Ever hear of a “Move Over” law? This tip can save you time and money.

Ever hear of a “Move Over” law?  Well you better take note because you may soon be stopped for failing to move over and it’ll cost you dearly.

Recently I heard of a Montrealer who was stopped on a New York State highway and given a ticket costing several hundred dollars and a mandatory court appearance.  The reason?  She failed to move over to the left lane while passing a State Trooper who was stopped in the break down lane.

After doing some simple research I quickly learned that many US states have so-called “Move Over” laws, enacted as a result of the significant number of police injuries and deaths on US highways, having been struck by oncoming vehicles.

I asked several friends and neighbours if they had ever heard of such a law and not one was familiar with “Move Over”.   You’d think with such a serious potential to strike an officer that such laws, only passed in the last couple of years, would be widely publicized on roadside billboards.

Two weeks ago, returning by car from Boston, I stopped in a Vermont rest stop and found the flyer just below.  It explains it in clear and basic terms.

It seems that interest is growing for such a law on Quebec highways, as evidenced in yesterday’s Granby  Express and tweeted by the Montreal Gazette’s reporter Andy Riga.  A petition is now  circulating, with some 8000 signatures, calling on the Quebec National Assembly to enact a made-in-Quebec “Move Over” law.

Hats off to Chambly Paramedic Patrick Dufresne for launching this petition.  Anything that can be done to reduce the risk to police officers, ambulance technicians and highway crews is well worth consideration.  I’ll be signing this petition and I encourage you to do so too by forwarding this blog post widely.  What do you think?  Do you agree with such a law?  Click Leave a Comment now and share your opinion.

Related articles

• New York Move Over Law Amended (nytrafficticket.com)
• Drivers Ticketed During “Move Over” Law Crackdown (miami.cbslocal.com)
• Officials urge motorists to do their part (gloucestercitynews.net)
• Maryland Police Remind Drivers To Move Over (washington.cbslocal.com)
• “Move Over” For Emergency Workers (miami.cbslocal.com)

Man in hospital after car crash

Montreal Gazette April 15, 2012 – MONTREAL – A 19-year-old man was rushed to hospital with major injuries to his legs early Saturday after crashing his car into a telephone pole along Cavendish Blvd.

According to Montreal police Constable Simon Delorme, the “spectacular collision” occurred around 7:30 a.m.

The man was alone in the vehicle, Delorme said, and police believe he fell asleep as he was driving south along Cavendish Blvd. near Côte Saint Luc Rd.

The pole fell onto the roadway following the impact, blocking traffic for several hours.

Police do not believe alcohol was involved in the accident, Delorme said.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Read more:  Man in hospital after car crash.

Spectacular accident in Cote Saint-Luc

      

Cote Saint-Luc Road and Borden was the scene of a spectacular accident over the weekend. A car hit a lamp post and rolled onto its roof.

As chance would have it, our volunteer Citizens on Patrol was doing an early morning shift and witnessed the crash.  They immediately secured the scene from oncoming motorists and radioed for assistance.  Within one minute the EMS and Police services were also on scene.

CSL EMS, CSL Public Security, CSL vCOP along with Police and Fire Departments and Urgences-santé all responded quickly. Thankfully the 30-something year old driver walked away uninjured. Good work and thanks to our dedicated emergency volunteer and professional responders.

CSL’s EMS finishes another great year

Free Press, February 28, 2012

Woman fatally injured by bus in Côte St. Luc

Woman fatally injured by bus in Côte St. Luc. (Montreal Gazette)

Journal de Montreal

This is a tragic event that unfolded a few hours ago, on Sunday evening. Cote Saint-Luc volunteer EMS crews and Public Security agents were on scene very quickly as the accident occurred just steps away from their station.  They assisted to the best of their abilities.

I am deeply saddened by this terrible news.

***

From the Free Press (Nov. 22, 2011):

CSL senior killed in bus accident

Station 9 police say an 89-year-old Côte St. Luc woman was killed when struck by a bus on the corner of Côte St. Luc Rd. and Wolseley.

Police say the victim, Ilona Barath-Szigetvari of Côte St. Luc Rd., was struck at 5:05 pm on November 13. She was conscious at the scene, but died after being transported to the Montreal General Hospital.

The bus driver, a 53-year-old woman, was treated for shock. Police say the accident happened as the bus was turning left from Côte St. Luc onto Wolseley.

“There were two witnesses at the scene,” said Constable Marie-Christine Nobert. “One 25-year-old Côte St. Luc man was parking his car nearby and he said he saw the victim already under the bus.”

Nobert said there are always concerns about reducing accidents involving motorists and seniors. “We have a campaign every year to sensitize and educated seniors about safety when it comes to things like crossing the street,” she said. “We hand out pamphlets as well, because there are also incidents throughout the city where seniors are victims. They tend to be more vulnerable.”

Nobert said the police have concerns about several areas of Côte St. Luc, including Cavendish and Kildare, as well as Cote St. Luc and Westminster.

Bystanders obligated to help heart victims

 

Bystanders obligated to help heart victims: ER docs – CTV News.

 

I have long advocated for mass education in CPR.  Here, in Cote Saint-Luc, we have taught thousands of residents over the years how to perform this easy-to-learn lifesaving technique.  I agree completely with these ER doctors who call for mandatory teaching of CPR at every high school in Canada.  Click these links to see the news item.

Related articles

• Require CPR training in schools, ER docs urge (cbc.ca)

CSL launches Emergency Response Team

In March 2011, the City Council adopted a new Emergency Preparedness Plan. This was the culmination of two years of work, in great part by Jordy Reichson, Director of Public Safety, Councillor Ruth Kovac, and myself, as chairman of the City’s Public Safety, Transportation and Emergency Preparedness committees.  Councillor Kovac and I have been involved with emergency services for more than 30 years and we have overseen Emergency Preparedness since 1990.

In the management of an emergency, there are two important and interrelated decision centres: the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and the emergency site. While the EOC is likely only activated in the case of a large emergency, the site team will be activated more often, for a range of incidents including working fires, mass casualty incidents or other confined incidents.

In order to manage the emergency site in the most efficient manner, I announced my intention during the last elections to create an Emergency Response Team (ERT) within the Public Safety Department. The team is made up of volunteers within EMS, vCOP and Public Security agents.  When the alarm goes off, the team springs into action.

The ERT will be led by David Sasson. David is a veteran of the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO, the predecessor of EMS), recently completed a 23-year career at Urgences-santé and is an active EMS driver-medic. David has been the head of the medical team at the Jewish General Hospital’s Weekend to End Breast Cancer and Ride to Conquer Cancer since each event’s inception. David will report directly to and work closely with the Director of Public Safety, as the ERT is an element of emergency preparedness and touches all Public Safety divisions.

The members of the ERT will be trained in the Incident Command System (ICS), setting up a command post and interacting with other services on scene. The ERT members will wear a special identification to easily identify them on scene, worn over top of their regular uniforms.

ERT members will also serve as ambassadors of the City and assist affected residents in coping with the situation, help them make arrangements, advocate for residents with other services and respond to any pressing concerns.

Once activated and on scene, the ERT will usually assume command of the on-scene City resources, liaising with the Montreal Fire Department, Montreal Police Department and Urgences-santé incident commanders.

All members are volunteers and receive no compensation for this service.

The second phase will be the creation of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), involving citizens from the community with special skills or equipment. The CERT is a program that exists in different parts of Canada and the US and develops a sense of responsibility amongst regular citizens. The formation of the CERT is planned for 2012-2013. The ERT will serve as the managing body for the CERT.

The goal of the ERT is to allow the City to best respond to emergencies large and small and offer the highest level of service to residents and responders. In creating the ERT, we are ensuring that we have trained, knowledgeable and capable responders and leaders at the site of the emergency.

Although only officially approved by the City Council this month, the ERT has been activated twice in the last few months — at a house fire on Parkhaven and during the windstorms two weeks ago. The ERT augmented our services and allowed us to better deal with each situation.

I am thrilled to see this service launched.  The CERT formed an important part of my 2009 election plan as I am always looking how to improve our existing level of safety and security and to build upon what we have with innovative and unique ideas.  I am very confident in our abilities to respond to just about any kind of call for help within our community, and outside as well.

More information will be forthcoming about these services and next year we will call for participation from some of our skilled and equipped residents.

Related articles

• CSL adopts emergency preparedness plan (gjnashen.wordpress.com)

Also see:

CSL emergency response team, Around the Towns, The Suburban, July 6, 2011
Côte St. Luc announced that it has launched its Emergency Response Team, or ERT, “to help respond to reports of fire, mass casualty incidents, or other confined incidents,” says a city announcement. “The ERT will include first responders from Côte St. Luc Emergency Medical Services, public security agents, and volunteer patrollers from the city’s vCOP program. The ERT members will wear a special identification to easily identify them on scene, worn over top of their regular uniform. The ERT will be led by David Sasson, a veteran of the Emergency Measures Organization, or EMO, which was the predecessor of EMS.”

“When responding to an incident, ERT members will assist affected residents in coping with the situation, helping them make arrangements, advocating on their behalf with other services and responding to any pressing concerns,” said Councillor Glenn Nashen, the council member responsible for public safety and traffic issues. “Once activated and on scene, the ERT will usually assume command of the on-scene city resources, liaising with the fire department, police department and Urgences Santé incident commanders.”

Annual Côte Saint-Luc Spring Fair on Sunday POSTPONED

Please note that this event has been postponed due to weather – Check back here or www.cotesaintluc.org for the new date

The fourth annual Côte Saint-Luc Spring Fair will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 10 am to 3 pm between Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park and the Public Works Building on Mackle Rd.

“Our Spring Fair is a kid-friendly event with many games and activities, plus a community garage sale to keep the adults busy too,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “But there is also an education aspect to the Spring Fair, with information about environmental matters, safety issues, and public works initiatives.”

The Côte Saint-Luc Spring Fair includes the Mega Garage Sale, Public Safety Day, the Public Works Carnival, Eco-Action Day, and—new this year—Côte Saint-Luc Clean Up Day, where residents can pitch in to help pick up refuse at one of four green spaces.

Highlights of the Côte Saint-Luc Spring Fair include inflatable games, face painting, arts and crafts, bike rodeo, colouring stations, environmental trivia game, child-seat verification, compost distribution, and the 60-table garage sale.

For more information about all the activities, visit www.CoteSaintLuc.org/en/SpringFair2011.

CSL not unanimous on speed humps

CSL not unanimous on speed humps

By Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban, April 20, 2011

Most of Côte St. Luc council voted to purchase $657,000 worth of traffic calming devices for various local streets to control speeders.

But Councillor Ruth Kovac voted against purchase, as the devices include several speed humps. In the past, the city was traditionally against speed bumps or the less bumpy humps, but the city has been installing humps in the last several years.

“I don’t agree with the humps or bumps,” Kovac told The Suburban after the April council meeting. “I find them dangerous, and they tend to interfere with ambulances, especially if you’re a patient riding in an ambulance. Accidents happen with them, whether they can prevent you from seeing it or you can miss it if you turn around to look somewhere else. They do damage to vehicles and to yourself inside the car.

“I think there’s better methods for traffic calming.”

Asked to reply, Mayor Anthony Housefather said there have been speed humps ever since he has been mayor, and even during the Côte St.HampWest merger era.

“The humps should be used sparingly, but there’s some occasions where you have no alternative but to use humps,” the mayor added. “I agree, I wouldn’t use humps except where we drastically need it. For example, there was a situation on David Lewis where we needed humps. Pinedale is another location.

“We also use chokers (items that narrow the width of a street) as much as we can, and other devices, but humps are needed in some places, in my view.”

Kovac countered that speed cushions are “just as effective, and much less intrusive and dangerous.”

Housefather said Kovac has a right to her opinion.

“We agree in principle to use the humps sparingly, we just disagree on the ‘never,’” the mayor said.

 

In my opinion:  First, it should be noted that the Suburban got the figures wrong.  The total amount of the purchase will be $15,000.  The amount they attributed was related to another agenda item.

While Councillor Kovac is correct in saying that the City was traditionally against humps and bumps when we re-established the City after the mergers we inherited a few humps and bumps (mostly on Randall) and in recent years there have been more and more requests due to excessive speeds that have been confirmed on several streets.

As Chair of the Public Safety and Transportation committees, and as a long-time volunteer with CSL EMS and as an Urgences Santé ambulance technician, I too was traditionally against this form of traffic calming.  The demands became too great and a new look was necessary.  Reluctantly, I have agreed to humps (wider and less abrupt than bumps) on a case by case basis.

We have begun by testing the location with the speed cushions that Councillor Kovac referred to but these must be installed and uninstalled every year.  Other devices for traffic calming include street line markings, bollards, road constriction at corners, raised crosswalks, street signs and lower speed limits.  Much of this can be seen on Einstein Ave which has achieved the desired effect of slowing down traffic making it safer for residents.

Quebec should make AEDs mandatory

Image via Wikipedia

The odds of surviving cardiac arrest are higher for people given an electric shock to their hearts in a public place than for those shocked at home, a new study suggests.

The study, which appears in February’s New England Journal of Medicine, found the chances of surviving the cardiac arrest are high if the event is witnessed in a large public venue, such as an airport, sports arena or shopping mall. Those going into cardiac arrest at home and have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) have lower survival odds.

The Quebec government should require Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to be accessible in buildings and public places just as fire extinguishers are mandatory devices to save lives and property.

In Cote Saint-Luc, AEDs are located in the City Hall / Library complex, at the gym / pool and in the arena.  All Public Security and vCOP vehicles carry AEDs and of course EMS is equipped with more sophisticated defibrillators. 

AEDs cost less than $2000.  Costco advertises a home AED for under $1500.

CTV News report: Cardiac arrest survival odds better in public

Firefighters contain Côte St. Luc apartment blaze

Firefighters contain Côte St. Luc apartment blaze.

I was on scene and witnessed the smooth collaboration of our public safety departments. Firefighters contained the blaze to a single ground floor apartment. While heavy smoke hampered the evacuation, only two residents required transportation to hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation.

CSL EMS volunteers were actively involved in caring for those evacuees that needed to be checked out, together with ambulance technicians from Urgences Sante. Police and CSL Public Security provided perimeter control, rerouting cars around the affected area. They were assisted by the volunteer Citizens on Patrol.

Red Cross officials were also on hand to assist residents who boarded a Fire Department bus to keep warm.

Residents returned to their apartments after about 90 minutes.

Drunk driver causes traffic jam in CSL

CTV’s MyNews contributor Randall Huberman snapped this image of a car crash near the intersection of Cavendish and Kildare in Cote Saint Luc, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010.

The driver was travelling southbound on Cavendish when he lost control and crashed into the traffic lights, knocking them down onto two northbound vehicles.  Police, Fire, CSL EMS and Public Security and Urgences Santé responded to the crash.  Most lanes were blocked causing a Sunday night traffic jam.  Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

CSL Public Works replaced the downed lights by Tuesday while Police, Public Security and CSL volunteer Citizens on Patrol provided assistance with pedestrian and traffic safety.

vCOP Senior Supervisor Lewis Cohen thanked the volunteers for helping pedestrians cross the intersection in total safety this past Monday and Tuesday.  “Although it was quite cool outside, you braved the chill and did several kilometers of walking back and forth across the intersection without a hitch. It’s volunteers such as yourselves who make the vCOP program the success that it is,” Cohen wrote to the troops.

New CPR rules say skip mouth-to-mouth

New CPR rules say skip mouth-to-mouth (M0ntreal Gazette)

Major changes in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) were announced that will radically change this 50-year-old life saving technique and make it far more accessible to bystanders.

Related Articles

• New CPR Guidelines: Chest Compressions Come First (aolhealth.com)
• CPR First Aid Changes: Chest Presses First, Then Mouth-To-Mouth (huffingtonpost.com)

Glenn J. Nashen paracticing on Resusi-Annie in 2010 refresher class at CSL Parks & Recreation Department

Texting While Driving

Image via Wikipedia

Texting while driving

Tredegar Comprehensive School and Gwent Police (Gwent is located in south-east Wales,UK) have produced a drama entitled ‘COW’ –The film that will stop you from texting and driving.

It’s all about Cassie COWan a nice girl from a Gwent valleys family who kills four people on the road because she used her cell phone and lost her concentration for a few seconds. It is hoped this film will become part of the core schools programme across Wales and the UK and ultimately worldwide.

Gwent Police facilitated the films crash scenes because they want to stop ALL drivers, but particularly young and new ones, from causing accidents.

State of the art digital special effects were utilised to show the impact of what would happen inside the car during impact. 

The result is a very impactful road safety educational tool to help reduce the number of collisions involving young drivers.

Seeing a scenario, like the one Cassie goes through, played out right before your eyes makes you realise how extremely dangerous it can be and what devastating consequences it can have. This video is a short teaser from the full 30 minute piece.



Click here to watch the Video

Learn to Save a Life – Learn CPR

Volunteers from vCOP take a refresher in CPR and Automated External Defibrillation

 

I first learned Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation back in my high school days and have recertified at regular intervals ever since.  Standards have changed slightly through the years and simple to use, life-saving equipment such as Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs have been added to the course.  The fact remains, with as little as a couple of hours of education anybody can learn to save a life.   

Having served as an Emergency Medical Technician aboard Urgences Santé ambulances for 18 years I was called upon to perform CPR some 125 times.  While the very first time was somewhat of a shocker – while I stood frozen gawking at the patient in cardiac arrest awaiting my intervention, my partner (it was either Dennis Clement or Gary McHugh) grabbed me by the collar, slapped my face and pointed to my assigned spot on the floor beside the patient.  I never had another problem beginning CPR again.   

vCOP founder Glenn J. Nashen practicing on Resusci-Annie

 

The plain fact is that the average person will probably never need to perform CPR.  But, the more members of the public that get trained, the greater chance of having someone close-by when urgent and immediate action is needed.  

If saving the world one person at a time isn’t your thing then consider your immediate family.  If you haven’t taken the opportunity to learn CPR, or to take a refresher course,  how would you feel if your mother or father, brother, sister or child collapsed in cardiac arrest before your very eyes?  You have the choice to either be prepared to help your loved one when seconds really count or to look on helplessly.  The answer ought to be clear.The City of Cote Saint-Luc offers CPR courses every month at the Parks and Recreation offices on Mackle at Parkhaven.  Fees are reduced for CSL residents but available to all.  Call 514-485-6800 for details.  Or call the Heart and Stroke Foundation for a course near you. 

Related Articles

• CPR should be compulsory in high-school education (theglobeandmail.com)
• CPR: How to Save a Life (aolhealth.com)