S03.E08: Malfunction

[Ohwell]

13 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Technically it's almost always the ambulance drivers fault even if the driver has their lights going, siren on, and even the green light because they aren't supposed to go through an intersection unless it is clear to do so.

Had Hen slowed to see if the intersection was clear, she would have noticed that the cellist had not stopped or slowed through the intersection.

Yes, I see ambulances slowing down at intersections to make sure the path is clear. 

[Emma9]

I've roller-skated all my life but keep promising I'll try ice-skating one of these winters. Said winter has been pushed back a few years by this episode, I think. Quads never stabbed anybody and also can roll over a tiny little piece of trash without incident.

Hen did a wrenchingly good job with her scenes, but I was relieved to see upthread that I'm not the only one who didn't appreciate being sledgehammered over the head with the impending tragedy of it all. Yes, of course any screentime a doomed bit player ever gets in a television show is put there to inflict maximum sadness, but at least respect the viewer enough to pretend you're not making a cheap play for the heartstrings.

I was driving in a funeral caravan at one point and we were directed to put our flashers on and go through any red lights.   At most places we were bunched closely enough together that it was obvious what was happening and there were no issues with cross traffic; however, the car in front of me was a bit slow and a gap developed. They were halfway through one intersection when someone sailed through the green and came very close to hitting them. (There's a theory of auto safety where eliminating lights and signage can actually be beneficial because it forces people to make situational decisions rather than autopilot. Hard to disagree sometimes.)

Edited November 12, 2019 by Emma9

[Jillybean]

IIRC Hen told Athena she slowed down, but it sure didn't look that way.

[iMonrey]

Well, that got dark real quick. The visual of the crash from the victim's perspective was really triggering for anyone who's been in a car accident before. 

I have to say, though, I have zero sympathy for the entire story arc about Hen and Karen trying to have a baby. They already have a kid and I'm sorry but I just can't relate to all this angst over their inability to have another. 

Hopefully we're done with the stupid cage match fight club thing. And Ronda Rousey too.

[tvgoddess]

Them showcasing Evelyn for a few minutes didn't bother me. How am I supposed to buy it if they don't introduce anything about the character? I like it better when there's somewhat of a backstory. Otherwise, it's like some nameless, faceless person died, who cares? My best friend's oldest daughter is a high school musician, so I could relate a little. She's far from Little Miss Perfect though, from the reports I get.

There was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of affection between Bobby and Athena. It was nice to see.

[gonzosgirrl]

3 hours ago, Eyes High said:

 It took ER nine seasons to chop off Dr. Romano's arm in a horrible accident,

One of the few times I was truly shocked, gasped out loud in fact, at a tv show. Ahh, the days when every single twist in a show wasn't spoiled all over the internet.

I didn't understand Bosko's dismay over of Eddie participating in/enjoying the fight club. Isn't she the one who introduced him to it?

Loved figure skating champ Bobby.

Poor Hen. 😢  I'm guessing it will all come down the the girl having been on the phone seconds before the crash. I mean, it was hands free, but still a distraction. Hen used the switch and slowed down, but didn't look at the intersection. They both did everything right and everything wrong, and sometimes things are just tragic accidents. I'm sure she will be (rightfully) absolved in the end, but it will take her a long time to come back from it. I imagine we'll have the episode down the road where she is back, but won't drive the rig, and then something will happen with Chim where she is forced to suck it up and do it.

[Empress1]

11 minutes ago, tvgoddess said:

There was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of affection between Bobby and Athena. It was nice to see.

In addition to them kissing when Athena was cooking, Bobby had a look of pride on his face when he said every meal she made at home was a feast. I thought that was very sweet.

1 minute ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I didn't understand Bosko's dismay over of Eddie participating in/enjoying the fight club. Isn't she the one who introduced him to it?

Not that one. The one she introduced him to wasn't illegal or underground - I can't remember the exact specifications but I think it was just above-board MMA fighting without money attached. When she questioned him, she asked him how long he'd been fighting "here" and he said the promoter had seen him at the other fight and "gave [him] a shot." I don't know much about why that fight club is illegal (is it the gambling?) but it clearly is, given how nobody wanted to call 911 and everybody fled when the cops showed up.

Edited November 12, 2019 by Empress1

[gonzosgirrl]

7 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Not that one. The one she introduced him to wasn't illegal or underground - I can't remember the exact specifications but I think it was just above-board MMA fighting without money attached. When she questioned him, she asked him how long he'd been fighting "here" and he said the promoter had seen him at the other fight and "gave [him] a shot." I don't know much about why that fight club is illegal (is it the gambling?) but it clearly is, given how nobody wanted to call 911 and everybody fled when the cops showed up.

True enough, but still - it was her who encouraged him to take his aggression out this way. To be on her high horse that it progressed to this seems a bit hypocritical. I'm glad she was at the station to defend Eddie though, and not to hang him out to dry.

[Dani-Ellie]

2 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Is this just in California? I'm amazed there haven't been tragedies and lawsuits around this before now.

We have them in my area of Massachusetts (south of Boston). The switch from green to red isn’t as fast as we saw the episode; we get a yellow light in between. The transponders on the traffic light wires that communicate with the emergency vehicles also flash so we know why the light changed.

[izabella]

47 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I have to say, though, I have zero sympathy for the entire story arc about Hen and Karen trying to have a baby. They already have a kid and I'm sorry but I just can't relate to all this angst over their inability to have another. 

I have a little sympathy, but not that much.  I felt really bad for their child when Karen was so pissy about the tea and yelled at him.  It's like, ok, I get it, she has a yearning to carry her baby and give birth to her child with her genes.  But when you already have a child and act like he's not enough, and worse, is less important to you than a potential child who is your bio kid...my sympathy dwindles.  He's alive.  He's right there. 

I know Karen was making the point that all six embryos, in her mind, were 6 of her children and she was mourning them.   I can understand that, and I know grief is individual.  But I would hope she could transfer all that potential love to the real child in her home and love him even more.  Karen didn't mean to snap at him, but if he knew what was going on, and one day he will, he may end up believing she thinks he is less worthy of love or less lovable than her bio kids would be.

[tinderbox]

13 minutes ago, Dani-Ellie said:

We have them in my area of Massachusetts (south of Boston). The switch from green to red isn’t as fast as we saw the episode; we get a yellow light in between. The transponders on the traffic light wires that communicate with the emergency vehicles also flash so we know why the light changed.

It's true.  You DO learn something new every day.  I've never heard or knew about that button on a firetruck.  I'll admit, I know almost nothing about the workings of a firetruck but I've never even seen that button used in all the episodes of Chicago Fire I've seen over the years.   I'm going to Google this and educate myself.  Thanks to all of you for enlightening me.

I enjoyed the episode but literally gasped during the ice rink accident and with the tragedy Hen, and the others, faced. 

[The Ringo Kidd]

I live three blocks from a major hospital and see ambulances with the siren wailing every day. Without exception they always slow down at intersections to make sure that the cross traffic has stopped. The accident was totally preventable and all on Hen’s distraction and unfitness for duty.

It’s unfortunate that she will get by with no consequences and garner all the sympathy.

[ajsnaves]

I’m sorry, but where is this Hen was unfit for duty thing coming from?  Aside from not responding to Chim on the way to faux!Amazon, up until the crash she seems to have been doing her job as usual without any problems.  Chim was concerned about her off call silence, but there was nothing to indicate she was unable to respond to calls like normal. (Of course, maybe I missed something, and we will see when I do my rewatch, or you all correct me.)

That said, obviously she should have slowed down at the intersection to make sure everyone stopped, as they are required to by law, and she is certainly in for all the trouble she deserves.  There were two people who were not doing what there were supposed to do. But I don’t see this as being down to her being distracted by her home problems.  Which frankly might make this worse.

[The Ringo Kidd]

She repeatedly walked out on the calls to take personal phone calls to the point that Bobby noticed. She didn’t respond when addressed as her mind was elsewhere. To the point that her partner has to ask her to pay attention and be a “partner.”
 

If your personal issues are so overwhelming you should take some time off to address them not endanger yourself and your patients.

Hen was an accident waiting to happen.

[gonzosgirrl]

She did slow down - maybe not enough, but she did slow down. It was one of the things she kept repeating to Athena in the aftermath.

[preeya]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

especially the part about her being the youngest soloist at the Philharmonic

Yes, this will be the focal point of a big bucks $$$$$$$$ lawsuit.

[lorbeer]

18 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

The thing that confused me was Hen saying "I thought I had the green light" or something like that.  Since when does an ambulance running lights and sirens have to wait for a green light?  Slow and check traffic, yes, but ...

Emergency vehicles don't have unconditional priority. The drivers -  of every vehicle- always have to be careful and watch out for other road users. So no one should drive too fast even if you drive an ambulance... So even if the girl didn't stop, Hen shouldn't just go no matter what.. But of course it's not just white and black. Hen and that girl were both distracted somehow and sadly noticed eatch other too late.

[elle]

4 hours ago, The Ringo Kidd said:

I live three blocks from a major hospital and see ambulances with the siren wailing every day. Without exception they always slow down at intersections to make sure that the cross traffic has stopped. 

I live about half way between two fire stations, one on the north-south street the other on the east-west.  You can always tell when they or any other first responder vehicle approaches the main intersection by hearing either the special chirps or extra horn blasts.  I have seen them slow down before entering the intersection too.   So far I haven't been caught in the intersection when there had been an emergency vehicle but I know that there is a number of seconds between when I hear the siren and I visually locate from which direction the vehicle is coming.  I'm to be extra careful at intersections and speak to my teen driver about this.

It is really a pity the writers decided to go this way.  They had a great opportunity with Hen to show what is like to be the one coping with someone suffering from severe depression.

Edited November 12, 2019 by elle

[Clanstarling]

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Or even training at a boxing gym. (Every time I see a boxing training montage I joke that I want to do the workouts but I don't want to fight anybody.) I think there's a bag in the firehouse. It's the seedy, dangerous underground element of this that makes it so gross, IMO.

I do agree that the underground element is gross.
 

1 hour ago, The Ringo Kidd said:

She repeatedly walked out on the calls to take personal phone calls to the point that Bobby noticed. She didn’t respond when addressed as her mind was elsewhere. To the point that her partner has to ask her to pay attention and be a “partner.”
 

If your personal issues are so overwhelming you should take some time off to address them not endanger yourself and your patients.

Hen was an accident waiting to happen.

And yet she anticipated Chim's need for whatever doohickey he needed when they were working on the guy who was attacked by a robot - and who they were transporting at the time of the accident. So it seemed to me she'd gotten back on track by then.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I didn't understand Bosko's dismay over of Eddie participating in/enjoying the fight club. Isn't she the one who introduced him to it?

If I live to be a thousand I will never understand fighting as a sport. That said, there appear to be standards and ground rules and Eddie crossed some kind of line Bosko didn't approve of. It seems silly to me to think it's OK to physically fight someone as long as you do it in a certain way, but there you go.

Quote

Hen was an accident waiting to happen.

Except that she appeared to be fine by the time the accident happened. Yes, she spent the bulk of the episode distracted and caught up in her personal problems, but after Chim spoke up about it she was back to her old self and seemingly in a positive frame of mind when the accident happened. So this seems like a weird way to make the point if they're trying to say it happened because her mind wasn't on the job. By then, it certainly appeared to be.

[The Ringo Kidd]

If her mind was right then why did the accident happen? When she gave Chim the right tool he was surprised and sort of relieved. But that doesn’t mean she was in her right mind. If lawyers did discovery the way they did in Buck’s case the girls family would get multi-millions and might get her a charge for vehicular manslaughter or reckless endangerment.

Which we know won’t happen because nobody is held responsible for their behavior on this show. 

Edited November 12, 2019 by The Ringo Kidd

[colorbars]

3 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

She did slow down - maybe not enough, but she did slow down. It was one of the things she kept repeating to Athena in the aftermath.

I know she said that, but watching it happen, it really didn't seem like she did. I'm not sure if that's a fault of how it was shot or if it's supposed to be a case of Hen thinking she did, but from what I remember, she didn't look like she slowed down much, if at all.

[JasminePhyllisia]

Started off on the lighter side but really got grim.  Am I the only one who noticed and laughed at Buck slipping all over the ice?

[Giuseppe]

4 hours ago, tinderbox said:

It's true.  You DO learn something new every day.  I've never heard or knew about that button on a firetruck. 

We don't have them where I live, either. I think it's just a fire marshal/jurisdictional thing. I first encountered this working on a project in Langhorne, PA a couple years ago and wondered why more cities didn't do this.

Strangely enough, Hen's situation almost happened to me just last week. I was speeding up to get around a couple slower-moving cars and had the green light. Not distracted at all, but I didn't notice or hear the ambulance coming through the intersection the other way until I literally turned my head to see if other cars were coming. I slammed the brakes, but ended up in the middle of the intersection. Luckily, the ambulance HAD slowed down to make sure the way was clear since their light was red. If it hadn't done that, it might've plowed right into me. And I STILL don't understand how I didn't hear the sirens until I actually saw the ambulance. I didn't remember Evelyn looking distracted before Hen hit her and I wondered if she just didn't hear the sirens until it was too late, like my situation.

I thought the other stories were fun, though it has been a long-standing fear of mine that I'd lose a digit in an ice-skating accident (which is why I don't ice skate!) Those blades are scary.

Was there some sort of vessel on the robot that the dude peed into? If not, he just peed...on the robot? Wouldn't it have splattered everywhere? He wasn't concerned about smell? That just seemed like a really poor decision. Go find a corner somewhere, lol.

[BooksRule]

11 hours ago, Eyes High said:

It is a very good piece of music, but it's basically the musical equivalent of Instant Sad. You could play On the Nature of Daylight over a montage of silly cat videos and it would seem like the most tragic, heartrending shit of all time. And therefore, to use it over what was already a very sad moment, as if the writers weren't sure that the audience would think Evelyn's death was sad (and of course they would, they're not monsters), was cheap and lazy.

I definitely agree (and I'm so glad they didn't go with 'Hallelujah').  Barber's 'Adagio for strings' is another one that's used a lot (and I like that one too).

I agree with everyone who posted about Aisha Hinds' acting in this episode.  I've liked her in everything I've ever seen her in, but she really knocked it out of the park this time. 

[Moose135]

10 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Is this just in California? I'm amazed there haven't been tragedies and lawsuits around this before now.

I know back home on Long Island, the police have had something like this for a number of years - not sure about the fire guys, but there are dozens of local volunteer fire departments, and they have varying levels of equipment. I don't know if it's changed over the years, but the first set up the police had was a strobe included in the roof lights that a sensor on the traffic signal would see and change the lights. One time I remember sitting waiting at a red light because a police car was with a disabled vehicle approaching the intersection on the cross street, roof lights blazing away, keeping the light green on his side, and red for the rest of us.

[gonzosgirrl]

4 hours ago, colorbars said:

I know she said that, but watching it happen, it really didn't seem like she did. I'm not sure if that's a fault of how it was shot or if it's supposed to be a case of Hen thinking she did, but from what I remember, she didn't look like she slowed down much, if at all.

I think if she hadn't slowed down, an ambulance (basically a large truck) t-boning a small car like that at full speed would have done a lot more damage to both vehicles. Hen, Chimney (presumably unrestrained) and the patient were barely injured. 

[Raja]

12 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Is this just in California? I'm amazed there haven't been tragedies and lawsuits around this before now.

While this show is about as far from a Jack Webb production that we can get I assumed that a fatal accident much like this one happened to some first responder somewhere and was the inspiration for the story.

[preeya]

Preemptive Traffic Control Systems

 It allows emergency vehicles to weave through heavy traffic faster. It does this by communicating with the traffic control systems found at intersections as the vehicle approaches. Shorter emergency response times are the result.

Even reducing response times by a minute can mean all the difference between a patient dying of a heart attack or not. It can also mean the difference between putting out that building fire or not.

Heavy traffic can slow emergency vehicles to a crawl, even halt them. This can increase emergency response times, sometimes with fatal consequences. STROBECOM II works by giving emergency vehicles a green light as they approach a major intersection.

In effect, STROBECOM II preempts the traffic control systems. At the same time, the lights cycle to red for all conflicting approach roads. This means traffic will be moving as quickly as possible on the approach road the emergency vehicle is using. Congestion is reduced and queues are avoided.

The STROBECOM II system requires the installation of specialized electronic equipment. An optical transmitter is mounted on the roof or light bar of the emergency vehicle. Integrated with the emergency lights, this transmitter emits a rapid-flashing Xenon strobe light. Intersections equipped with TOMAR optical detectors lock onto the strobe light from as far away as 2500 feet.

An Optical System Processor connected to the traffic controller receives these optical signals. First, it verifies that the approaching vehicle is a valid emergency response unit. If so, it sends a preemption request to the traffic controller, which in turn cycles the lights according to a predetermined algorithm. Multiple approaching emergency vehicles can be prioritized if required.

The oncoming emergency vehicle receives a green light within 3 seconds, straight from red if necessary. If the light is already green, it stays green. The traffic signals in all other directions change first to yellow, then red. Once all conflicting traffic signals have turned red, a floodlight on the traffic signal cross-arm will flash. This alerts the emergency vehicle driver that the preemption system has activated and he has free passage.

Once the emergency vehicle has passed, the strobe light will break contact with the traffic controller. Normal traffic signal cycling resumes for that intersection. There’s also an automatic shutoff installed as standard in TOMAR optical emitters. This will switch off the strobe light when the vehicle is in park or neutral, helping prevent intersection gridlock.

TOMAR’S Fire Station Mounted Emitter System (FSEMIT) is another great innovation saving lives. FSEMIT allows crews to clear traffic from nearby intersections while they’re still preparing the fire truck. A simple push of a button preempts the traffic signals in the fire truck’s favor for a predetermined time. FSEMIT enables traffic congestion to be cleared in advance outside the fire station exit. The fire truck gets off to a good start by exiting the station onto an empty road.

Quicker emergency response times combined with safer driving reduces fatalities and injuries. The lives of those saved are not only the emergency responders and their patients, but often civilians caught in the same traffic.

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, iMonrey said:

If I live to be a thousand I will never understand fighting as a sport.

I just learned that the actor is trained in MMA fighting, so I assume that's why his storyline has taken this turn. (And I agree with you.)

[iMonrey]

Quote

If her mind was right then why did the accident happen? When she gave Chim the right tool he was surprised and sort of relieved. But that doesn’t mean she was in her right mind. If lawyers did discovery the way they did in Buck’s case the girls family would get multi-millions and might get her a charge for vehicular manslaughter or reckless endangerment.

What I mean is that Hen spent the whole episode distracted and brooding except for the last scene. She seemed to have snapped back to her old self in the scene where she was driving the ambulance. She was not shown to be daydreaming or distracted at the time the accident occurred. It's an odd choice in the writing. I suppose what's going to happen is that she will blame herself for being distracted or whatever but the evidence isn't really there because the show doesn't want to really make it look like she did something wrong. 

[vavera4ka]

On ‎11‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 9:14 PM, Irlandesa said:

I did too.  I did roll my eyes when someone said they thought he played hockey after he said he did figure skating.

Have they not ever heard of The Cutting Edge?  Sheesh.

Or there are stories about players who started as figure skaters. Most notably Niedermayer brothers. Both were great skaters, Scott had more natural talent and it showed but Rob was smooth and effortless in gaining speed or avoiding checks as well. All because both started as ice dancers, learning edges and skating technique before taking up hockey.

What I probably missed was how did Hen know Evelyn. She was yelling her name, on and on. How did she know it was her name?

[connieinnc]

5 minutes ago, vavera4ka said:

Or there are stories about players who started as figure skaters. Most notably Niedermayer brothers. Both were great skaters, Scott had more natural talent and it showed but Rob was smooth and effortless in gaining speed or avoiding checks as well. All because both started as ice dancers, learning edges and skating technique before taking up hockey.

What I probably missed was how did Hen know Evelyn. She was yelling her name, on and on. How did she know it was her name?

If I saw correctly, Hen saw the name on the coffee (?) cup in Evelyn's car

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, connieinnc said:

If I saw correctly, Hen saw the name on the coffee (?) cup in Evelyn's car

You are correct!

[Xantar]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:41 PM, SimoneS said:

The light definitely turned red when Hen hit the switch because from the aerial view, it was clear that the car next to Evelyn stopped. She was distracted talking to her mother on the phone and drove through the red light.

I'm surprised more people aren't picking up on this. I guess as a matter of law, Hen is at fault and she should have been moving slowly enough to stop because that's what is expected from ambulance drivers. But Evelyn very clearly ran a red light. I don't know why there even seems to be any ambiguity on that point. 

[Mystery]

Athena mentioned in her conversation with Hen that Hen hadn't been sleeping. So although her focus seemed to be back by the time of the accident, lack of sleep might have been an issue. Not that anyone but Athena knows that. 

The use of the name Evelyn struck me as odd; it's pretty old-fashioned. It was my grandmother's name (she was born in 1900) and it's Angela Bassett's middle name. 

8 minutes ago, Xantar said:

I'm surprised more people aren't picking up on this. I guess as a matter of law, Hen is at fault and she should have been moving slowly enough to stop because that's what is expected from ambulance drivers. But Evelyn very clearly ran a red light. I don't know why there even seems to be any ambiguity on that point. 

I saw that the person to Evelyn's left stopped, but I couldn't tell if it was because it was a turn lane or because that driver had a better view of the ambulance coming. Or, of course, saw the red light or heard the siren. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Mystery

[Raja]

9 minutes ago, Xantar said:

I'm surprised more people aren't picking up on this. I guess as a matter of law, Hen is at fault and she should have been moving slowly enough to stop because that's what is expected from ambulance drivers. But Evelyn very clearly ran a red light. I don't know why there even seems to be any ambiguity on that point. 

It is not that we didn't notice but that first driver's training class film title of don't be dead right. Especially when the ambulance driver artificially changed  the normal traffic pattern by shorting the green light time they still are bound partially responsible to check. Thus unlike Buck's case we can see the City Attorney making a settlement even if the DA doesn't prosecute and the Fire Department takes little or no disciplinary action 

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, vavera4ka said:

On 11/11/2019 at 7:14 PM, Irlandesa said:

I did too.  I did roll my eyes when someone said they thought he played hockey after he said he did figure skating.

Have they not ever heard of The Cutting Edge?  Sheesh.

Or there are stories about players who started as figure skaters. Most notably Niedermayer brothers. Both were great skaters, Scott had more natural talent and it showed but Rob was smooth and effortless in gaining speed or avoiding checks as well. All because both started as ice dancers, learning edges and skating technique before taking up hockey.

That assumes they knew something about hockey (I myself have never heard of the Cutting Edge). My take is that they knew "hockey" and made stereotypical assumptions.

[Mystery]

I think that Irlandesa was joking about more people not knowing "The Cutting Edge." 

[WinJet0819]

On 11/11/2019 at 8:41 PM, SimoneS said:

The light definitely turned red when Hen hit the switch because from the aerial view, it was clear that the car next to Evelyn stopped. She was distracted talking to her mother on the phone and drove through the red light.

I actually think Evelyn was off the call with her mother at that point, because her mother had said bye or talk to you later and the call ended. She just failed to notice that the light had changed to red. The other driver did see it and slowed down, but she kept going.

[WinJet0819]

On 11/12/2019 at 12:41 PM, gonzosgirrl said:

True enough, but still - it was her who encouraged him to take his aggression out this way. To be on her high horse that it progressed to this seems a bit hypocritical. I'm glad she was at the station to defend Eddie though, and not to hang him out to dry.

She encouraged him to use the fighting as a healthy outlet to get his aggression out in a safe, legal way. Not to become obsessed with it, to the point of fighting for money at an illegal fight club, where the rules are tap out or knock out, and where they don't want to call 911 if somebody's seriously hurt. That's why she's worried. 

[WinJet0819]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:08 PM, Irlandesa said:

I was surprised to see Captain Cooper back on the beat.  I know Buck on blood thinners being on active duty was controversial but Coop lost his arm and is already back.  Surely that's kind of dangerous too?

I was just about to ask that. His career should be over after Athena had to amputate his arm. I know people can still live fairly normal lives with prosthetics.  To be a first responder, especially a firefighter, however, you have to be fully 100%. If I recall on the Chicago Med episode during the One Chicago Crossover last month, a guy who was planning to go to the fire academy, had to have his arm amputated, ending his firefighter ambitions. So not sure how Cooper is back, and back so soon after the tsunami.

Edited November 14, 2019 by WinJet0819

[Raja]

I was surprised when Captain Cooper showed up too. But then 9-1-1 is not Emergency where Captain Stanley only had 6 men, with 2 often off on paramedic duties, so you would think his muscle power also came into work at times, especially when a Battalion Commander showed up to take over. Here though with the larger companies the higher up in rank you go the more you become the manager giving orders from the side and less the sergeant also going in doing the work.

[Emily Thrace]

On 11/12/2019 at 2:05 PM, The Ringo Kidd said:

She repeatedly walked out on the calls to take personal phone calls to the point that Bobby noticed. She didn’t respond when addressed as her mind was elsewhere. To the point that her partner has to ask her to pay attention and be a “partner.”
 

If your personal issues are so overwhelming you should take some time off to address them not endanger yourself and your patients.

Hen was an accident waiting to happen.

Based on both angles shown I think what what Hen was less distracted and more a type of reflex action. Hen flipped the switch and she looked to her left and saw the car in the first lane was stopping. She assumed the other cars coming in that direction would do the same and looked the other way. That's when then Lindsey ran the red light and slammed into the ambulance. It would have happened so quickly it wouldn't even necessarily been a conscious decision.  Its part of how our brains classify objects. We see one object and we assume the similar shaped objects will behave the same. So its possible Hen wasn't distracted and she just didn't register that Lindsey wasn't slowing down. 

Its also possible since Lindsay was driving a small car and was fairly far back she was in a blind spot and Hen simply didn't see her. In the end Lindsey ran the red light and the car next to her was much closer and stopped in plenty of time. Either way I don't think Hen is at fault. At least not completely,  if Lindsey was paying attention the accident wouldn't have happened. I don't know if Hen could have stopped in time even if she had seen Lindsey.

[The Ringo Kidd]

Hen is totally at fault. She ran into a car not the the other way around. It was her responsibility to make sure the intersection was clear. She was obviously wrong to barrel through such a busy intersection without using caution. Her distraction and the personal problems that she brought to the job only make it worse. She killed someone by her negligence.  She should be fired at the least.

But don’t worry. Nothing will happen to her. She will be back next week as if nothing has happened.

Edited November 14, 2019 by The Ringo Kidd

[WinJet0819]

4 hours ago, The Ringo Kidd said:

Hen is totally at fault. She ran into a car not the the other way around. It was her responsibility to make sure the intersection was clear. She was obviously wrong to barrel through such a busy intersection without using caution. Her distraction and the personal problems that she brought to the job only make it worse. She killed someone by her negligence.  She should be fired at the least.

But don’t worry. Nothing will happen to her. She will be back next week as if nothing has happened.

She didn't barrel through the intersection with no caution. She flipped the switch to turn the lights to green, which is the norm, and she did slow down, and then she saw the car, which did not stop, at the last second. There was nothing she could do. She was not distracted by her personal problems at that time. She had just saved a guy from bleeding out due to her quick thinking. She goes from that to causing an accident because of personal problems. No. She was back to her old self, and then this unfortunate accident happened. There was no negligence involved. If anything, Evelyn, was at fault because she didn't stop at the red, like the other car in front of her did. How she didn't hear the sirens, we'll never know. Because if you do, you know to look around and either move to the right or stop because this kind of accident can happen if you don't. An emergency vehicle will generally be traveling at a high rate of speed, and if you don't heed the warning and you get in its path, there's not much the driver of the emergency vehicle can do at the last second.

[WinJet0819]

The ending music along with Aisha Hinds' acting was perfect at the end. You could feel the pain she was going through. That's something you don't wish on anybody, rather it be emergency personnel or a regular driver. You're involved in an accident and the other driver is critically injured or killed. The feeling has to be unimaginable.

[Concrtslt]

This is why I never call my daughter when I know she might be driving!

i was concerned if not a little offended when Karen was getting mad at Hen for expecting her to have moved on already, with her reasoning being that Hen was being insensitive because the baby was not technically hers genetically.  The baby was to be THEIR child, so I thought that was a cruel thing to say to Hen.  It makes me wonder that if the baby had been born, how differently would she have treated it vs their son?  Would she feel like she has priority in parenting the child given that it is hers genetically?  I found it disturbing.  

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

She didn't barrel through the intersection with no caution. She flipped the switch to turn the lights to green, which is the norm, and she did slow down, and then she saw the car, which did not stop, at the last second. There was nothing she could do. She was not distracted by her personal problems at that time. She had just saved a guy from bleeding out due to her quick thinking. She goes from that to causing an accident because of personal problems. No. She was back to her old self, and then this unfortunate accident happened. There was no negligence involved. If anything, Evelyn, was at fault because she didn't stop at the red, like the other car in front of her did. How she didn't hear the sirens, we'll never know. Because if you do, you know to look around and either move to the right or stop because this kind of accident can happen if you don't. An emergency vehicle will generally be traveling at a high rate of speed, and if you don't heed the warning and you get in its path, there's not much the driver of the emergency vehicle can do at the last second.

Since you could hear the sirens during that last scene inside her car (after she hung up), that's a good question. Even though she hung up with her mother, I think she was distracted because she missed the sirens, the red light, and that the car next to her was stopped.

[Raja]

With modern sound proofed cars using air conditioning with closed windows depending on people hearing sirens is problematical. Just yesterday I was halfway through an intersection when a CHP patrol car blasted his siren and I went through a fighter pilot like check six. A couple of more cars behind me came through before the intersection finally cleared 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Raja