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Paramedic's recovery prompting push for greater coverage for first responders
The paramedic, who was off duty at the time, says it was second nature to try and assist the driver he saw stranded near a busy DeKalb County intersection. Now, the accident that almost cost him his life, may amount to better benefits for first responders across the City of Atlanta.
ATLANTA - A city of Atlanta paramedic’s story of recovery is now the driving force behind a push for greater coverage in benefits they offer to first responders.
This comes months after Lt. Paramedic Mark Quick was nearly killed trying to render aid to a driver involved in a crash when another car hit him. It happened near the intersection of Browns Mill and Snapfinger roads in DeKalb County on Jan. 15.
"By the grace of God…I’m able to stand here today," Quick said Thursday in an interview with FOX 5.
It has been a long road to recovery for Quick, who was one of two Good Samaritans who were seriously injured in the crash. Though he was off duty at the time of the accident, Quick said it was second nature to try to assist the driver he saw stranded near the busy intersection that night.
"We all bear a huge amount of risk every day when we put on a uniform, and even on days when we don’t put on a uniform, because it’s in our nature to serve others," he said.
Quick told FOX 5 he spent three weeks at Grady Memorial Hospital, where medical staff worked to treat major injuries to his brain and spinal cord.
"The day that he left Grady, he was barely able to stand, and couldn’t walk and was barely able to make a fist," his wife Anita Quick recalled. "We weren’t sure whether he would be able to walk."
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Five weeks later, he is slowly making his way to a full recovery through intensive rehabilitation therapy at the Shepherd Center.
Now the accident that almost cost him his life, may amount to better benefits for first responders across the city of Atlanta.
City leaders are considering legislation that would allow them to use their worker’s compensation benefits—even if they are killed or injured while assisting someone off-duty.
"I think it’s only fair that those who risk their lives day-to-day to be able to get some sort of protection or coverage...just to show that you really support your public safety," Quick stated.
He and his wife said they are hopeful about the legislation backed by Councilwoman Andrea Boone, passes but for now, they have started a GoFundMe to cover the costs of medical bills, lost earnings and other expenses.