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Tom Giorgi - Photos & Bio

5/28/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
 I was the son of the late John and Minnie Giorgi who were born in the USA but both sets of my Grand Parents immigrated from Italy through Ellis Island. They came here in search of a better life and to become Americans. I'm very proud of my ancestors even though I never met my Paternal Grand Parents both having died years before I was born.
 
I went to parochial grammar school and graduated from Port Chester H.S. in 1962 spending 4 years in the Drum Line of the H.S. band. I began school to become an X-Ray Technologist in October of 1962 at The Hew York Hospital School of Radiography. After 2 years of school I graduated in October of 1964 and I was one of the 4 from the class that was asked to join the departments staff. I jumped at the chance loving the challenge of working in one of the largest hospitals on the east coast. 10 months later I was drafted into the Army and a year later I was on my way to Vietnam as an individual replacement with orders for the 1st Cav. My orders were changed at the 90th Replacement Battalion in Saigon and I was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division which was an isolated task force at the edge of the Cambodian border placed there by General Westmorland to stop the flow of NVA into the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
 
I was wounded on 3 July 1966 earning 2 Purple Hearts being wounded twice on the sane day in the same battle that raged for almost 4 hours! We fought the NVA's 66th Regiment which was made famous in the movie "We Were Soldiers Once" starring Mel Gibson.
 
After the war I went back to my job at NYH where I met my soon to be wife Barbara who after 42 years I'm still happily married to. We have 2 sons Scott and Todd. Todd my youngest is married to my daughter in law Anna Ponieros Giorgi and my first born Scott will marry Laura Ferraro on 11/11 of this year. After 18 total years in X-Ray I was in need of a change in my life due to PTSD although I didn't know or recognize this at the time. All I know is I had to do something more exciting and challenging. They say that once you've been exposed to combat you always are in search of the challenge and excitement that combat offers. I went to school to become a paramedic at Cabrini Medical Center in lower Manhattan and was hired by NYC/EMS after graduation. I started working for them on 6/16/80. Being a paramedic kept me in medicine and gave me that challenge so it was just what I needed at the time. 22 years later and 1 year after nine eleven I had had enough and I'm now retired living in Rye Brook, NY with my wife and family near by.
 
We have a female Basset Hound Chloe who is going on 11 years old this June 21st.

(Scroll down to view the slideshow, hover the mouse over the picture & click 'play')

Picture Explainations:

One is of me being awarded my Purple Heart in my hospital bed at St. Alban's Naval Hospital, and there are a few of a group I played with after the war. There's a lot so you decide which ones you think will work best with what you will be posting. I like them all and I'm including a fairly recent picture of me with my wife Barbara and my 2 sons Scott and Todd.

 I included an article from a Civil Service Newspaper that has the list of when NYC made the Paramedic title a Civil Service position. I was first on that list so essentially I was the first Paramedic in the history of Paramedics in NYC/EMS to be given a Civil Service title! I was very proud of this when you consider how many medics citywide that applied to be on that list and have some job protection. I beat out my close friend and fellow Vietnam Vet Gus Pappas who was a Combat Medic with The Marines earning a Purple Heart. After 20 years in Harlem I left the street to be his aide at the EMS Academy while he completed 30 years on the job!! He never had an aide but told Chief Andy McCracken he would have one for his last year but it had to be me or no one! Medics were not allowed to be aides but Chief McCracken knew toe connection that we had as Vietnam Vets plus he also recognized that I did 20 years on the Ambulance so he made a one time exception.
 
I included when I received the "Pintchik Humanitarian Award." Mr. Pintchik owned a chain of Paint stores throughout the city and went into Cardiac Arrest at a function. An M.D. at the affair pronounced him but when our Medics Carl Tromantona and Kevin Honig arrived they wouldn't accept his pronouncement and they resuscitated him which gave him an additional 3 years with his family. The Pintchik family to show their appreciation and their father's love for the street workers in EMS, hosted the annual awards banquet that EMS held to honor that year's medal recipients. The first Pintchik award was given to an administrator with BRAVO Ambulance Corps in Brooklyn where Dan began his career I believe. EMS was told by the family that they want the award to go to someone who works the Ambulance because that's who their father was closest to. I was the first uniformed person to receive that prestigious award!!!
 
Also included is the EMS Magazine article for an annual competition they held to select the best EMS provider in the country. I was one of the runner ups! There's a small interview I did over the phone with JEMS magazine.
1 Comment

Hydrogen Cyanide Awareness - by Edmund Gratz

2/8/2012

1 Comment

 
_  Hydrogen Cyanide Awareness

There are many types of hazards emergency service personnel deal with everyday. During any fire ground operation we have trained our personnel on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from fires. There is another danger to firefighters and victims which is less recognized, and that is acute cyanide poisoning. In 2005 there were 87 firefighter deaths in the United States. 4000 firefighters were injured by smoke inhalation, and it was estimated to be up to 80% of all fire fatalities are attributed to smoke inhalation. There has been mounting evidence that hydrogen cyanide is directly responsible for many deaths than previously assumed.

Where does cyanide poisoning come from? Ordinary materials we use everyday in our lives. Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) is produced by high temperatures and low oxygen concentrations. The incomplete combustion of natural fibers such as wood, silk, cotton, and paperfavors the formula of cyanide gas. Synthetic polymers (Common man-made materials), include, insulations, carpeting, bedding, and building materials, which is found exclusively in most modern homesand our vehicles being produced today. Other small-scale users are photographic labs, blueprinting, engrave computer chips, clandestine drug labs and manufacturing phencyclidine (PCP) locations.

Small amounts of cyanide are present in the environment and in humans. So how much hydrogen cyanide gas can kill you? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website [see http://www.osha.gov] under “Summary of toxicology” Hydrogen cyanide can cause rapid death due to metabolic asphyxiation. Death can occur within seconds or minutes of the inhalation of high concentrations of hydrogen cyanide gas. A recent study reports an estimated lethal concentration in humans of 3,404 parts per million (ppm) for a 1- minute exposure; other sources report that 270 ppm is fatal after 6 to 8 minutes, 181 ppm after 10 minutes and 135 ppm after 30 minutes.

(OSHA) also lists the threshold odor concentration for detection of hydrogen cyanide as 0.10 ppmas an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) concentration, but exposed to smoke from burning materials will prevent the ability to smell HCN gas. The OSHA PEL also bears a "Skin" notation, which indicates that, the coetaneous route of exposure which including mucous membranes and eyes contributes to overall exposure. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lists a lower limit of 4.7 ppm for short term exposure limit. American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has also assigned 4.7 ppm as a worker ceiling limits. Both (NIOSH) and (ACGIH) are more conservative than OSHA. The word “SKIN” by NIOSH and OSHA listing shows that hydrogen cyanide can be absorbed by the skin and eyes in addition to inhalation.

Although there is no quick test to confirm any HCN exposure in the field, there are signs and symptoms that can lead to assumption of possible exposure. The signs and symptoms sound and look familiar, disorientation or weakness/drowsiness, shortness of breath and chest tightness, headaches, bright red discoloration in skin, soot around mouth and nose. HCN exposures are quite similar to those of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, but 24 times more deadly than CO. Specific indicator that is present in HCN exposures is rapid respirations. In most cases patient will maintain a pulse of 100 beats per minute or greater, and will not begin to feel better once placed in fresh air. Chronic effects HCN include respiratory arrest, eye irritation, palpitations, weakness, and paralysis. Treatment starts with removing the patient from the fire ground or hot zone. If the patient is wearing an air pack it should not be removed until after they are brought to clean air. Implement appropriate emergency treatment per your medical protocols.

Prevention starts with respiratory protection requirements (SCBA’s) and personal protection equipment (PPE’s), while operating on any fire ground or in hot zones. During overhaul operations (SCBA) & (PPE) should still be worn until the atmosphere can be declared safe by HCN detectors, along with the CO detectors. Company officers must enforce protection of their personnel and ensure (SCBA) & (PPE) are in place while on the fire ground. Train as you play, to ensure the comfort levels of our personnel while engaged in difficult operation such as climbing ladders, operating on roofs, and operating confined spaces. Post fire decontamination is a must. Take showers and change your clothes after each fire, along with washing your turnout gear per manufacturer’s recommendations.

All emergency service personnel must understand hydrogen cyanide is a silent killer. Departments need to educate and train there personnel accordingly. Develop standing operating procedures for detecting of hydrogen cyanide. Ensure that SCBA’s and PPE’s are in place while on the fire ground. Ensure your medical protocols address the treatment of hydrogen cyanide exposures. Additional information and other resources can be found at these websites: http://www.firesmoke.org/, http://www.osha.gov, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/, http://www.acgih.org

Stay safe!

Edmund Gratz
Assistant Fire Chief
Kimball Township Fire Department
1970 Allen Rd. Kimball, MI 48074

 

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