The Stork Pin

Recently one of our loss control team members received a “stork pin.” League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) Field Consultant Troy Walsh is also a firefighter, and he recently assisted with an emergency child birth. Below is my Q&A with Troy on the details of the call.

Q. Troy, could you tell us how the call came in?
A. We were dispatched for an imminent child birth medical call. These are not usual emergencies for first responders, as this typically happens in a medical facility and not at home.

Q. What were you doing when you got the call?
A. I was just walking out of my house to head to an LMCIT Loss Control Workshop. I quickly made a call to my supervisor and let them know I was going to be late, and I headed toward the fire station.

Q. What was happening when you got there? 
A. While we were en route with our rescue truck, we received a message from dispatch that the baby had been delivered, and we were instructed to continue to the scene. When we arrived, the newly born baby was in good hands with law enforcement and other fire department staff who were already on scene. We attended to the mother to ensure she was doing well and also assisted the paramedics with care of the newborn. A paramedic and I helped “swaddle” the baby in its first piece of clothing as the law enforcement officers assisted with care of the newborn. Because we now had two patients—mom and baby—the paramedics asked if someone from the fire department could ride with them to the hospital to assist with caring for the newborn. I volunteered for that spot immediately! I was the second person to hold this precious package and was able to attend to him for the entire ride to the hospital.

LMCIT Field Consultant
Troy Walsh

Q. Had you ever assisted on a call like this before?
A. Baby delivery calls are not a common call for us. In my 20+ years as a first responder, I have been dispatched to three other child birth calls—but luckily enough they were all delivered at the hospital instead of at home. Being a first responder, we are present at times when people leave this world, and that is always tough to deal with and experience. It is almost every first responder’s dream to be a part of someone entering the world. Most EMS calls involve sadness and fear, but ones like this are all smiles, and that is amazing to see!

Q. Tell us about the stork pin.
A. Once we were at the hospital, we turned the care of mom and baby over to the nursing staff. I helped the paramedics get their equipment put back together and waited for my ride back to the station. I was approached by the EMS administrative staff, and they asked if I helped care for the newborn baby this morning on the way to the hospital. I of course said yes, and they asked me to put out my hand. They gave me a stork pin for my work on the call. This was the very first stork pin that I have ever received, and I was completely surprised, as I didn’t help with the delivery. The EMS staff told me that there are important roles on every EMS call, and I had the most important role! The stork pin is usually given to someone that helps with the delivery of a baby. This is a tradition in the EMS world and is typically given by the EMS provider.

Q. Wow, what an experience. Do you have any final thoughts on the call? 
A. I have had 20 years of training for this type of incident, and the training definitely was helpful in keeping me calm. This will be a call that I will never forget!

Troy, thanks for sharing your experience—and congratulations.

Up next: June is PTSD Awareness Month

Stay safe,
Rob

Law Enforcement Memorial

This week, the Minnesota law enforcement community again remembered its fallen officers with a 24-hour vigil at the memorial site on the grounds of the State Capitol.

The event is hosted by Minnesota’s Law Enforcement Memorial Association (LEMA), with officers, deputies, and troopers from around the state providing an honor guard. A member of LEMA continually patrols the thin blue line that represents law enforcement standing between the public and chaos. As officers end their vigil, they announce a fallen officer’s name and ring the bell three times. An electronic display continually scrolls the names of officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Below are a few photos taken just before sunrise today and again later in the morning from this year’s memorial vigil.

For more information on the services and the memorial, visit the LEMA website.

Up next: A “stork pin:” one of our own gets one!

Stay safe,
Rob

Safety & Loss Control Workshops Recap

The 2019 League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) Safety & Loss Control Workshops have concluded. It was attended by more than 1,000 of our members and insurance professionals. We thank all who attended, and we are still reviewing your evaluations and comments. I reached out to our presenters in the police track and asked for a summary of what they learned and experienced.

Risk Management Attorney Chris Smith presented on mutual aid/joint powers agreements, PTSD, and filing a work comp claim. These were Chris’ observations:

• Most people seemed to agree with LMCIT’s suggestion that in mutual aid agreements, the party requesting assistance should assume liability. However, some police officers seemed reluctant to assume the liability of another city. Cities should understand that the liability provisions in the League’s Model Mutual Aid Agreement are suggestions. LMCIT does not require cities to apportion liability in any particular manner.
• In regard to PTSD, the State of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (in conjunction with the Medical Services Review Board) recently released draft workers’ compensation rules for the treatment of PTSD. LMCIT was actively involved in the drafting process.
• When filling out a First Report of Injury, it appears that the injured worker often fills out the form. However, the form states: "Employers, not employees, are responsible for completing this form." When the form is completed, it should be sent to LMCIT—not the Department of Labor and Industry.

Loss Control Field Consultant Tracy Stille presented property room management. These were Tracy’s observations:

• Police property and evidence room management continues to be a time-consuming and challenging task for many police departments across the state. This first emerged as a problem area for police agencies back in 2009 and—although we have seen some improvements—continues to be a problem for many agencies. These problems have included the proper packaging and tracking of evidence, training of assigned personnel, audits and inventories, security and ventilation concerns, and the proper disposition of evidence in a timely and legal manner. It is essential that agencies develop and implement a proper packaging manual and a written policy for the property and evidence room.

I presented on liability, opioid issues, and autonomous vehicles. My observations were:

• The opioids issues vary widely from region to region, city to city, and (in some cases) even within a city. Most members—not all—reported a continued uptick in the number of overdoses, and our informal survey showed most departments are carrying naloxone. Members were appreciative of the responder safety information and laminated handout. Every session discussed the continued prevalence of issues related to methamphetamine use, and many talked about the increase in crime associated with this problem.
• The membership was interested in Minnesota’s plan for autonomous vehicles, and I noticed many heads shaking when a video clip laid out the manufacturers’ timelines for the implementation. I think it was in disbelief.
• As in the past, the interaction with the membership between sessions and over lunch was enlightening. Members bring us their questions and concerns that are not related to the formal presentations. Often we are able to locate LMCIT staff at the workshop who specialize in the area of concern and start the conversation within a few minutes. The discussions over lunch are usually less formal and—rest assured—in Minnesota, police humor is alive and well.

Up next: A Few Photos from Law Enforcement Memorial Day

Stay safe,
Rob