http://www.msnbc.com/local/WJAR/242257.asp

Link

Station Home Page & More Local Information

Hospital, utility play blame game over blackout death PROVIDENCE (AP) Officials from Rhode Island Hospital and Narragansett Electric still cant agree what happened two months ago when a patient died during a power failure during Tropical Storm Floyd.

A new report conducted by a consultant for Rhode Island Hospital suggests that two devices that were supposed to protect the hospital from power failure, did not work and were improperly designed. But Narragansett Electric says the report is distorted. Utility officials point to a separate hospital relay device and evidence suggesting that the relay was not properly maintained. The accident occurred just after midnight on Sept. 17 when Tropical Storm Floyd crossed over Rhode Island and wind-swept debris touched a substation, creating an explosion and shutting off electricity to about 20,000 customers, including Rhode Island Hospital. The hospitals emergency backup generator did not work. The report says that at the time of the accident, the hospitals electric generating plant was producing most of its electricity. With power gone from the utility system, the hospital power plant tried to supply electricity to the utility but the demand was too great. A lawyer representing the family of Clinton R. Dionne, the 74-year-old man who died after his breathing apparatus failed during the blackout, is requesting a copy of the report. Michael Ryan, a spokesman for Narragansett, said the report is so flawed that its equivalent to writing about the Titanic and failing to mention the iceberg... it looks like this is the latest chapter in a sad effort to shift responsibility for what happened, Ryan told The Providence Journal. Wayne Farrington, chief of facilities regulation for the state Department of Health, agreed that report falls short of understanding everything that happened or how to prevent a reoccurrence. John Gillespie, a spokesman for Lifespan, the hospitals parent company, defended the report, saying it is not definitive, nor does it place blame.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), November 19, 1999

Answers

Blame it on a squirrel

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), November 19, 1999.

blame EVERYTHING on squirrels.

-- poised as scapegoat early (in@the.game), November 19, 1999.

Once Again we Strike against the Furless Apes!!!Be Forewarned!!!We will Crush you!!!You Have No Hope!!!Surrender Now!!!Long Live the Rodent Revolution!!!

-- The Squirrel King (StillNuts@upina.Tree), November 19, 1999.

Yup! It's those damned cyber-terrorist squirrels... Somebody call the FBI! (Maybe CPR will do it.)

-- Dennis (djolson@cherco.net), November 19, 1999.

--once again, rich fatcats driving lexus's and mercedes and pulling down huge salaries with full benefits and perks DON'T OR WON'T DO THEIR JOBS! Pass the buck, pass the blame, but don't touch that salary! don't interrupt their cozy airconditioned life! don't delegate the resources to the "underlings" so that THEY can do their jobs! ---hope both corporate entities get sued back to the stoneage. hope there are ZERO stockholder "dividends". --and we're still supposed to believe corporations pronouncements of "on track" and "ready" and "y2k-ok"? --NOT ME --and by the way, real sick of seeing Y2K READY on the atm screens, too... ---"on track" with serious preps, "y2k ready" to take care of a crash zog

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), November 19, 1999.