Scene Call of the Year Award for handling of three-vehicle crash
By Heather Ruenz
SLN staff
The McHenry, Ill. Flight For Life base presented the Sharon Fire & Rescue Department with its 23rd Annual Scene Call of the Year 2016 award on June 17 for the department’s teamwork and overall handling of a three-vehicle crash with multiple patients.
The call occurred on May 28, 2016 and involved three vehicles with eight patients, four of which were determined to be critical, according to a press release from Flight For Life.
Extensive extrication was required to remove six of the patients from the vehicles. Initially two helicopters were requested to the scene. Two additional helicopters were called out but later cancelled, as four of the injured patients did not survive.
Nine additional fire and EMS departments were requested to the scene as well as three law enforcement agencies.
“This would have been a difficult call for any fire or EMS agency but was especially hard for the responding local volunteer departments as they live and work in the communities they serve,” the release states. “This call certainly illustrates the importance of critical thinking and decision-making, teamwork, communication, use of mutual aid resources, training, scene coordination and management.”
“Even though the outcome was not what the providers had hoped for, everyone came together as a team to do the very best they could for the injured patients,” the release further states.
The 2016 Scene Call of the Year award applications were evaluated by a panel of judges based on the guidelines developed by the American College of Surgeons for using air medical transport.
The submissions were also examined for the following: scene safety, triage decisions, critical thinking, complex planning, and accident scene management, integration of the helicopter into the call, and use of skills that went beyond the “call of duty” to treat the patient(s).
“This call highlights the teamwork that exists among EMS, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, dispatchers, hospital and air medical services as they work together in partnership,” the release states.
“The personnel from Sharon Fire & Rescue displayed the teamwork, professionalism and decision-making skills that were necessary to deal with a very difficult and tragic call.”
In addition to members of the Sharon Fire & Rescue Department, numerous other departments and individuals involved in the call were in attendance, including: Darien Fire and Rescue, Walworth Fire Department, Walworth Rescue Squad, Matt Piccard – an EMT with Medix Ambulance, Mercy Walworth and Rock County MD1, Sharon and Walworth police departments, and Flight For Life personnel, and Walworth County Sheriff’s Department.
Walworth County Communications Center staff – Sue Church, Peggi Kilpin and Penny Rasmussen, were presented certificates at the county dispatch center.
“Thank you to all the agencies and individuals who came out to recognize and honor Sharon Fire and Rescue as well as all those whose teamwork was invaluable on this call. Congratulations Sharon Fire and Rescue,” a post on Flight For Life’s Facebook page states.
The recognition event was held at the Sharon Fire & Rescue station. Following a presentation, a luncheon was held.
