From the ongoing series sent in by Luciole press contributor/friend, author Kurt Kamm: FIREFIGHTER'S WORDS -90- INTO THE MUD
Posted by kluciole at 4/27/2009 1:10 AM 
Categories: Science, Literature, Friends, National, Luciole Press, news
Categories: Science, Literature, Friends, National, Luciole Press, news
FIREFIGHTER'S WORDS -90- INTO THE MUD
We were called out for an accident 40 miles out of Fairbanks, Alaska. When we get a call that far out, it’s always an adventure. About 10 miles out, we found out that it was an ATV accident, and the person was 1-2 miles off the road. With that new information we called for our off road rescue team (ORRT).
There were two of us on the ambulance, and once we arrived, I headed down the trail where the man was supposed to be. I told the other person with me to stay and show our ORRT were to go. Part of the way down I met some friends of the guy who was hurt. I hopped on their four-wheeler and made it in 1.5 miles to the patient. The patient was about 35 ft up a steep hill. He was starting to slide down and his back was hurting really bad.<!--more-->
There were two of us on the ambulance, and once we arrived, I headed down the trail where the man was supposed to be. I told the other person with me to stay and show our ORRT were to go. Part of the way down I met some friends of the guy who was hurt. I hopped on their four-wheeler and made it in 1.5 miles to the patient. The patient was about 35 ft up a steep hill. He was starting to slide down and his back was hurting really bad.<!--more-->
Once I got to him, I wedged myself and him in to keep him from sliding, I started my assessment. Another medic arrived we were able to put him on a backboard and give him some pain medication.
As the ORRT was coming to the scene, the sled that they use to haul patients out broke. The trails out in this area are really bad. Because of the sled breaking, we had to call for an Army helicopter. The base to sent out one of their Blackhawks.
As the ORRT was coming to the scene, the sled that they use to haul patients out broke. The trails out in this area are really bad. Because of the sled breaking, we had to call for an Army helicopter. The base to sent out one of their Blackhawks.
The trail back out to the road was too long and mucky to just carry the patient, so we had to have the Blackhawk land in the nearest mud bog and we carried the patient out in waist deep muck, one small step at a time.
It was fun to play Army and crawl through the mud and get completely filthy. The patient made a full recovery.
Kurt Kamm writes a blog featuring “Firefighter’s Words” which are submitted by firefighters/EMT and rescue personnel. He also writes novels about fires and firefighters. A resident of Malibu, he has lived through several wildland fires. He is a regular visitor at the fire camps, stations and training academies of L.A. County Fire Department and CalFire. To learn more about his novels, One Foot in the Black, and Red Flag Warning, visit http://www.kurtkamm.com.
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