exercising great concern for their patient’s
safety. Maneuvering the patient was extremely difficult
with the metal object still penetrating his arm, not
to mention the dangerous surroundings. Paramedics
Steffenson and Mazzola employed a high-rise crane
bucket to transport the patient to the ground. He
then was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where he underwent
emergency surgery to remove the metal object. Paramedics
George Steffenson and Andrew Mazzola exemplified the
highest traditions of the EMS Command. For their courage
and bravery, they are awarded the Greater New York
Hospital Medal for 1998.--AB
