Milwaukee alderman urges changes to require ambulance crews to exit vehicles to look for patients following woman's death

In the wake of a woman's hypothermia death at a Milwaukee bus stop two weeks ago, an alderman has introduced legislation urging requirements that ambulance crews must get out of their vehicles to search for patients to prevent similar deaths in the future.

"You've got snowbanks, you've got maybe accident debris from car accidents and it's dark outside, so all things considered I think it's common sense to get out of the vehicle," Ald. Lamont Westmoreland told the Journal Sentinel Thursday.

Jolene Waldref, 49, died on Jan. 15 in freezing temperatures at a bus stop on the corner of North 76th and West Congress streets.

She had called 911, but the private Curtis Ambulance service crew that responded did not get out of their truck to look for her as she lay on the sidewalk feet from where they drove by.

She was later spotted by a passing driver, who stopped and called 911 again, summoning the Fire Department.

Westmoreland has introduced legislation he hopes will be taken up directly by the Common Council at its Tuesday meeting that urges Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski to "adopt or modify Standard Operating Procedures to require rescue crews to exit their vehicles and search for those requesting assistance."

Although the legislation is still in the works, he said it would apply to private ambulance companies and he was still working to understand Fire Department policies and procedures.

The Milwaukee fire and police departments are subject to the oversight of the city's Fire and Police Commission. Commission members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Common Council.

Earlier this week, Curtis Ambulance leaders said crew members were not required to leave their trucks to look for a patient because they get many calls each day and there are many false alarms at bus stops where people call 911 and then board the bus when it arrives.

Westmoreland said he felt company leaders were on the defensive instead of looking for solutions.

Still, he said he remains confident in the ambulance company overall.

"I think they've done a phenomenal job, I really do, but as always there's always opportunity to improve," he said.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Wednesday told the Journal Sentinel that policies should be reviewed in the wake of Waldref's death.

As for whether the ambulance crew should have gotten out of their vehicle to check for her, Johnson said they followed their procedures but that the company should review their policies to determine whether any changes are warranted.

Johnson spokesperson, Jeff Fleming, on Thursday said Johnson "supports a review by the Fire Department of its procedures. While he is inclined to support the resolution, he will discuss it with Chief Lipski before taking action."

Lipski declined to comment on the legislation Thursday.

Journal Sentinel reporter Sophie Carson contributed to this report.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Woman's death prompts proposed mandate that ambulance crews exit vehicles