Bad Blood in San Diego City Ambulance Services.
When considering San Diego Emergency Services:
Beware of “partnerships”
The 2005, the San Diego Reader report on San Diego’s ambulance service began,
“It reads like a bad science fiction novel: A small Illinois biotech company cuts a deal with UCSD. The university agrees to test a substitute for human blood on comatose patients — victims of gunshots and car crashes — without the patients’ consent.”
This was achieved through a heavy-duty, behind the scenes cloak and dagger crew well versed in politics.
“The university conceals the identity of the city’s paramedic units who carry the blood substitute. When a curious reporter asks for the names of the neighborhoods where the study is being carried out, a research coordinator working for the university tells him that the Chicago sponsor doesn’t want the information made public because Wall Street moneymen — hoping to reap a financial windfall from their investment in the company — might sell if they discover the experiment is not going well.”
and
“Designated paramedic units in San Diego and the South County and the Mercy Air helicopter crew will have a cooler containing bags of the substitute”
Why? Turns out all involved in the study preferred their “patients” to be unconscious so as to be unable to decline “consent.”
Emergency commerce entered the arena when the city decided to “outsource” medical services from its fire helicopter services. It’s a double tax, but hey, it’s not as if San Diego doesn’t have a long history of duping voters into voting for people who support business at their expense.
So the City signed a contract for Emergency helicopter services. Something called “Lifeflight.” (although I could be wrong with the name.) Supposedly police and fire personnel would only request a helicopter to transport if the patient was deemed to be gravely wounded, and in imminent danger of dying. (Not mentioned was that nurses replaced doctors on these flights in the late 80’s)
But seemingly seconds later, when a crazed Brendan O’Rourke starting shooting at school kids in Carlsbad, all media shot film of a “Lifeflight” holding a little girl with a non-critical, arm wound. 
After awhile people begin to take these things personally. Especially after San Diego Director of Emergency Service, Dr. Bruce Haynes hired former deputy Jesse Thrush, a convicted felon, as an EMT.
Thrush had been convicted of killing his girlfriend’s daughter, a toddler with Downs Syndrome. But he applied for the job and was certified after his release from prison, and Dr. First-Do-No-Harm, Bruce Haynes thought, “Dead kid: hey, No problem” and hired him.
San Diego City Council reaction? Bumpkiss.
San Diego Mayor? Silent as a tomb.
It would be good if San Diego residents realized San Diego officials take money very seriously. If would be good if San Diego residents felt comfort when an ambulance arrived. Should San Diego officials ever elect to take emergency medical concerns seriously enough to clean up this area, perhaps they will.
Now that the option for new bids for “emergency services” is open, the public awaits.
Business as usual, or change for the better?
Media and the courts 