GALVESTON, Texas — A police union in Texas is calling for immediate action from Galveston EMS leadership after a police officer nearly drowned during a swift water training exercise at Schlitterbahn Waterpark.
The Sept. 3 training, hosted by the Houston Fire Department, involved members of the Galveston Police Department’s marine and dive team. According to the police department, two officers lost their footing in fast-moving water and were pulled under. Both ingested water and required treatment, but one officer was underwater for about 90 seconds, was rescued unconscious and pulseless, and required CPR.
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In a video statement, GPD officials emphasized that emergency personnel on scene, including the Houston Fire Department trainers and the GPD dive team, quickly began life-saving treatment.
“I’m very thankful that the emergency personnel who were on scene participating in the training reacted as quickly as they did to bring both of our officers out of the water and begin life-saving treatment,” Galveston Police Chief Douglas Balli said.
In a Sept. 4 statement, the Galveston Municipal Police Association (GMPA) alleged that once Galveston EMS arrived, transport to the hospital was delayed more than 20 minutes because “one EMT needed to train the other on entering information into the computer system.” The union said officers from the Galveston Police Department and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office offered to drive the ambulance to expedite transport but were told to “mind their business.”
“To say we are disappointed in Galveston EMS would be an understatement,” GMPA President Anthony Rogers said in the release. “The lack of professionalism and care given to our member will not be tolerated.”
The Galveston Police Department said one officer had been treated and released, while the other remained hospitalized in good condition for observation.
Police Chief Douglas Balli praised the “rapid, professional response” of fire and EMS personnel on scene, saying their actions “ensured that lives were saved.”
Does your agency train with EMS on transport SOPs for handling critical incidents? Share your thoughts below.
Police1 readers respond
- As a former federal police officer, and a current paramedic, I can see the police union’s issue with not transporting immediately. As a paramedic, I can say that the officer who needed CPR got the best care at the scene and in the back of the ambulance. I know that they are frustrated, but you don’t want someone intubated or having IVs placed in the back of a moving ambulance. CPR is not effective in the back of a moving ambulance or safe for the EMS providers. That comes from personal experience.
- On my days off from working at the police department, I also worked as a part-timer EMT for the local ambulance company. The phrase “load and go” was something we lived by. Getting a person transported into a hospital and into definitive care was a lot better than playing Ricky Rescue on scene. Shame on this medic who purports to be a trainer. The number one goal on any call is the preservation of life, not IT training.
