Love County EMS, Hospital Respond To Lone Grove Tornado
Posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009
Love County EMS sent ambulances and rescue units to the scene of the Lone Grove tornado last Tuesday evening.
Local paramedics transported injured patients, engaged in search and rescue for victims trapped in fallen buildings and debris, and supplied radio relays when normal medical communications in the area went down.
The first and last patients taken to hospitals rode in Love County ambulances, said EMS manager Tad Hall, PA.
Several, including priority one trauma patients, were taken directly to Mercy Memorial Health Center in Ardmore. Only one patient was transported to Mercy Health/Love County.
The deadly storm claimed eight lives and seriously injured 14 others as it swept through Lone Grove at 7:25 p.m. More than 100 homes were destroyed.
A total of three Love County EMS ambulances, one rescue unit, and nine EMT/Paramedics were called to the scene, providing mutual aid to Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service.
Meantime, back in Marietta, 30 off-duty doctors, nurses and other medical staff were summoned to the hospital. They stood by throughout the evening to admit up to 16 patients if needed, according to administrator Richard Barker.
The emergency alert ended about 9:30 p.m.
Thanks to expansion of Love County EMS, other paramedics and two ambulances remained on duty in Love County to cover any local emergency calls.
About the time the tornado response was ending, a fire call came in from the WinStar Casino travel plaza. Love County medics and the EMS fire brigade stationed at WinStar Casino responded.
The incident, Hall said, turned out to be a minor electrical event and was quickly resolved.
Medics who answered calls in Lone Grove included Justin Cheek, Teresa Tow, Alex Eden, Matthew Etherington, Obie Heath, James Hicks, Jeff Hicks, Ryan Weger, and Adam Zimmerer.