UN Confirms It Allowed In FDNY & Ambulance -- But It Did Not Let In Haiti Cholera Legal Paper Servers

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 -- Given the UN's claims of immunity, like on bringing cholera to Haiti, it is rare to see New York City emergency services let into the UN. 

 So when Inner City Press saw a New York fire truck at the UN's gate midday on March 18, then some fire personnel allowed in without the truck, beyond running a photograph and running to get the story, some questions had to be asked.

Inner City Press asked the office of UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric:

"Beyond the outstanding questions, I just witnessed the NY Fire Department arriving at UN gates with truck, an FDNY team came into the UN, went down to 1B between Conference Rooms 1 and 2, were stopped, were escorted to the gate and out of UN. Please provide a description of what happened, why FDNY wanted in, if they wanted truck in, on what basis UN let them in on foot, and what if anything was done by them while inside. There were also two ambulances, one inside on the traffic circle and one at the gate."

Two hours later, Dujarric's office answered:

Subject: Your question on the FDNY
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 3:47 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding the Fire Department of New York's (FDNY) appearance at UN Headquarters, we can confirm that they were responding to a 911 call. We had a serious medical emergency in one of the Conference Rooms, with a delegate whom UN responding medical personnel subsequently assessed needed to be urgently moved to hospital. The FDNY responded first and were shortly thereafter joined by a paramedic team from New York Presbyterian hospital. The patient was evacuated to hospital in an ambulance and the FDNY left the scene thereafter.

Allowing in emergency services personnel of the host country -- the US, here NYC -- is a change of sorts for the UN. But the UN wouldn't allow in those seeking to serve legal papers in the case about the UN bringing cholera into Haiti. So it is selective access. We wish the patient the best. Watch this site.

   

UN Now Tells ICP Ambulance Stopped Because At "Incorrect" Entrance

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- Five hours after Inner City Press reported the UN's delay of an ambulance responding to a worker's seizure barely 100 feet from the Security Council, the UN Monday night provided a guarded response, claiming that it was the ambulance's fault for approaching from the wrong gate.

While it is questionable that such a dodge would hold up in a court of law, the UN also claims immunity from all lawsuits, all responsibility, so we will perhaps never know.

At 2:30 pm on April 16, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon top two spokesman the following, in writing:

"Hello - This is a request, in the context of a troubling / exclusive story, for the UN's response to staff complaints that earlier today when an NYC Ambulance came to respond to an audio technician collapsing some 100 feet from the Security Council, the ambulance was delayed at the First Avenue gate:

'when an ambulance and fire truck arrived at the UN on First Avenue they were told that only fire trucks could come in, not ambulances... a UN Security officer closest to the technician's collapse on Monday had a walkie-talkie which reportedly did not function. Finally, the UN Security guard at the First Avenue gate said he would take it on himself and allow the ambulance in. Even then, the emergency medical technicians were led through the Visitors' Tent, leading to further delay.'

"As raised at today's noon briefing, I have other questions. But this is a request for your / DSS' response, an email in reply to this question, as quickly as possible."

  Four hours later, after Inner City Press learned from whistleblowing UN staff even more about the incident, including the first name of the seizure victim -- Julio -- and what hospital he is in -- Presbyterian -- Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson's office sent this (non) response:

Subject: Re: Your question
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 6:31 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

There was no delay in allowing the ambulance personnel into the premises once they arrived at the correct location. We will provide a full reply at the noon briefing tomorrow.

  Inner City Press immediately replied:

"But tomorrow at noon I will be covering the Thabo Mbeki / Haile Menkerios briefing of the Security Council about the two Sudans. I asked your Office a question, asking for a response: hours later you send a vague denial and say you will give the full answer to at the noon briefing. I neither understand nor agree with this strange way of replying. Please explain asap."

  After that and another story, the following came in:

There was no delay in allowing the ambulance personnel into the premises once they arrived at the correct location. There was some delay when the ambulance was repositioned as explained below. However, it’s important to note that SSS EMT personnel were with the patient at 1212 providing basic first aid and stabilizing him. In fact all internal procedures for dealing with this worked well.

The ambulance first showed up at Post 105 (delegates entrance) instead of Post 106 (visitors entrance) where it would have afforded much more convenient access for conveying the patient to the ambulance. Once the ambulance repositioned to 106 (visitors entrance) the first responders came into the visitors entrance without delay. The patient was then transported by stretcher chair via Post 106 to the ambulance parked outside the post.

The statement in the Inner City Press report that upon arrival at the UN Security Post the EMS team was told that only fire trucks could come in, is unfounded. It is standard procedure to utilize Post 106 for access by EMS personnel responding to medical emergencies occurring in the GA building area, and therefore there was no requirement for any of the two responding vehicles to enter the premises, nor would it have made any difference if they did.

On the statement that one of the responding UN Security Officers radio did not function, this is also unfounded. The supervisor on the scene reported that the radios of all responding personnel were in working order.

Further, the final statement that after more than five minutes the Officer at the gate took it upon himself to let the ambulance in, is also unfounded, as the ambulance was relocated to the established staging area for receipt of the patient and there was no need for it to enter the premises.

  We publish the statement in full, even as UN staff express outrage to Inner City Press about the delay and dodge. One staff member Monday night in the North Law Building described to Inner City Press having watched a man die waiting for an ambulance inside the UN, and vowed to crawl out to the sidewalk, if necessary.

  The decree of distrust between UN staff and the Ban Ki-moon administration is exemplified by a "Motion of No Confidence" circulating April 16 in the North Lawn, regarding which Inner City Press immediately sought a response from the official complained of, so far without response. We will have more on this. Watch this site.

UN Delays Access of Ambulance Responding to Emergency by Security Council

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- The UN delayed entry by a New York City ambulance on Monday after one of its media technicians fell to the ground barely 100 feet from the Security Council, the victim of an apparent seizure.

  Multiple UN staff complained to Inner City Press that despite calling the City's 911 emergency line, when an ambulance and fire truck arrived at the UN on First Avenue they were told that only fire trucks could come in, not ambulances.

  A UN staff member in the basement Publishing Unit died of a stroke after a similar ambulance blocking, as Inner City Press exclusively reported as well as a similar delay for a journalist, Han Janitschek, apparently without follow-up, after which it announced that the UN would henceforth allow Emergency Medical Service ambulances in, and that staff should call 911.

  But this instruction had obviously not been conveyed. And a UN Security officer closest to the technician's collapse on Monday had a walkie-talkie which reportedly did not function.

  Finally, after what witnesses say was more than five minutes, the UN Security guard at the First Avenue gate said he would take it on himself and allow the ambulance in. Even then, the emergency medical technicians were led through the Visitors' Tent, leading to further delay.

  Earlier this year, Inner City Press exclusively reported that UN Security found 14 kilograms of cocaine in the UN mail room and only disclosed it, first to others, after it was reported by Inner City Press. What will they say now?

  The UN fought long and hard not to allow the Fire Department to ever inspect the UN headquarters building, finally relenting only after New York City threatened to block City students from taking paid tours of the UN.

  More recently, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has sat on documented claim that UN Peacekeepers introduced cholera to Haiti; the UN argues it has immunity, some say impunity, from legal requirements that apply to others.

  But to block the access of an ambulance?

  The UN has what it calls a "protection of civilians" mandate in many of its missions around the world, but cannot even protect, or allow the protection of, those in its own buildings in New York. Watch this site.

At UN, Talk of Printing Plant Stroke Death and Ambulance Delay, Dangers Unmitigated After One Year, Workers Say

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2ambulance030609.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 6 -- There was a buzz both angry and sad among staff at the UN on Friday, about the death of a printing worker, Jesmel Navoa, who had a stroke the previous night in the third basement publishing plant. According to colleagues of his, it took nearly an hour for a New York City ambulance to be allowed into to attend to him. They offered to carry him themselves for treatment, but were told that they couldn't.

Speaking to Inner City Press on condition on anonymity -- they expressed fear of retaliation even for disclosing this -- they described another situation slightly more than a year ago, in which a printing plant worker had his fingers crushed in a machine, and again the arrival of medical services was delayed.

They questioned why, other than during the September to October General Assembly meeting period, there is not even a nurse on duty when they work the night shift. They said it makes them question the United Nations Organization and its commitment to the basic rights of its own line workers, despite its pronouncements about the right of others.

"Imagine," one of the dead man's colleagues told Inner City Press, "we work on 42nd Street on the island of Manhattan and it takes an hour for an ambulance to reach us."

What's worse in this situation is that a year ago, the same problem arose, and while a journalist died of a stroke on the UN's third floor, a New York Fire Department vehicle was stopped at the UN's gate from First Avenue. When Inner City Press reported on that story, the UN Spokesperson's office pushed back, denying the time line, implying it would not happen again. Now, according to UN printing plant staff, it has happened again. Where will accountability lie?

Last year, at the Feb. 22, 2008 UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: How long did it take and what is the policy of the UN on letting emergency medical personnel on the UN property?

Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq: First of all, there were emergency medical personnel on hand at the time. As I just mentioned, three UN security officers who are qualified EMTs performed CPR on Mr. Janitschek, and there was no sign of life at the time. A defibrillator was used to try to start his heart, to no avail, and appropriate medical protocols were followed. The person who was with Mr. Janitschek, Mr. Casella, your colleague, had immediately called the UN operator, who called security, who then called the emergency responders, including a direct call to New York hospital. The first responder was actually a fire engine truck. They were not allowed in, because they could not provide the level of care needed, compared to the trained EMTs, who were there on site already, the three UN security officers. An ambulance arrived 10 seconds later, and that ambulance and paramedics were let in directly. Like I said, all of that was to no avail, ultimately. Mr. Janitschek gave no sign of life throughout this process.

Inner City Press: First of all, who decides whether to let in or not to let in a New York City fire truck? And what is the policy of the UN in terms of this? Does it automatically allow emergency or fire personnel without [searching or blocking them]?

Associate Spokesperson: We have the protocol to call in emergency responders when there is an emergency in the building, and that protocol was followed. As far as checking vehicles that come in, that is a standard security procedure, but that did not result in any significant delay. Like I said, the ambulance and paramedics were let in directly.

The UN later added that [After the briefing, the Spokesperson’s Office confirmed that the ambulance was not stopped at the front gate at all.]

Editor's note: beyond that fact that several witnesses continue to describe the searching of the ambulance, no one has rebutted or even denied the 24 minute response time. In the UN's scripted statement at Friday's noon briefing, highlighted above, it is said that a fire truck was denied entry. A UN security officer after the briefing confirmed that when FDNY vehicles come to the UN, the policy is to not let them in unless there is / the UN is aware of a fire. There's a problem: FDNY took over EMS ambulances some time ago, and FDNY personnel are trained in the procedures which were needed that February 2008 night. So why have a policy that includes turning away official NYC emergency responders from the FDNY? Now, there's this event in March 2009. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2ambulance030609.html