Any type of call that involves a fight, assault, drugs (overdose) where weapons may be prresent the first responderes are told the scene is not secure. Once they get that message, the protocal of staging comes into play. The protocal is not a St. Mary's thing or a volunteer thing, it is a national thing that career departments have to follow. The first responders are REQUIRED to stage in an area of close proximity until law enforcement arrives. Once law enforcements arrives and insures that the scene is safe, the first responders move in to treat the victim. There have been recorded instances where the crowd or patient (overdoses) turned on the first responders for treating the victim.
Those of you that are upset by this, put yourself in the shoes of the first responders....you are responding to a bar fight and find a victim down, you rush in and the suspect pulls a gun on you and says, let him die. What are you going to do?
Sadly, that message was not sent as the dispatcher was unaware of the situation in West Webster New York. The fire department was dispatched for a fire and upon arrival 4 firefighters were shot, killing 2 of them. The fire department then back out of the area until the police could secure the area.