Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department Officers And CERT Team Member Assist Injured Visitor During Cherry Blossom Festival

Roosevelt Island Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Member Frank Farance reports:

Roosevelt Island CERT Members Frank Farance & Gwen Ryals At 4/25 Cherry Blossom Festival

I was at the April 25 Cherry Blossom Festival as part of the RI CERT members participating in the event. On my way out of the park, a woman asked for aid: she was sitting by the comfort station, she had a gash in her knee from a fall on the stone work in the Four Freedoms Park, and the FFP staff could not provide first aid because they were required to stay at their position.

The cut was clean and deep, at least 1/8 inch, possibly 1/4 inch, and looked like she would require stitches. As a CERT member, given the depth and location of the injury (across the knee), it was my sense that the woman should not be walking until she receives medical attention.

I provided compression on the injury and called Public Safety. Sgt. Lindsey and SPO Angeles arrived a couple minutes later, Sgt. Lindsey called for EMS. The woman (with her boyfriend, both from Astoria) was hesitant about taking an ambulance to the emergency room in Astoria because they felt it would be a $500 expense.

Sgt. Lindsey reassured them that EMS could come, clean and bandage the wound, but not require them to take the ambulance to the hospital. I called Olympic Car Service to arrange for a taxi, and PSD officers coordinated with arranging for the ambulance and the taxi to drive past the West Service Road construction gate. I was heading back to the church (I'm an usher for the 5 PM Mass), I flagged down the ambulance when it was passing by (to hand off information, and to provide precise location of injured), and SPO Angeles stayed with the woman until the ambulance arrived.

Given the other multiple events and incidents on the Island that day, it seems like a well-coordinated effort with all involved, including getting the injured speedy medical attention and providing comfort until help arrived. Thank you to Sgt. Lindsey and SPO Angeles for their promptness and attention and, regardless of injury, providing a better experience for a visitor to Roosevelt Island.

Thanks to our #NYC CERT volunteers helping out at the Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival today. pic.twitter.com/uRv5z8DKSu

— Joe Esposito (@JoeEspoNYC) April 25, 2015

More on the April 25 Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival at this previous post. The other incident that day cited by Mr. Farance was afternoon shooting at Roosevelt Landings.