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Burn victim at Church Fish Fry near Atlanta forced to find his way to hospital after 911 failed to dispatch paramedics

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Burn Victim at Church Fish Fry Near Atlanta Forced to Find His Own Way to Hospital After 911 Never Sent Paramedics

The tragedy occurred at a church where fish was fried near Atlanta. One of the participants fell right into a vat of hot grease and suffered severe burns. Despite an instantaneous call to 911, emergency services didn’t arrive until 35 minutes later, which prompted the church deacon to personally transport the injured man to the hospital.

Rufus Benford Jr., a member of Greater Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb County, suffered severe burns when he was knocked unconscious next to a cooking station and fell right into a live fryer, causing hot grease to spray throughout his body.

Pastor Johnny Beasley Jr. witnessed the tragedy and yelled for somebody to call 911 for DeKalb County police.

Burn victim at Church Fish Fry near Atlanta forced to find his way to hospital after 911 failed to dispatch paramedics
Pastor Johnny Beasley, Jr. of Greater Fellowship Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia. (Photos: Facebook/Pastor Johnny Beasley, Jr., Google Maps)

The first emergency call got here in at about 5:06 p.m., just after the crash. A church member asked the dispatcher to send help immediately.

“We have a member who was doused with hot grease!” the interlocutor said, According to WSB in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Benford was aware of his injuries and was in near shock as church members frantically administered first aid and tried to keep him calm until help arrived.

But the paramedics never showed up.

Almost 20 minutes passed before worshippers became concerned and called 911 again.

“We are still waiting for the ambulance to arrive, and it is taking a very long time, and he is not responding,” a terrified voice shouted to the dispatcher at around 5:25 p.m.

Inexplicably, help didn’t arrive.

Parishioners said another person called 911 again from the scene, pleading for help, while Benford lay on the bottom for greater than half-hour with third-degree burns, fading out and in of consciousness.

Pastor Beasley said concerned church members waited a further quarter-hour before the church deacon took matters into his own hands and drove the injured man to the hospital in his truck.

Church members say they made a complete of 4 911 calls, with the last call being to dispatch after an injured man was transported, and the delay in providing emergency care cost him significant time needed to save his life.

DeKalb Fire Chief Darnell Fullum later explained in an interview with WSB Channel 2 that an emergency dispatcher had classified the incident as a faint relatively than an individual with severe burns, “which is a lower priority call.”

“It’s a learning experience for everyone,” Fullum said, saying the initial 911 caller wasn’t sure what the character of the injuries the person the dispatcher was talking to had. The caller reportedly said Benford was still conscious despite being splashed with hot grease, and the victim may be heard within the background answering questions on his age and vital signs.

After hearing the official explanation for the delay, Pastor Beasley expressed deep frustration, saying Benford must have received immediate medical attention though he was conscious in the course of the initial call.

“If it wasn’t so serious, we could have handled it ourselves,” Beasley said, according to WSB.

But Fullum said the 911 call classification system is crucial for the county, which handles a whole lot of calls each day, since it ensures the severity of emergencies is accurately conveyed. He noted that clearer information in regards to the severity of burns would have led to a special response.

However, Fullum didn’t explain why the initial 911 call was not followed up with three additional calls in regards to the same incident.

Benford continues to be at Grady Hospital.

County officials said they plan to reexamine their procedures to discover any omitted details that would have made the decision more urgent.

Earlier this yr, DeKalb County faced criticism from 911 emergency services after investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that in 2023, about half of 911 callers in DeKalb County ended up on hold, the very best call wait rate amongst agencies surveyed in metropolitan Atlanta.

In April, DeKalb commissioners who reviewed the information expressed surprise at the outcomes, noting that there have been reports of improvement in response times. Commissioner Ted Terry said he plans to ask for quarterly updates on the 911 center’s performance and stressed the necessity for transparency in addressing these issues.

The same investigation uncovered several other cases where delays by DeKalb authorities in responding to 911 emergency calls had serious consequences.

In July 2021, Angela Monroe-Wood’s call for help during a shooting in Clarkston was delayed, leading to the death of her neighbor. She believes a quicker response could have saved his life.

In March, a Lithonia family had to stop a FedEx driver from coming for help after their home caught fire due to long wait times for 911 calls. Authorities attribute the delays to the county’s complicated emergency response system.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Politics and Current

A fight broke out in Kansas College Town after a man wrote “Fuck you, bitch” on a receipt instead of leaving a tip.

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Brawl Erupts In Kansas College Town After Man Scrawls ‘F--k You Ni---r’ on Bar Receipt Instead of Leaving a Tip

Racial slurs scrawled on a bill at a Lawrence, Kansas, bar led to a drunken brawl that spilled into the road and ended with several people behind bars, in line with police.

The violent incident occurred Sept. 15 at Leroy’s Tavern on New Hampshire Street, where a customer wrote “F—k You Ni—r” on his receipt and left it with the bartender.

Authorities haven’t yet identified a man who wrote a hateful message after cashing a $39 bar tab and, worse, wrote “0.00” in the tip box.

A fight broke out in Kansas College Town after a man wrote “Fuck you, bitch” on a receipt instead of leaving a tip.
This receipt began a bar fight in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 14, 2024. (Photo: Facebook/Lawrence Kansas Police Department)

Police didn’t say what prompted the man to put in writing the “N” word, not once, but twice, on the banknote, whose time stamp showed 12:16 a.m. on September 15.

The card doesn’t indicate what number of drinks the man had.

He was still contained in the venue when the bartender finally noticed the offensive message and immediately called security to ask him to go away.

Instead of staying calm, the man became aggressive.

As he was being led out of the constructing, the attacker turned and punched the goalkeeper who caught him, According to Facebook post posted by Lawrence Kansas Police.

Then several bystanders stepped into motion.

Fists flew in the air before the normally quiet college town that was home to the University of Kansas erupted into a full-blown firestorm. Bars like Leroy’s lined the streets just off campus.

When officers arrived, several men were still involved in the fight they usually handcuffed them, restoring calm.

Three people were taken into custody, but police didn’t reveal the identities of the suspects.

The police didn’t say whether KU students were involved in the incident.

It is unclear whether the man who began the fight was amongst those arrested.

Multiple injuries were noted as evidence, but their extent was not immediately revealed.

The investigation remains to be ongoing, but police haven’t revealed what charges the man may face.

Authorities later released a photo of the receipt, which didn’t contain any offensive language or racial slurs.

Facebook commenters focused heavily on the race aspect of the problem, with many noting that closeted racists feel more empowered in today’s tense and divisive political climate.

“The fact that people are so comfortable being racist again is truly heartbreaking. Where has the shame gone? People are clearly starting to lose all sense of humanity,” one person wrote.

Facebook user Ben Porter reminded others in the thread that “this kind of thing didn’t just end and start again recently like people seem to think here. This kind of thing has always happened to some extent. We’re just looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses and acting like it’s gotten worse.”

Another person criticized Lawrence police for not taking a strong stance on racism in a Facebook post, arguing that a clearer condemnation was needed.

“I’m not sure what the point of showing this ignorance is, especially if you don’t condemn it in a post?” wrote Justin Adams. “As public officials, I think it’s reasonable to say that we will not tolerate hate in any form in our community.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMFIOGsIdA

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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