Overlapping accidents test rescue coordination

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Icy roads and a stretch of bad luck conspired Tuesday to form what the Mat-Su Borough’s deputy director of emergency services calls a “perfect storm” of demand on emergency response.

It all started shortly before 1:30 p.m., Clint Vardeman said. The Central Mat-Su Fire Department had one ambulance out on a call when a second call came through, tying up both ambulances. At 1:39 p.m. a call went out for an accident with injuries on Bogard Road. Then a second injury accident just up the road needed an ambulance at 1:41 p.m.

“When it all happens at once you’re like, ‘What planets [are] aligned today?’” said acting Central Mat-Su Fire Chief Michael Keenan.

With Central’s ambulances tied up, Palmer sent an ambulance to cover the first call, Keenan said. Meadow Lakes sent responders to cover the second accident. Keenan was on the scene of that second call. He said it was probably the most serious of the day — a rear-end accident with one patient ejected from the car.

Initially, an air ambulance was called for, but Providence Alaska Medical Center’s helicopter was tied up.

“The one patient that was ejected we thought was pretty serious, but she ended up being OK,” Keenan said, adding an ambulance proved sufficient.

The second accident needed two ambulances so officials called for Big Lake, Keenan said. One of Central’s ambulances finished a call, so it was diverted to that accident.

But before Big Lake could turn around, another call went out for an ambulance to pick up a child having seizures off of Mulchatna Drive. Big Lake responded there.

The two accidents also required one rescue crew each. Keenan said both rescue trucks arrived fully staffed, which he was happy to see.

When ambulances are busy, other ambulances usually move in to stand by in case another call comes in, Vardeman said. In this case, Willow sent an ambulance to Houston to cover the areas north of Wasilla. Butte sent an ambulance to cover Palmer, and Central’s other ambulance held off on transporting a patient to cover Wasilla.

Keenan said that transport call wasn’t critical. The patient was going from one medical facility to another and could wait until things settled down.

Vardeman sent an e-mail to the departments and emergency dispatchers Wednesday congratulating them on a job well done. It was 16 minutes of intense activity in which nearly every ambulance between Butte and Willow was active, but it didn’t descend into chaos, he said.

“The coordination between Central, Palmer, Big Lake, Meadow Lakes, Butte, Willow, the rescue services, everything just came together so nicely,” Vardeman said. “It was a great effort by all the responders, just such a wonderful job.”

Keenan agreed.

He said Bogard Road was slick that day. A third accident, a rollover with no injuries, came through later that day after things had settled down.

“It didn’t look slippery but there was a little bit of ice, light ice,” he said.

He also doesn’t discount bad luck or the alignment of the planets.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.