Infant Dies After Veteran EMT Refuses To Respond To Call, Reportedly Didn’t Want To Perform CPR

On Friday, June 19, Ann Marie Thomas, a veteran EMT with the Detroit Fire Department, was less than one mile from a home where an 8-month-old baby was in cardiac arrest. However, she refused to respond to the call because she reportedly “didn’t want to perform CPR.”

The investigative report stated that she “refused to respond to a call for service for a baby not breathing for no reason other than not wanting to perform CPR for an extended period of time.” Thomas was reportedly 0.9 miles away from the home which would have been a two-minute drive at a moderate speed, but adamantly refused to take the call, stating that she didn’t feel like spending “10 minutes” at a scene.

Throughout the conversation, Thomas repeatedly received updates about the baby’s condition but made no effort to report to the home. The audio of the call recorded the EMS supervisor demanding that Thomas report to the scene. The 10-year veteran medic and her partner reportedly took six minutes to arrive but, to her supervisor’s shock and dismay, she parked around the corner from the home to wait for another paramedic to arrive. She was outfitted to assist a responding paramedic but refused to go into the home.

Here’s an excerpt from dispatch audio:

Thomas: “33 is in position on Pembroke around the corner from the scene.”

911: “33, I’m going to need you to make that scene,” said the Detroit Fire EMS supervisor. “You’re going to have to make patient contact.”

Thomas : “I’m not about to be on no scene 10 minutes doing CPR, you know how these families get.”

911: “Uh, Romeo 33? Updated information that the child is not breathing. The baby was hooked up to an oxygen machine because it was premature. Romeo 33?”

911: “Romeo 33, Medic 51, be advised CPR is being performed on your scene. Romeo 33, Medic 51. CPR is being performed by the baby’s mother.”

Her expertise would have saved the distressed infant but, unfortunately, she made no attempt to rescue the ailing baby. Although paramedics were able to revive the infant and get her to a local hospital, she ultimately passed the next morning. Now, some are wondering if the minutes Thomas wasted actually contributed to the baby’s untimely death.

Thomas is in hot water for her refusal to respond to the emergency call. Immediately after the incident occurred, two separate internal investigations were conducted. Although Thomas was initially placed on a 29-day suspension, the controversial directive sparked outrage because many felt she should have been terminated immediately, reports Click On Detroit.

On Wednesday, June 24, Detroit Fire Commissioner Edsel Jenkins released a statement in reference to an appeal hearing Thomas requested. After further investigation, Commissioner Jenkins released another statement announcing the department’s decision to terminate Thomas.

“Today, we conducted an appeals hearing, which Ms. Thomas requested. After reviewing all of the facts of this incident, I have determined that the appropriate course of action is to terminate Ms. Thomas’ employment with the Detroit Fire Department effective immediately,” said Jenkins in a statement released Wednesday.

Do you think Thomas should have been fired immediately? Share your thoughts.

[Image via YouTube Screen Capture]