Bill Stems from Tragic Short Hills Mall Murder in December 2013
(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to require parking garages with clearance levels that prevent access by ambulances to have on-site an appropriately equipped emergency transport vehicle was released Thursday by an Assembly panel.
The bill is in response to the tragic murder of Dustin Friedland in a parking garage at the Short Hills Mall in December 2013.
An ambulance arrived just 18 minutes after Mr. Friedland was shot by perpetrators, but the parking garage clearance was too low for the ambulance to enter.
“Emergency responders lost precious time when they were forced to abandon the ambulance and run on foot with a stretcher to reach Mr. Friedland,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “Under this bill, an emergency transport vehicle would be available to reach a person in need of emergency services and transport that person to a waiting ambulance. We can hopefully avoid tragedies by allowing emergency medical workers quicker access to victims. This is common sense and very much the right thing to do for public safety.”
Under the bill (A-3372), the vehicle must be able to access every level of the parking garage for the purpose of transporting persons in need of emergency medical transportation to an ambulance outside the garage. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Health would be required to promulgate guidelines governing the specifications for emergency transport vehicles.
The bill was released by the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee.