| In the late night hours of Sunday January 15, 2006, shortly before midnight, Company 6 (Huntingtown) was awakened for the auto accident on Lowery Road in the area of Hidden Retreat Trail. While units were in route, Communications reported they were now receiving supplemental information that one patient was not moving in the vehicle. One minute later, Communications advised that police were now on the scene advising of an overturned vehicle, with subjects ejected. Due to this information, Squad 2 (Chief 2, Ficke) was added along with the Medic Unit.
Minutes later, Chief 6 (Osbourn), Chief 6A (Riffe), Captain 6 (Mckenny), Safety Officer 6 (Bowen), Squad 6 (Sgt Nasti), Engine 62 (Lt Mongtomery), BLS Ambulance 69 (Amick) and Medic 68 (Bateman) with a total of 21 Volunteers arrived to find a single vehicle that had rolled several times at a high rate of speed, ejecting four young patients. One patient was a critical priority one, one patient was walking, and two patients were pulseless and not breathing. The above crews immediately separated and went to work on the four patients. CPR was initiated on the two most critical patients while the other two patients were attended to as well by the Medics. Engine 62 handled the Landing Zone for Trooper 2 and Trooper 7. Two patients were airlifted to PG Shock Trauma. One patient was pronounced priority 4 on scene. The fourth patient was transported to Calvert Memorial priority 1 by Ambulance 48 (Prince Frederick) with CPR in progress. Command (Osbourn) terminated command at 0130 hours, and Squad 6 remained on the scene until 0300 hours.
Despite valiant efforts by the crews from Huntingtown, Squad 2, Ambulance 48, and the Medics, two of the patients succumbed to their injuries. Two of the four patients were also members of a neighboring fire department in Calvert County. One of these two succumbed, and the other is still in critical condition. This call struck everybody hard due to the community being so close, it involving the fire service, and the patients being so young.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the parents, families, and friends of the victims.
***Pictures courtesy of Chief 2 (Ficke). Many thanks....
**Also thanks to Chief 10 (Eskins) and her Critical Incident Stress Management crew for standing by at the station for several hours. |
