Translation from English

Thursday, December 17, 2015

EMS Close Calls

 Check out:Forget?  NEVER! 9-11-01 Check out:  Facebook.com Check out our site sponsor:  GordonGraham.Com
LODD STATS
Yearly Totals
YearTotals
201580
201487
2013101
201283
201181
201087
200993
2008118
2007118
2006107
"In Memory Of" Click this patch
Email BillyG
info@
firefighterclosecalls.com


Email Weekly Drill
Suggestions to

Drills@firefighter
closecalls.com
Click Here for The 9/11 Widows' and Victims' Families Association
Click Here: Skyscraper Safety Campaign
 
 
 
EMSCloseCalls.com.....

 
News and related Updates
(Also check the most current issue of THE SECRET LIST for related News and Updates-Click Here)

AIR AMBULANCE CRASHES EAST OF PHOENIX

Wednesday, December 16, 2015   An air ambulance carrying three people has crashed in the Superstition Mountains near the city of Apache Junction in Arizona, east of Phoenix, officials say. (more) Emergency services were called to the helicopter crash at about 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday, but rescue workers have not yet been able to reach the site, which is in very rugged terrain. The crash occurred under unknown circumstances about 20 miles east of Apache Junction, or 50 miles east of Phoenix.

Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said three people were on board the helicopter as it returned to the city of Globe in Gila County. The status of those on board was not immediately known.

Christina Brodsly, a spokeswoman for for Air Methods Corp, confirmed that the accident involved an air ambulance operated by Native Air, which is a devision of Air Methods Corp. She identified the three people on board the single-engine Eurocopter AS350 aircraft as a pilot, a flight paramedic and a flight paramedic. There was no patient on board.

"The FAA and the NTSB have our full cooperation as they further investigate the accident," Brodsly said.
     

 

Wheel Falls Off Ambulance, Causes Car Crash In Tulsa

Wednesday, December 16, 2015  BY: RUSSELL HULSTINE, NEWSON6.COM







TULSA, Oklahoma -

Tulsa Police say a woman crashed her car after hitting a tire which had come off an EMSA ambulance early Tuesday.

Officers said the southbound ambulance lost a pair of rear tires on Highway 75 just north of the Peoria exit and a car driving behind hit one of them. The impact caused the car to cross into the northbound lanes and hit a light pole, police said.

The driver of the ambulance was able to stop the vehicle without hitting anything.

Neither the driver of the car nor the EMSA paramedics were injured.  Police say the ambulance wasn't transporting a patient at the time of the incident.
     

 

NTSB begins yearlong investigation into fatal SkyLife crash near McFarland - California

Monday, December 14, 2015  BY TROY POPE

tpope@fresnobee.com

Wreckage from Thursday’s crash of the SkyLife medical helicopter that went down near McFarland, killing four people, was moved Saturday to Sacramento for further investigation, said Terry Williams, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board.

It was unclear if there still is more wreckage to be moved. Williams said the yearlong investigation into the cause of the crash will take into account several factors, including weather, the pilot’s record and maintenance that had been done on the Bell 407 helicopter.

The crash has taken an emotional toll on employees of American Ambulance. President Todd Valeri said there was a social gathering Saturday night at which nurses, EMTs and others would undoubtedly grieve the loss of their co-workers. In addition to the pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and a patient died in the crash.

The pilot was Thomas Hampl, 49, an employee of Rogers Helicopters for three years. The critical-care nurse on the aircraft was Marco Lopez, 42, a three-year SkyLife veteran. And the paramedic was Kyle Juarez, 37, a nine-year veteran at American Ambulance who spent the last three years on the SkyLife team. Both of the medical staff members were from Fresno, according to public records. The patient has not been identified yet by the Kern County coroner.

A nurse and a paramedic originally assigned to the SkyLife helicopter Thursday night had traded shifts with Lopez and Juarez so they could attend the company’s Christmas party, Valeri said.

The crash happened as the helicopter was transporting a patient in critical condition from Porterville to Bakersfield.


Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article49502060.html#storylink=cpy


The crew picked up the patient from Sierra View Medical Center and was bound for San Joaquin Community Hospital. At 6:52 p.m., the crew had notified flight dispatch that it was leaving Porterville.

About 7:05 p.m., dispatch tried to raise the helicopter for a routine check-in, but got no response. After checking with airport towers in Fresno and Bakersfield, the dispatch center notified Kern County authorities that the aircraft was missing and provided its last GPS reading east of McFarland.

A Kern County sheriff’s helicopter reported about 8:35 p.m. that it had found a debris field. Kern County deputies and fire crews, slowed by fog and darkness, reached the scene about 10 p.m. and confirmed that the patient and the crew of three had perished.

SkyLife Air Ambulance operates three air ambulance helicopters out of the Fresno and Visalia airports. Valeri said Friday that SkyLife has never had a helicopter go down since the partnership with Rogers was formed in 1991. The air ambulance transports about 1,000 patients a year, he said.


Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article49502060.html#storylink=cpy



     

 

Three hurt when ambulance crashes along U.S. Highway 11W - Tennessee

Monday, December 14, 2015  BY ROBERT SORRELL | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER |

EMS employees were injured Saturday when their ambulance went over an embankment along U.S. Highway 11W.


Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Jarrett Ramsey said the ambulance was traveling north on Highway 11W shortly after 2 p.m. when the accident occurred.


“For whatever reason, we’re still investigating, the driver left the roadway on the right hand side,” Ramsey said. “It went down a steep embankment and struck two or three large trees and some large boulders.”


The ambulance came to a stop a short distance from a creek.


“They had the ability to say over the radio that they were in an accident,” said Sullivan County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Bean. “They weren’t really sure where they were, due to the events.”


The crash occurred between Bloomingdale Road and Central Heights Elementary School in Blountville, a section of the county where Bean said emergency radio service is weak.


Ramsey said two of the ambulance’s occupants were transported by ground to Holston Valley Medical Center. A third occupant was flown by helicopter to the hospital.


The trooper said there were no patients on board the ambulance at the time of the crash.


Emergency personnel from a number of local agencies responded to the crash scene.


“Everybody knows it’s one of their brothers, one of their sisters involved in an accident,” Bean said. “The people that turned out to help, they didn’t know how bad it was. It’s different when you respond to one of your co-workers. Everybody in emergency services considers one another family.”

Emotions were likely high as emergency personnel rushed to the scene, not knowing what to expect, Bean said.


“Once they get involved in the patient care, the training takes over and the emotions are pushed aside,” added Bean, who said that he personally knew two of the emergency workers involved in the incident.


Both directions of Highway 11W were closed for some time Saturday afternoon as emergency crews worked the scene. Traffic was detoured onto side roads, causing extensive delays for drivers.
     

 

Wreck involving ambulance on Hwy 11W in Sullivan County - Tennessee

Monday, December 14, 2015  By Josh Smith

SULLIVAN COUNTY, TN (WJHL)  An ambulance carrying three emergency medical crew members crashed on Highway 11W in Sullivan County Saturday afternoon.

The wreck happened just after 2 pm.

News Channel 11’s Brandon Hicks reports the Sullivan County EMS ambulance is off an embankment in thick woods in the 3700 block of Highway 11W.

A Tennessee Highway patrolman said two of the three Sullivan County EMS employees were seriously hurt.  The third employee sustained minor injuries, THP said.

An officer on scene said no other vehicles were involved.

One lane of Highway 11W westbound toward Kingsport is open.   Both lanes of Highway 11W eastbound toward Bristol are closed, and traffic is being rerouted.   THP hoped to have it back open by 4:30 pm.

This is a developing story.  Check back for updates.
     

 

Ambulance Wrecked in Forsyth Crash - Georgia

Saturday, December 12, 2015  By Justin Ove

An ambulance operating in Forsyth County was totaled in a wreck as it was rushing to the scene of a motor vehicle accident, fire officials said Friday.

The ambulance, operated by a private company that has a contract to provide emergency services to Forsyth County, was using the callsign ”Med 13” on Friday morning en route to an accident at Ga. 400 and Settingdown Road, Deputy Chief Jason Shivers told Patch.

At 8 a.m., the ambulance approached the intersection of Spot Road and McCoy Circle with lights and sirens on and attempted to turn left. One of the stopped vehicles attempted a left turn at the same time and pulled out in front of the ambulance, Shivers said.

After the two vehicles collided, they both went down an embankment, according to Shivers.

Nobody was injured in the collision, and no injuries were reported in the accident on Ga. 400 to which the ambulance was responding, Shivers said.

The company that owns the wrecked ambulance has a spare ambulance that has since been pressed into service to keep the fleet at full strength, Shivers said. “At no time was there any compromise in care,” he added.

The driver that pulled out in front of the ambulance has been arrested and charged with failure to yield and driving without a license, Shivers said.




     

 

Two-car crash on Mercury Boulevard involved a Newport News ambulance - Virginia

Saturday, December 12, 2015  HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A two vehicle accident on West Mercury Boulevard in Hampton is causing a slight traffic back-up for motorists traveling eastbound.

Hampton Police tweeted about the accident shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday.

An investigation into the accident revealed that a blue Ford Explorer was stopped in the lane turn lane near Coliseum Drive on the eastbound side of Mercury Boulevard when the ambulance rear-ended it.

At the time of the accident, the ambulance was transporting a non-emergent patient.

The three occupants in the Explorer were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the ambulance was issued a summons for following too close.




     

 

4 Dead After Medical Helicopter Crashes in Heavy Rain, Fog - California

Saturday, December 12, 2015  A medical helicopter carrying a patient to a hospital crashed amid heavy rain and fog in California's agricultural San Joaquin Valley, killing all four people aboard, officials said.

The SkyLife air ambulance had a pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and a patient aboard when it went down in a remote field about halfway through its planned 50-mile trip Thursday night, American Ambulance President Todd Valeri said at a news conference.

The Bell 407 helicopter was headed from Porterville Municipal Airport south to San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield when it crashed, Kern County fire officials said. Officials did not say why the patient was being taken to the hospital.

There was dense fog and heavy rain in the area and it wasn't clear whether that caused the crash, but "weather conditions are always a factor," Valeri said.

The weather also made it difficult to find and reach the site, and rescue crews didn't get there for more than two hours after the helicopter went missing.

The helicopter went down amid rolling hills of cattle-grazing country east of the town of McFarland, 135 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The wreckage was 2½ miles from the nearest highway. Kern County sheriff's deputies secured a road leading to the site.

The helicopter's cabin was fairly intact but the tail was broken off and lay 30 yards away while debris was scattered over a 50-square-yard area, according to a description by sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt.

The crew notified flight dispatch that it was leaving Porterville at 6:52 p.m., according to Dan Lynch, EMS Director for Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties.

At 7:05 p.m., dispatch tried to raise the helicopter for a routine check in but got no response, Lynch said. After checking with nearby airport towers, the dispatch center notified authorities that the aircraft was missing and provided its last GPS reading.

A sheriff's helicopter crew reported finding the debris field on private property around 8:35 p.m. Rescuers reached the crash site around 10 p.m. and confirmed the fatalities.

There was no distress call from the crew, and investigators were gathering data on the weather, the aircraft's mechanics and the pilot's history to see if any of them were factors, Joshua Cawthra of the National Transportation Board said at a briefing Friday.

The power lines in the area did not appear to have an effect, Cawthra said. His team will take the wreckage to Sacramento for a long-term investigation, he said.

"Hopefully at the end we'll be able to say what happened, why it happened and ultimately prevent this type of accident from happening again," Cawthra said.

The helicopter was staffed by a "seasoned crew," Lynch said. "They had been a team for quite some time".

The pilot was Thomas Hampl, 49, the nurse was Marco Lopez, 42, and the paramedic was Kyle Juarez, 37, Valeri said Friday. The patient was a woman, but her name was not yet being released, Valeri said.

Air Ambulance's Skylife Air Medical service operates three helicopters out of the Fresno and Visalia airports. Valeri said that SkyLife has never had an aircraft crash since it partnered with Rogers Helicopters Inc. in 1991. The air ambulance transports about 1,000 patients a year, he said.

Medical flights have repeatedly drawn safety scrutiny, including a 1988 NTSB study that found a need for safety improvements.

Again, in 2006, the board published a study of 55 accidents involving emergency medical helicopters and airplanes between January 2002 and January 2005, a period in which the number reached levels not seen since the 1980s.

The study urged evaluation of each flight's risk before each mission and formal procedures for dispatch and monitoring of flights, using a dispatcher with specific aviation knowledge and experience to provide the pilot "with consistent and critical weather information, assisting in go/no go decisions, and monitoring the flight's position."

Another recommendation urged use of terrain awareness and warning systems and night-vision imaging systems.

The study also noted that more than half of the accidents occurred when no patient was aboard and the flights could operate under less stringent rules. It urged that all emergency medical service operations be conducted under the stricter requirements. 
     

 

4 KILLED IN MEDEVAC HELICOPTER CRASH IN KERN COUNTY - California

Saturday, December 12, 2015  KERN COUNTY. (KFSN) --
American Ambulance released the identities of three of the four victims in the crash as Pilot Thomas Hampl, Nurse Marco Lopez, and Paramedic Kyle Juarez.

The Kern County Fire Department confirms a SkyLife helicopter, which took off out of Porterville, has crashed killing four people on board.


The fire department said a debris field has been found near Sherwood and Highway 65 in Kern County. A reporter from our sister station KERO in Bakersfield took pictures in the area where the crash occurred which shows it being very foggy.

The Fresno County Department of Emergency Medical Services said the SkyLife crew departed Porterville airport with a critical patient and were transporting to San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield. On board was the helicopter pilot, a flight nurse, a flight paramedic and the patient.

According to the FAA the tail number of the helicopter matches that of an American Ambulance Helicopter out of Fresno. Action News shot video of that same helicopter just this past September after it nearly crashed into a drone.

The Fresno County EMS Dispatch Center was unable to make contact with the helicopter at 7:05pm. Dispatchers then contacted Kern County fire and the sheriff's office to let them know of the missing American Ambulance Helicopter.

A press conference was held where the CEO of American ambulance, Todd Valeri, spoke about the tragedy, "We have a gather of our-- we call it the SkyLife family. The people who work at SkyLife are a very close knit group. Tonight we're gathering and consoling each other, and sharing memories."
     

 

Medical helicopter crash kills 4 - California

Friday, December 11, 2015  The Associated Press

FRESNO, Calif. — A medical helicopter carrying a patient to a hospital crashed amid heavy rain and fog in a rural area of central California, killing all four people aboard, officials said.

The SkyLife air ambulance had a pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and a patient aboard when it went down in a remote field about halfway through its planned 50-mile trip Thursday night, American Ambulance president Todd Valeri said at a news conference.

The Bell helicopter was headed from Porterville Municipal Airport south to San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield when it crashed, Kern County fire officials said. Officials did not say why the patient was being taken to the hospital, and the names of the dead are being withheld until family members can be informed.

There was dense fog and heavy rain in the area and it wasn't clear whether that caused the crash, but "weather conditions are always a factor," Valeri said.

The weather also made it difficult to find and reach the site, and rescue crews didn't get there for more than two hours after the helicopter went missing.

The crew notified flight dispatch that it was leaving Porterville at 6:52 p.m., according to Dan Lynch, EMS Director for Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties.

At 7:05 p.m., dispatch tried to raise the helicopter for a routine check in, but got no response, Lynch said. After checking with airport towers in Fresno and Bakersfield, the dispatch center notified Kern County authorities that the aircraft was missing and provided its last GPS reading.

A sheriff's helicopter crew reported finding the debris field on private property near the town of McFarland around 8:35 p.m. Rescuers reached the crash site around 10 p.m. and confirmed the fatalities.

The helicopter was staffed by a "seasoned crew," Lynch said. "They had been a team for quite some time".

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate, officials said.

Air Ambulance's Skylife Air Medical service operates three helicopters out of the Fresno and Visalia airports. Valeri said that SkyLife has never had an aircraft crash since it partnered with Rogers Helicopters Inc. in 1991. The air ambulance transports about 1,000 patients a year, he said.


     

 

Visalia medevac helicopter crashes near McFarland, killing four - California

Friday, December 11, 2015  By Troy Pope

Four people are dead after a medical evacuation helicopter based out of Visalia crashed east of McFarland Thursday night, said Dan Lynch, EMS director for Fresno County.

The SkyLife medevac helicopter was transporting a patient in critical condition from Porterville to San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield when it crashed near Highway 65 and Sherwood Avenue, said Lynch, who oversees emergency medical services in Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties.

SkyLife Air Ambulance is a partnership between American Ambulance and Rogers Helicopters, and they operate three air ambulance helicopters out of the Fresno and Visalia airports.

Todd Valeri, President and CEO of American Ambulance, said SkyLife has never had a helicopter go down since the partnership was formed in 1991.

At 7:05 p.m., contact was lost with the helicopter, and it wasn’t until 8:35 p.m. that a debris field was located, Lynch said. Kern County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department lost air support due to fog, and rescue personnel couldn’t get to the debris field until 10 p.m.

Once they arrived on the scene of the crash, officials confirmed that all four people were killed.

The people killed were the pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic and the patient.

The names have not been released and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

“Weather conditions are always a factor,” said Todd Valeri, President and CEO of American Ambulance. But Valeri said the cause of the crash is still unknown.


Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article49184455.html#storylink=cpy

     

 

Hillsborough paramedic's fatal heart attack came after he tried to save a life - New Jersey

Friday, December 11, 2015  James V. Maguire, a paramedic with the Hillsborough Rescue Squad, died in the line of duty on Monday.

Maguire had responded to a call near his home on Sunday afternoon and performed CPR for an extended period of time. Less than 20 hours later, he apparently suffered a heart attack, the squad announced. He was 57.

Visiting hours will be on Sunday, 2-6 p.m. A Mass will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph's Church, 34 Yorktown Road in Hillsborough.

"Jim was our coworker and our friend," squad Chief David Gwin said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"It's a very difficult time for all of us, particularly the crews that responded to Jim's house on Monday. We deeply appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and support from around the state as well as the offers of coverage from neighboring squads."

Maguire's "entire adult life was dedicated to public service — as a United States Marine, as an EMT and paramedic, and as a police officer," Gwin said.

He joined the Hillsborough Rescue Squad in 1979 and was active with it ever since. "I had the pleasure of working with Jim for over 35 years," Gwin said.

Maguire also worked as a paramedic at Hunterdon Medical Center in addition to working on the Hillsborough EMS day crew.

He held many positions serving the Hillsborough community over the years. He was a Somerset County sheriff's officer and then served as a police officer with the Hillsborough Township Police Department from 1984 until his retirement in 2008.

During his tenure with the police he held many positions, including patrolman, detective, hostage negotiator, police liaison to the township Office of Emergency Management, and undercover narcotics officer.
     

 

Police: Sleeping ambulance driver caused Emory bus crash - Georgia

Thursday, December 10, 2015  DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. --  Several people were injured after an Emory University bus crashed into a building at Candler Rd. and Glenwood Road Tuesday morning.

DeKalb County police say an ambulance driver admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.  The ambulance, which was transporting a patient, went through a red light and hit the bus.The driver was cited for running the red light.

Captain Eric Jackson with DeKalb County Fire Department said there were  several injuries ranging from minor to moderate. At least 10 people were transported to local hospitals, including the bus driver. Nine are reported to be in good or stable condition. One has been discharged. The bus driver is said to have the most serious injuries and was listed as critical. The damage to the bus and ambulance is extensive.

Jackson said firefighters had to assist riders out of the bus but said everyone was able to exit. There were 15 people on the bus during the accident.

The building the bus careened into houses the ATC income tax company and 360FIXX.

Firefighters had to pop the back of the ambulance to get a person out because it was jammed shut. Both the ambulance attendant and the patients were transported to the hospital as was someone in the third vehicle involved.

According to Emory University, the "Emory shuttle" was heading from a Park and Ride location at South DeKalb Mall and was transporting Emory employees and students when it was struck just after 6 a.m.

For a time, the entire area was shut down.


     

 

At least 12 hurt after ambulance, university bus crash near Atlanta

Thursday, December 10, 2015  Fire officials say at least a dozen people were hurt after a crash that involved a university bus, an ambulance and another vehicle just east of Atlanta Tuesday.

Authorities say that the wreck happened around 6 a.m. and that the Emory bus crashed into a building. Crews had to pop open the back of the ambulance to rescue the patient inside, Fox 5 reports.

DeKalb County fire Capt. Eric Jackson tells WSB-TV that at least 12 people were injured. Video showed the intersection completely blocked by several ambulances and emergency vehicles as traffic was detoured through a parking lot.

Jackson tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the crash involved the bus, a "non-emergency transport" ambulance and a private vehicle. He says officials don't know how the vehicles collided at the intersection.

At least nine of the injured had been riding the bus, Fox 5 adds. Further information on the injuries was not immediately available.


 
     

 

Sources: Driver fled the scene after hitting ambulance - New York

Thursday, December 10, 2015  By Maura Grunlund | grunlund@siadvance.com 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A driver fled from the scene after hitting an ambulance and sending four people to the hospital in West Brighton on Tuesday night, according to multiple sources.

Police said that no arrests have been made yet in the accident that occurred at Forest and Dubois avenues at about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The driver, whose identity remains unknown, struck another vehicle, caused injury and then left the scene without providing insurance information, according to police.

Richmond University Medical Center confirmed that one of its ambulances with no patients inside was hit.

"Our ambulance was operating, with lights and sirens, westbound on Forest Avenue en route to a call in Mariners Harbor when it was struck by a vehicle which emerged from a side street," according to William Smith, director of public relations for the medical facility.

All of the ambulance crew members were treated and released from Richmond University Medical Center. The crew included a 40-year-old male EMT, a 37-year-old female EMT and a 37-year-old female intern, Smith said.

A person from the car that struck the ambulance also was taken to Richmond University Medical Center, Smith said.

A source with knowledge of the accident said that after striking the ambulance, a driver and a passenger in the car ran from the scene. A male back-seat passenger had to be extricated from the car by emergency response personnel.

The car that struck the ambulance did not have any license plates and was missing a registration sticker, according to a source with knowledge of the accident. Police confirmed that there was an issue with either the license and/or registration.
     

 
 
 

Search for news stories :

Select YearSelect Month
Select CategoryEnter Keyword
 
Recent Issue of Secret List

Posters
Click to Print

 

YOU NEED THIS BOOK!
(Trust Us)

400+ PAGES.
90+ CONTRIBUTORS!
100% of the royalties from the sales of "PASS IT ON" will be donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Chief Ray Downey Scholarship Fund.
CLICK ABOVE TO ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY!
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered