EMERGENCY

DISPATCHES

Broadcasts about these fire and ambulance calls were monitored this past week by the newspaper:

JAN. 9

3 a.m. — Lincolnville firefighters blocked off Topeka and 6th Sts. in Lincolnville for a downed power line and spent nearly two hours checking the rest of the city for limbs felled by wet snow.

4:42 a.m. — A 46-year-old woman having trouble breathing and initially unable to find her inhaler during a power failure at a house in Canada declined to be taken to a hospital by Marion ambulance, which became stuck in snow. State and county road crews were unable to assist the ambulance, but an Auto House tow truck freed it.

10:30 a.m. — A 53-year-old man having trouble breathing in the 300 block of S. Lincoln St. in Hillsboro was taken to Hillsboro Community Hospital by Hillsboro ambulance.

11:14 a.m. — A 61-year-old man who may have suffered a stroke was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke Hospital, Marion, to NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center. Dispatchers initially called for Hillsboro ambulance to transfer the patient from HCH, but an ambulance attendant who was at HCH at the time corrected the dispatch.

11:48 a.m. — With Marion ambulance en route to Newton, Hillsboro ambulance was sent to Homestead Affordable Housing in Marion to transport to St. Luke a resident who activated a medical alarm. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 1:41 p.m.

12:45 p.m. — With Hillsboro ambulance still at St. Luke and Marion ambulance returning from Newton, a Goessel first responder, Peabody ambulance, and Marion ambulance, en route back from Newton, were dispatched to a barn near 80th and Eagle Rds. where an unconscious man was reported to be foaming at the mouth, not breathing, and receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A county road grader and a Goessel firefighter operating a snowplow and backhoe helped clear a path for responders. The Goessel first responder arrived about 20 minutes after the call came in. The ambulances arrived 40 minutes later. Marion ambulance took the patient to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Marion at 4:16 p.m.

4:41 p.m. — A county snowplow cleared a path for Hillsboro ambulance to reach an 85-year-old man who fell near 140th and Falcon Rds. A Goessel first responder and the ambulance and arrived around 5:24 p.m. The ambulance took the man to HCH.

5:32 p.m. — A 75-year-old woman unable to walk because of knee pain at a farmhouse near 290th and Pawnee Rds. by Tampa ambulance. An off-duty medic and a county snowplow also responded, the first of them arriving at 5:56 p.m. The ambulance arrived 12 minutes later and took the woman to St. Luke, arriving at 7:07 p.m. The ambulance returned to Tampa at 8:10 p.m.

5:46 p.m. — An 85-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation was transferred by Marion ambulance from HCH to St. Luke.

7:07 p.m. — Hillsboro ambulance was dispatched to HCH to transfer an 87-year-old woman, also with a-fib, to St. Luke, but HCH later called to say the transfer would be delayed until the hospital called back at 7:29 p.m.

7:11 p.m. — Goessel firefighters determined that a defective carbon monoxide detector caused an alarm at a farmhouse near K-15 and 70th Rd.

11 p.m. — Hillsboro ambulance stood by at 230th and Diamond Rds. and then took to HCH a person whom sheriff’s deputies wanted to have checked for emotional difficulties.

JAN. 10

1:56 a.m. — A 62-year-old woman experiencing stomach pain after receiving chemotherapy was taken by Tampa ambulance to St. Luke from the 100 block of S. Jefferson St. in Lost Springs. Lost Springs firefighters were dispatched to help gain access to the home and lift the patient. The ambulance returned to Tampa at 5:34 a.m.

10:51 a.m. — A fire alarm at Parkside Homes assisted living in Hillsboro was determined by an alarm company to be a false alarm before Hillsboro firefighters arrived.

11:23 a.m. — A 68-year-old man, sick for a week and throwing up at Oakwood Manor apartments in Hillsboro, was taken to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance.

1:07 p.m. — A 67-year-old man with cardiac issues was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Marion at 3:24 p.m.

3:29 p.m. — An 85-year-old man with a fractured spine was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.

7:11 p.m. — A driver who hit his head on a steering wheel when his car slid into a ditch on Indigo Rd. between 80th and 90th Rds. was taken to HCH by Peabody ambulance. Peabody firefighters were dispatched to help get the man out of his car.

8:39 p.m. — A 62-year-old woman with cancer was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to Wesley. The ambulance returned to Marion at 11:34 p.m.

11:50 p.m. — A 63-year-old man, possibly with Crohn’s disease, was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Marion at 1:45 a.m.

THURSDAY

1:56 a.m. — A 68-year-old man needing an orthopedic consultation was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Wesley. The initial call came at 1:56 a.m. but was delayed until 2:59 a.m. while waiting for a room to become available at Wesley. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 5:25 a.m.

9:14 a.m. — A 95-year-old woman not feeling well at Parkside Homes assisted living in Hillsboro was taken by Hillsboro ambulance to HCH on her physician’s orders.

4:08 p.m. — The woman transferred from Parkside to HCH was returned to Parkside by Hillsboro ambulance.

FRIDAY

9:59 a.m. — A 70-year-old man with a kidney stone was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Wesley Woodlawn Hospital, Wichita.

2:36 p.m. — A 77-year-old woman having trouble breathing at a home near 190th and Jade Rds. declined to be taken to a hospital by Hillsboro ambulance. Marion ambulance also was called but was told to stand down before it arrived.

4:28 p.m. — A 91-year-old woman with abnormal vital signs at Parkside Homes assisted living was taken to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance.

6:58 p.m. — An ill 87-year-old man, barely able to walk at a home in the 500 block of Columbus St. in Tampa, was taken to St. Luke by Tampa ambulance.

SATURDAY

5:28 a.m. — A woman needing help getting up at Homestead Affordable Housing in Marion declined to be taken to a hospital by Marion ambulance.

10:41 a.m. — Hillsboro ambulance was dispatched for an uninjured 82-year-old woman who fell at a home in the 700 block of N. Peabody St. in Peabody and needed helped getting up, but the ambulance was called off before it arrived after a Peabody police officer provided the assistance needed. Peabody ambulance also was dispatched but did not answer.

1:12 p.m. — A 76-year-old woman needing a surgical consultation was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to McPherson Center for Health. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 3:09 p.m.

4:33 p.m. — Hillsboro and Peabody ambulances once again were initially dispatched to the 700 block of N. Peabody St. for what appeared to be the same 82-year-old woman who once again fell, was not injured, and was helped up by a Peabody police officer. The ambulances were called off before they arrived.

8:21 p.m. — A vomiting man with blurred vision and high blood pressure at a farmhouse near 180th and Alamo Rds. was taken to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance. A county snowplow initially was called to help the ambulance reach the farmhouse, but it was told to stand down before it arrived.

SUNDAY

12:31 a.m. — A 69-year-old man with sepsis was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to McPherson Center for Health. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 2:02 a.m.

5:10 a.m. — Marion firefighters determined that a smoke alarm at a home in the 1200 block of Denver St. in Marion was a false alarm.

9:50 p.m. — A fire alarm at Tabor College’s California Hall was determined by Hillsboro firefighters to have been caused by steam from a shower.

11:37 p.m. — A fire alarm at Tabor College’s men’s quad also was determined by Hillsboro firefighters to have been a false alarm, caused in this case by a burst hot water pipe.

MONDAY

12:01 a.m. — What initially was reported to be an overturned semi-trailer on US-56 between Diamond and Eagle Rds. was determined by Hillsboro firefighters, rescue squad members, and ambulance attendants to be reflectors in a farm field.

5:28 a.m. — Power from Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative failed in the Goessel area, and firefighters opened a shelter for any needing it.

8:13 a.m. — A smoky fire, visible from 10 miles away, in a 1,698-square-foot, 1925 bungalow in the 400 block of Topeka St. in Lincolnville was battled for 1½ hours before being brought under control by firefighters from Lincolnville, Marion, Herington, Tampa, Ramona, Hillsboro, Florence, and Durham, many of whom remained on mop-up duty until after 2:38 p.m.

Snowpacked roads delayed firefighters’ arrival, and zero-degree weather prevented trucks from obtaining water. Many were sent as far as 12 miles away to Herington to refill after firefighters were unable to obtain water at Centre High School because of frozen connectors that they could not thaw with propane torches.

Ambulances from Tampa, Marion, and briefly Dickinson County were sent to treat a 32-year-old relative who had jumped from the house’s roof and possibly broke an ankle. Also reportedly treated were one person suffering chest pains and six people suffering from smoke inhalation.

Marion ambulance took the 32-year-old to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, Wichita, after being diverted there from NMC Health.

Although foul play was not suspected, a state fire investigator was dispatched.

5:47 p.m. — A 34-year-old man who became caught under a snowplow at US-56 at K-15/Holly Rd. was taken to HCH by private vehicle. Hillsboro ambulance initially was called but was told to stand down before it arrived.

7:12 p.m. — The man taken to HCH by private vehicle was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Wesley’s trauma unit.

7:39 p.m. — Lincolnville firefighters, who had been checking to see whether the house fire they battled earlier had rekindled, were sent back after flames began appearing among smoldering rubble. They spent 1½ hours dealing with multiple spots of rekindling.