By Bobby Kerlik
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
CHIPPEWA, Pa. — Donna Atkinson’s daughter first called on her cell phone with the news: Atkinson’s son, Bryan, 23, likely died in a violent car crash that killed three other people.
Then came hours of waiting in the Chippewa fire hall for the official word.
“People were hugging us saying, ‘I’m sorry.’ My husband said, ‘Sorry for what? We haven’t been told anything yet,’ ” Atkinson said.
Cell Phone Benefits for Responders It’s not just the growth in cell phone use that is leading to more families learning of incidents involving their loved ones before they are officially notified — the media are increasingly getting there first. The rise in the number of TV news channels coupled with improved technology means coverage of incidents can be instantaneous. It was one of the many challenges responders faced in Atlanta following the Bluffton University bus crash in March 2007 that killed five baseball players along with the bus driver and his wife and left scores of students injured. Atlanta-based CNN was quickly on the scene to report on the rescue efforts. Aware that parents may only learn of the accident via news reports and be unaware of the condition of their loved ones, many responders handed over their cell phones to allow the injured to alert their families. “It was a quick and efficient way to let them notify their family of what had happened and what condition they were in, and it eliminated any potential problems with HIPAA and anything else,” said James Augustine, who was Medical Director at the department at the time. “Generally speaking, it can be more difficult for a patient to be able to make phone calls when they get into hospital, so in this situation we decided to hand over the phones and say, ‘Make the calls you need to make.’ “It may seem like a small thing but it’s a way that allows them to regain control of their life during an emergency.” Augustine, who recently announced he was to leave his current position as Medical Director at DC Fire EMS at the end of the year, also recalled an incident in his previous role where a cell phone helped responders. “We found a lady unconscious at the wheel of her car who had her cell phone in her hand but no identification on her whatsoever,” he said. “Some of the younger providers suggested we look for an ICE person on the phone, and that way we were able to let family members know we had found her and to check medical history.” James J Augustine, M.D., is an emergency physician from Washington, D.C. He serves as Medical Director for DC Fire EMS, but leaves his post at the end of the year. He is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He has served 27 years as a firefighter, and was the first Chair of the Ohio EMS Board. |
Finally, Beaver County authorities confirmed her son’s death.
"(The waiting) did make it worse,” said Atkinson, 54.
Police and other emergency responders say that with the growth of cell phones, text-messaging and other instantaneous communication, families more and more are finding out about horrific tragedies from a panicked family member or friend before authorities can confirm information and make a formal notification.
The calls or messages often prompt families to rush to the scene before police can complete an investigation, or while bodies are still in public view, adding to the family’s distress, said longtime Allegheny County police homicide Detective Terry Hediger.
“No question, it’s happening more than ever before,” Hediger said.
“In my opinion, how they find out is important,” he continued. “I can’t imagine getting a phone call from someone saying a loved one is dead. With someone knocking on your door — not that that’s much better, but I’d rather have that.”
Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha said there’s not much emergency personnel can do to prevent the flow of information. Traditionally, though, authorities have been the ones to break such news to families.
In one deadly car crash during the summer, family members found out through a text message that a loved one was dead before authorities could notify them in person, Bacha said.
“We don’t like it to happen that way, but there’s not much we can do,” Bacha said. “We ask responders to keep what they see to themselves.”
Hediger and Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi said cell phones can have an upside in helping officers to identify victims through numbers in the phone labeled as “Mom” or “in case of an emergency.”
“All of the situations are bad, but it’s better if we can get to (the families) first to explain what happened one-on-one,” Tatalovich-Rossi said. “It’s not a hysterical environment. People are in their home.”
Bob Tate, whose son Joshua Tate, 22, died in the crash with Bryan Atkinson, said he got a call from Joshua’s twin brother about the Oct. 24 accident. Tate spent time waiting at a Pittsburgh hospital — hoping his son would be brought there -- before driving to the Chippewa fire hall, where the families gathered.
“It just took a long time (to find out officially),” Tate said. “It was tough.”
Katrina Atkinson, 27, of Patterson was at work at the Anchor Hocking glass plant in Beaver County when a friend called at 2:30 a.m. about her brother’s accident.
“I called my mom right after that,” she said. “My friend came and got me at work, and we went to the fire hall. That was the hardest part - waiting to know for sure.”
Edward Strimlan, chief forensic investigator for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, said word-of-mouth always is a factor in notifying family members, and cell phones don’t play any greater role in that.
“There’s always a crowd, and there’s always family in the crowd. Word on the street works very fast,” Strimlan said.
Regardless of how a family finds out, police said incident scenes can be rough on families.
“A lot of times, if it’s an open scene, (the family) gets a glimpse of their loved one,” said Pittsburgh police Lt. Daniel Herrmann. “That’s going to be traumatic for any family.”
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