Monday, September 19, 2011

First Responder's In Reno Were Prepared, Professional

From Firehouse.com: Amid the horrific aftermath of the nation's deadliest air racing disaster, a crash that killed ten and sent about 70 people to Reno-area hospitals, a sort of calm pervaded.
Witnesses were spattered with blood and pieces of flesh, yet video of the scene shows paramedics, police and spectators attending to the wounded with a control that seems contradictory to the devastation.
Officials and those in the tightly-knit air racing community credit not only a detailed plan for just such a crash, but the type of people at the event: pilots, veterans and others accustomed to dealing with a high-pressure situation.
Doctors, nurses and military veterans from the crowd volunteered their services to emergency crews, said Reno Fire Battalion Chief Tim Spencer, a 29-year veteran who has worked at the air races for 27 years. Those without medical skills helped firefighters transport the injured.
"It wasn't uncommon to see one firefighter and three people in civilian clothes carrying a litter to the proper area" for evacuation, Tim Spencer said. "Everybody pulled together perfectly and worked side by side."
http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/calm-chaos-seen-following-deadly-nevada-air-show-crash
Clearly, the first responders- the police, fire and ambulance crews did a fantastic job, along with the help of volunteers and more than likely, saved many lives.
Reno doesn't have a large fire department and the ambulance service is a non-profit ambulance service (http://www.remsa-cf.com/ ). But they did one heck of a job triaging and transporting the victims to the hospital in a timely manner- averaging one patient transport a minute.
So, kudo's to the leaders of the services for providing a great service under the most stressful situations.

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