Yes. It is a well known fact that you can fall down on the street in NYC and people will just walk around you and if there is no space even over you. I see it everyday.

Example:
93K check out unconscious on the 4th ave 36 Street on the cross
Central, conditions?
93K be aware call came form the cell phone conditions unknown I get you PD backup.

So we get there and there is somebody unconscious lying on the street with head busted open. We take care of the guy, stabilize him and load him on the bus (he was pronounced later on). I ask PD to ask around if anyone seen anything since I got my hands full with suction and ventilation. It comes up that Seven Eleven clerk saw the guy lying there for at least an hour but he wants no trouble or any involvement. How about all those people that passed by in this period? In the era of cell phones why somebody didn't make the call earlier? Per Doc in the ER, if we got him there within 30 min of the fall chances of survival for this guy were about 75%.

And I'm not surprised that New Yorkers are not prepared. We can have 9/11 every year and people wouldn't care much. I think that the rest of the country cares more about what happened on that day than people in NY (except for FD, PD and EMS). From one point of view it is good that we "get over" things and move on but lessons should be learned. I heard people voicing their opinion that rest of the county is more patriotic. That NYC is too liberal. Maybe that’s it. I don’t know.

"Blackout" was the second time NY got a rude awaking. I don't think anyone learned from that either. Nobody knows how hard Public Agencies were at work in order to save people. Again out of sight out of mind.

What will it take? A nuke in the middle of Manhattan? Thank God I revolve around people who are more open minded. My friends are either ex Army, Cops, Fireman, fellow EMTs, Medics or just regular folks who are aware of possible danger (even if remote). Our basic idea and motto in life is that maybe but maybe when the [censored] goes down we will have to rely on each other or ourselves and there may be no gov’t agency to help us out. Obviously NYC is not the place where I can camp out, sling my rifle around my shoulder and hunt (unless I get to the Bronx zoo). But basic preparedness such as 72 hrs food supply, water, basic survival items are a must. Yes I can take it to the extreme with titanium cookware, LED flashlight fetish, etc etc… but nobody tells you to have everything top notch. I think people should stop sticking their hands out for help and put them to work.

I love this city, I love Brooklyn and Manhattan and I love the streets. I love helping people and making the difference but it hurts me that a lot of people are not getting help either because they couldn’t help themselves by being unprepared or because their fellow man failed to help them.

Matt