Emergency services remarkable in collective response to major wreck

The Dec. 20 multiple vehicle wreck on Interstate 90 was a harrowing experience for many motorists. The injured, walking wounded and even those just stranded by the experience were tended to by an impressive local team of emergency services personnel, many of whom are volunteers – firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

Fire District 5 sent 12 firefighters in five different rigs to the accident scene and to do traffic control away from the scene. Three more crew members were staged at the fire station to respond in the event of additional emergencies. Some firefighters remained at the scene of the wreck for seven hours.

Four ambulances and seven EMTs responded to the scene.

At East Adams Rural Hospital, a collection of 17 medical staff, both on duty and off duty individuals, cared for victims of the wreck in the emergency room.

Emergency crews were assisted by dispatchers who handled 9-1-1 calls at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center.

Six firefighters actually responded to the scene and took part in the cut and rescue efforts. Fire Chief Scott Kembel said two trucks were staged at the scene during the rescue efforts.

Bill Banner, Jim Bostic, Mark Cameron, Lindsey Lefevre, Tim Wellsandt and Kembel tackled the rescue work. Dennis Sackmann, Pat Kenyon, Larry Goodrich, Rex Rosenoff, Karin Schaefer and David McCormick responded and provided traffic control on both sides of Interstate 90 at the Tokio exit.

They also responded to other reported wrecks.

Joel Bell, Robert Reynolds and Andy Lefevre staged at the station.

Crews from Lincoln County, out of Sprague, aided the Ritzville firefighters. Kembel didn’t have the names of those firefighters.

“It was like trying to control chaos,” Kembel said. “When you train frequently with your equipment, you get to know it well so that when you get to a scene, you can focus more on the scene and get the job done. Those guys did great.”

The right equipment plays a big role in swift, efficient rescue efforts.

“We just got done training with our new jaws and they worked super,” Kembel said. “A week prior to the wreck we trained on scene safety.”

Kembel was quick to thank the dispatchers for their efforts.

“They did wonderful,” he said. “I can’t imagine what it was like in there.”

Roni Kinney, EMS coordinator for the hospital district, was impressed by the team work.

“I was very impressed by the number of volunteer EMTs that we could get,” she said. “I am very proud of everybody. They worked so well together. I didn’t see a single person panic. I was very impressed.”

Kinney and Joyce Shepherd were the first EMTs on scene. They transported three individuals to the hospital. On a second trip, they cared for one additional patient on the way to the hospital.

Jeff Williams and Phil Bowman responded to the scene in a second ambulance. They transported two people to the hospital.

Chris Johnson brought a third ambulance and assisted at the scene.

Washtucna sent one ambulance and Jan Sullivan and Eli Lindsey to assist at the scene.

Local EMTs later transported two of the victims to a Spokane hospital.

At the hospital, a large team of medical staff joined Director of Nursing Brenda Herr.

Valerie Eckley, MD, and Marnie Boyer, PA-C, were the providers on duty.

The rest of the team included: Kari Frederick, RN; Trudy Davey, NAC; Ray Ryan, NAC; Neva Malby, NAC; Patsy Greenwalt, LPN; Renee Harrah, RN; Jan Bostic, RN; Traci Mattox, NAC; Cooper Graham and Bruce Garner, radiology; Tara Dockery, Habte Mikael and Penny Delgado from the laboratory; and Tammy Mercer, RN.

Mercer is a per diem nurse who was traveling to Ritzville to interview for a possible position with the district. She jumped right in according to Herr.

Herr said the staff responded well to the extraordinary situation.

“It was awesome. Everyone has a tendency to get a little excited,” she said. “We implemented a Modified Trauma Team activation. We had the team all ready before they got here with patients.”

Herr said the only challenge was the layout of the emergency room areas. She said people were bumping into each other due to the lack of space.

Herr said the medical staff came together as a team.

“I thought about it all the way home that night,” she said. “When it comes down to it they work very well together. They were just an amazing team. It was calm in a chaotic situation and they did fantastic. They followed the protocols. There was good communication. I was really, really proud of them.”

The mass casualty situation included a total of seven patients coming into the emergency room as a result of the wreck.

Herr noted that the hospital staff also worked to keep family members calm, comfortable and informed. A couple of pets were even cared for during the crisis.

“We had dogs on stretchers,” she said. “One woman was so concerned about where her husband was, Neva did everything to find her husband for her. The patients were so grateful.”

The presence of a Critical Access Hospital in Ritzville proved vital.

“Where would the ambulances have come from? Where would everyone have gone?” Herr wondered. “We provided a critical service for those individuals and they are totally grateful. We had people who were anxious, with injuries and in pain. That hospital is so vital, not only to the community but everybody that passes through here. It only takes one person that you can save to make a difference.”