School Opts for Ice Cream Sandwiches versus Contacting 911

This story was mentioned in Canada this morning by an FM radio station which repeatedly poked fun at the way the situation was handled. What was the situation?

A Detroit school is under fire this week from mom Shatia Hill, whose daughter, Brianna, broke her arm while on the playground at Webber Media Arts Academy in Pontiac...

Instead of opting to call professional help/911 the school went through the child's contact list instead.

Meanwhile Brianna says her arm was in a lot of pain and the school didn't have any ice to put on the injury, so they brought out ice cream sandwiches instead.

The child's mom is obviously not happy adding "They should have immediately called 911. What if she was going into shock? What if she could have had a concussion? Brain damage could have been done and they're just sitting there, calling people on the phone".

Keeping in mind that this is in Detroit and that wait times may be significantly longer than other places, one has to wonder if the school did the right thing by using ice cream sandwiches as an improvised ice pack. Then again it becomes hard not to ignore the jokes about the American health care system and how this Detroit school did not have ice when it was needed the most.

"I have no idea why they thought that was acceptable. I mean, honestly, it was totally bad judgement on everybody in the school. When I call the school, they're like, 'Oh I wasn't there.' 'Oh I wasn't there.' Everyone wants to throw each other under the bus instead of taking responsibility,"

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Wow. Incompetence. I'd tell the mom to sue .. but it's Detroit which is worse than broke.
That city is practically like a third world country.

reply to post by MysteriousHusky

Sad to say, she may have received the best possible care for her locale.

reply to post by greencmp


No insurance? No problem! Put a couple sandwich bars and you're good to go? That's not the American ideal

One of the aides on the playground should have called 911 or used the walkie talkies, that most districts use, to contact the office, to contact 911. Then someone else in the office should have called the girl's emergency contact numbers. I've never heard of a school not having a large supply of ice packs in the nurse's office. I work as a substitute teacher and usually have to do playground duty. Between the kids in the class complaining of headaches and playground accidents, ice packs are flying out of that freezer like crazy all day long.

Now, if the parent had treated the child with an ICE CREAM SANDWICH!!! they would have been reported to child services and probably lost the child!

An ice cream sandwich!!! I want to laugh but...FFS!!

The school did nothing wrong.

You give them emergency contact numbers for a reason. Are you going to give them the number for walmart?

They called the emergency numbers like they were told. Its not their fault the parent didn't come in a timely matter.

Do any of you understand the costs of calling the ambulance to come pick you up? Mine was $10k for them to pick me up. Thanks for insurance for making it more affordable.

Do you understand what the school would do if they put a family in peril with no insurance by calling the ambulance on them to fix a broken hand? Forcing the guardians to shell out an ungodly cost. Then what if that family can't make it by in the first place? Who is going to pay those bills? Who is going to fix their credit when those bills go to collections?

The school?

They had no ice. So what? At least they tried to remedy it with something else cold.

Would you rather them slap a slab of raw meet on her hand? What about dunking it in a nice cold soda?

They had no ice. And people aren't magicians and can't magically turn water into ice on a whim. It would take up to an hour to make some. So are you going to make the little girl suffer.

The parent is the one to blame for giving the wrong numbers. It could have been solved by contacting the parent and then having them give permission to call 911.

People make me sick.

Everyone thinks that they have the right to sue about every little thing.

If you don't like the way public schools are then put your kids in private school. Maybe they will have some truffle ice cream to put on her hand.

If she didn't have a compound fracture and she wasn't going to bleed to death then why call 911. The pain wont magically go away when you do.

But go ahead pump that kid full of pain killers like the good ol USA is good for.

People try to make the smallest things into the biggest ordeal its disgusting.

This is a non-issue.

Mom just wants attention. Possibly a payday.

Broke my arm at school once. No big deal. They called my mom. Mom takes me to the minor med. Back home eating ice cream before school's out.

If 911 is called for EMT and an ambulance arrives... that equates to the most expensive taxi ever to the nearest ER.

Unless we are talking about a compound fracture (bone penetrating the skin) the school did the right thing.

Making a fuss over this is exactly the sort of thing that encourages the nanny-state and other unnecessary litigiousness.

reply to post by TheLotLizard


10k for an ambulance! In Canada our price is about $40.00 give or take inflation. With that said, the child did fall from monkey bars. If it was your child would you still agree with the school's decision to apply ice cream bars as improvised ice packs?

reply to post by TheLotLizard


Thank You. I was thinking the same thing except for one exception. Those low income people do not get billed for ambulance service. My brother is fire fighter/emt in Memphis TN and get regular calls for stubbed toes and tummy aches.

obviously it was not a compound fracture. If it had been surely the school would have called 911. A girl fell on the playground and hurt her arm...OH shucks, sue the school. To bring up concussion and possible brain damage? really?

Kids get hurt, toughen up buttercup

If you boil it down to money - and who doesn't nowadays, an ice cream sandwich is way more expensive to produce and purchase than ice cubes for ice packs. So if you play Devil's advocate, can you fault the school for trying to help the kid, even if they didn't approach it the politically correct way?

TheLotLizard
The school did nothing wrong.

You give them emergency contact numbers for a reason. Are you going to give them the number for walmart?

They called the emergency numbers like they were told. Its not their fault the parent didn't come in a timely matter.

Do any of you understand the costs of calling the ambulance to come pick you up? Mine was $10k for them to pick me up. Thanks for insurance for making it more affordable.

Do you understand what the school would do if they put a family in peril with no insurance by calling the ambulance on them to fix a broken hand? Forcing the guardians to shell out an ungodly cost. Then what if that family can't make it by in the first place? Who is going to pay those bills? Who is going to fix their credit when those bills go to collections?

The school?

They had no ice. So what? At least they tried to remedy it with something else cold.

Would you rather them slap a slab of raw meet on her hand? What about dunking it in a nice cold soda?

They had no ice. And people aren't magicians and can't magically turn water into ice on a whim. It would take up to an hour to make some. So are you going to make the little girl suffer.

The parent is the one to blame for giving the wrong numbers. It could have been solved by contacting the parent and then having them give permission to call 911.

People make me sick.

Everyone thinks that they have the right to sue about every little thing.

If you don't like the way public schools are then put your kids in private school. Maybe they will have some truffle ice cream to put on her hand.

If she didn't have a compound fracture and she wasn't going to bleed to death then why call 911. The pain wont magically go away when you do.

But go ahead pump that kid full of pain killers like the good ol USA is good for.

People try to make the smallest things into the biggest ordeal its disgusting.

I agree with everything you say. If I was a parent I would make sure they had the right number, and I would not want them to call 911 either unless my kid was in serious danger. I do think the school should have the basic medical supplies like ice and a first aid kit.

TheLotLizard
Do any of you understand the costs of calling the ambulance to come pick you up? Mine was $10k for them to pick me up. Thanks for insurance for making it more affordable.

10k for an ambulance!!!! Was you on mars at the time? Good lord I could buy a good quality used ambulance for 10k.

Maybe now people realise why we want to keep the NHS over here in the uk, because nobody gets charged a single penny for an ambulance, or for being in hospital!

reply to post by VoidHawk


Yes give or take a few grand. But once you get out of the ER you have to pay the hospital bills.

About a grand for an xray then you would have to pay for the emergency room visit about $500, getting your cast put onto your arm another couple hundred, possible surgery costing up to $5000 depending on the sedation techniques, getting the cast removed another $200, requested physical therapy up to 1000.

So in total for the cost with the ambulance close to $17000 in uninsured fees. $10000 due to the fact that the mother would rather her child ride the ambulance.


So do you blame the school for saving people money?

reply to post by MysteriousHusky


If anyone ever called 911 for a broken arm, child or adult, they are dumb.

What if they went into shock. We can add a bunch of what if's, but the fact is - It was a broken arm.

No threat of Life, Limb, or Eyesight - no reason to call 911.

911 for a broken arm...

WTF is wrong with people.

edit - It seems they got in contact with the kids aunt... Did she call 911 on the spot? No, she just took her to the hospital.

Public services in Detroit are really poor quality. Sounds like the school did the best they could instead of wasting their time with an emergency system that is ineffective.

reply to post by TheLotLizard


And some schools aren't allowed to take kids to doctors, give medicine, or even call 911 unless you opt into it. Even when they do the mass flu shot - they send permission forms home with the kids first.

The lady should have read the school rule book...sure it stated what they do in situations like this. But then again, most parents don't read the book.

Another reason to be covered by Obamacare? Health insurance better than no insurance and this situation proves it! Call it the Ice Cream Standard.

reply to post by MysteriousHusky


Having govment insurance, Tricare, calling 911 for non-life/limb/sight situations will result in zero coverage. The sponsor will usually get a huge bill...for the total cost.

I'm sure Obama coverage will use, at a minimum, the basics of current insurance coverage.

Soooo, no 911 for a broken arm unless the patient actually goes into shock - which is a life situation AFTER the fact and not in a 'if' situation.

-CN

Edit. Even going to the ER without the above will result in zero coverage. One will need a PCMs permission to do so... The good PCMs will usually use logic to ensure coverage.

Some of the numbers in this thread have been wildly exaggerated. ROLLEYES.