EMERGENCY

DISPATCHES

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

DEC. 29

9:46 a.m. — A 69-year-old woman with general malaise and low blood pressure was transferred by Marion ambulance from Marion Assisted Living to St. Luke Hospital, Marion.

5:49 p.m. — Flames reported to be 30 to 40 feet high at an imprecise location a quarter of a mile west of Burns were determined by Burns firefighters to be from unreported controlled burning of a brush pile. The landowner was encouraged to report controlled burning in the future.

8:04 p.m. — An 81-year-old woman at Bethesda Home in Goessel was transferred to NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center, by Hillsboro ambulance. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 10 p.m.

DEC. 30

9:46 a.m. — A 53-year-old woman with chest pains and short of breath at a home in the 200 block of W. Union St. in Lost Springs was taken to Salina Regional Health Center by Marion ambulance. Lincolnville first responders provided initial evaluation until Marion and Tampa ambulances arrived simultaneously. Marion ambulance returned to Marion at 1:15 p.m.

10:22 a.m. — A 68-year-old woman having trouble breathing at Oakwood Manor apartments in Hillsboro was taken to Hillsboro Community Hospital by Hillsboro ambulance.

4:36 p.m. — A 53-year-old woman with nausea, vomiting, and trouble breathing at a home in the 100 block of E. 9th St. in Florence was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

7:16 p.m. — A 55-year-old man with a pulmonary embolism was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to Kansas Heart Hospital, Wichita.

8:58 p.m. — An unverified, second-hand report of a chimney fire at a farmhouse on K-15 north of 220th Rd. was determined by Hillsboro firefighters to be a false alarm. Durham, Tampa, and Lehigh firefighters and Hillsboro ambulance also were dispatched but were told they would not be needed. An incorrect address, a mile south of the actual location, initially was provided.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

7:18 a.m. — A postoperative 83-year-old man with low blood pressure and low blood oxygen at a farmhouse on the county line south of 80th Rd. was transported by a Hesston ambulance after a caller expressed concern about how long it would take for Hillsboro ambulance to arrive. Goessel first responders provided initial evaluation of the patient.

8:28 a.m. — A 68-year-old man dizzy and not feeling well while riding in a semi-trailer truck near Pawnee Rd. north of 30th Rd. was taken to NMC by Marion ambulance. A sheriff’s deputy also responded. Hillsboro ambulance initially was dispatched but told dispatchers the call was in Marion ambulance’s territory. The ambulance returned to Marion at 10:55 p.m.

2:25 p.m. — A 78-year-old woman with kidney stones was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to Salina Regional. The ambulance returned to Marion at 5:09 p.m.

NEW YEAR’S DAY

4:50 a.m. — A 67-year-old woman who fell at a rental home in the 100 block of N. Roosevelt St. in Marion was helped up by Marion firefighters and ambulance attendants but declined to be taken to a hospital by Marion ambulance.

7:42 a.m. — A 90-year-old woman with back pain at a farmhouse on 40th Rd. west of US-77 was taken to Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital, El Dorado, by Marion ambulance. The ambulance returned to Marion at 10:20 a.m. Burns first responders provided initial evaluation. The call originally was assigned to Hillsboro ambulance in error.

10:41 a.m. — A 69-year-old man who fell from a combine and hit his head on concrete at a farm near 230th and Quail Creek Rds. was taken to NMC by Marion ambulance. The ambulance returned to Marion at 1:15 p.m. An ambulance supervisor also responded.

3:06 p.m. — The 67-year-old woman who earlier declined to be taken to a hospital from a home in the 100 block of N. Roosevelt St. in Marion was taken to HCH by Marion ambulance.

THURSDAY

8:31 a.m. — An 81-year-old woman who fell at a home in the 100 block of E. 4th St. in Florence was helped up but declined to be taken to a hospital by Marion ambulance. A sheriff’s deputy also was dispatched to help ambulance attendants enter the home.

9:18 a.m. — An 83-year-old woman with weakness and swelling in her legs at Sunrise Townhomes in Marion was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

9:54 a.m. — An automated alarm activated on behalf of a 54-year-old man at Carriage Manor apartments in Florence proved to be a false alarm. The call originally was assigned to Hillsboro ambulance but was switched to Marion ambulance after it finished its call to St. Luke.

10:44 a.m. — An 87-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from St. Luke to Kansas Heart. After traveling to Marion for supplies, the ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 2:41 p.m.. An ambulance supervisor switched the call from Marion ambulance to Hillsboro ambulance.

11 a.m. — A 77-year-old man with influenza and trouble breathing at a home in the 300 block of S. Lincoln St. in Marion was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

4:49 p.m. — A 77-year-old man who fell and may have broken his arm at a farm on Newell Rd. north of US-50 was taken to NMC by Hillsboro ambulance. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 6:48 p.m. Dispatchers accidentally paged Marion ambulance first.

5:53 p.m. — A 58-year-old woman who may have suffered a stroke at Peabody Health and Rehab was taken to NMC by Marion ambulance.

6:40 p.m. — Marion ambulance attendants were informed that a 75-year-old man with sepsis needed to be transferred from St. Luke when the ambulance returned to Marion. The ambulance arrived at St. Luke at 9:02 p.m., took the patient to NMC, and returned to Marion at 10:29 p.m.

FRIDAY

1:21 a.m. — A 35-year-old woman with stroke symptoms was transferred from St. Luke to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, by Hillsboro ambulance, which opted to take the call instead of Marion ambulance. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 4:02 a.m.

11:41 a.m. — At a physician’s request, a 63-year-old man was transferred from Salem Home to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance.

1:39 p.m. — A 78-year-old man who fell at a home in the 600 block of S. Main St. in Hillsboro was helped up but declined to be taken to a hospital by Hillsboro ambulance.

3:21 p.m. — Both Marion and Hillsboro ambulances responded to a report of a possibly unresponsive passenger in a vehicle westbound on K-150 from Zebulon Rd., but medics were unable to locate the vehicle.

5:06 p.m. — An uninjured woman who fell at Indian Guide Terrace apartments in Peabody was helped up but declined to be taken to a hospital by Hillsboro ambulance. Medics and dispatchers had trouble locating a key to enter the apartment.

5:25 p.m. — Marion firefighters responded to an automated report of a water flow alarm at the Sports and Aquatics Center in Marion. Players practicing in the center evacuated, but the alarm turned out to be an issue with an apparently faulty sensor.

8:14 p.m. — A 25-year-old pregnant woman with abdominal pain was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to NMC. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 10 p.m.

8:21 p.m. — A 45-year-old man recovering from a neck injury and thinking he might be having a heart attack at a home on 140th Rd. near Aulne was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

10:59 p.m. — An explosion and fire engulfing a garage containing multiple vehicles near 5th St. and Circle Dr. in Florence was battled by residents with garden hoses before Florence, Peabody, Marion, and Burns firefighters arrived. Marion ambulance stood by as a precaution. A sheriff’s deputy and the county emergency manager also responded. A fire investigator was contacted. The fire was contained within an hour. Firefighters remained on the scene until 1 a.m.

SATURDAY

12:18 p.m. — A man with what was described as a critical head injury was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Wesley. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 2:56 p.m.

12:44 p.m. — A 90-year-old woman who fell out of bed and hurt her back at a farmhouse near 40th and Yarrow Rds. was taken to Susan B. Allen by Marion ambulance. Burns first responders provided initial evaluation of the patient.

9:24 p.m. — A woman in her 50s who fell, may have hurt her hip, and was unable to get up off a sidewalk outside Carriage Manor apartments in Florence was covered with blankets by Florence and Burns firefighters and eventually moved inside on a backboard pending arrival of Marion ambulance, delayed until 9:49 p.m. by icy roads. She was taken to St. Luke at 10:25 p.m., arriving at 10:52 p.m.

9:53 p.m. — A 75-year-old woman lightheaded after two falls seven hours earlier outside a home on Prairie Ln. at Marion County Lake had to wait until 11:34 p.m. for Marion ambulance to arrive and take her to St. Luke, where it arrived at 11:57 p.m.

Hillsboro ambulance initially was dispatched, but it slid off ice-covered Upland Rd. into a ditch south of Marion Airport. Dispatchers informed medics no county personnel were available to extricate the ambulance.

Although not dispatched, Marion firefighters went to Upland to try to extricate the ambulance, but all they could do was take the medics to the Marion ambulance station at 11:23 p.m. The medics then activated a backup ambulance formerly based in Peabody and headed back to Hillsboro at 3:40 a.m.

“The Yeti has returned to her igloo,” an ambulance attendant radioed at 4:25 a.m., in an apparent reference to the ambulance’s return.

A county road grader had to free both the ambulance and a large wrecker that also went off the road while trying to tow the ambulance.

SUNDAY

12:50 a.m. — A power failure and sparks flying from a utility pole in the 600 block of E. 2nd St. in Peabody, later reported to be nearer to 2nd and Spruce Sts., were monitored for an hour and a half by Peabody firefighters pending arrival of an Evergy crew, already in town working on other power failures. Power was restored at 2:25 a.m.

1:11 a.m. — A 50-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to NMC. The ambulance returned to Marion at 4:44 a.m.

4:57 a.m. — An epileptic 22-year-old woman having an unusually long seizure at a home in the 200 block of S. Buller St. in Goessel was taken to NMC by Hillsboro ambulance. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 8:27 a.m., recommending that K-15 be closed because of drifting. A Goessel first responder provided initial evaluation of the patient.

10:58 a.m. — A vehicle fire outside county shops in the 100 block of E. 1st St. in Peabody was extinguished by Peabody firefighters, who requested a tow truck but were told towing companies were declining to dispatch wreckers.

11:26 a.m. — A caller’s concern about smoke coming back into her residence from a chimney at a home on 59th Rd. just south of Peabody was determined by Peabody firefighters, who knocked ice off the chimney, to have been no problem.

12:01 p.m. — Lincolnville and Lost Springs firefighters helped free three vehicles stuck on ice with snow drifted around them on US-56/77 between 330th and 340th Rds. and then searched for other stranded vehicles south of there. One driver was driven to Lincolnville to be picked up by relatives.

12:21 p.m. — A second-hand report of a 30-year-old man who suffered multiple seizures sent Marion ambulance on an hour-long trip to a home in the 200 block of N. Maple St. in Peabody. The call originally was assigned to Hillsboro ambulance but was changed by an ambulance supervisor. Peabody firefighters were called to help lift the patient at 1:40 p.m. He then was taken in serious condition to NMC, leaving Peabody at 2:07 p.m. and arriving in Newton at 2:59 p.m.

1:30 p.m. — US-56/77 north from Marion County into Dickinson County was closed because of highway patrol and Department of Transportation vehicles that slid into ditches. The county’s emergency manager requested that the highway also be closed in Marion County.

1:50 p.m. — All state highways in Marion County and 15 other counties in the region were ordered closed by KDOT. Soon afterward, KDOT snowplows were ordered to make one last past on K-256 through Marion then return to their garages and abandon snowplowing until 4 a.m. Monday, later revised to 8 a.m. Monday. Three additional counties were added to the closure list at 9:51 p.m.

2:25 p.m. — A second check of US-56/77 by Lincolnville firefighters discovered another vehicle stuck in six-foot drifts with near zero visibility 1½ miles north of Lincolnville. Unable to find accommodations or reach their destination, occupants were offered shelter at Lincolnville Community Center.

3:15 p.m. — Returning to Marion from Newton, Marion ambulance was redirected to the 800 block of N. Walnut St. in Peabody for a report of an 83-year-old woman who fell and hurt her legs and back.

An ambulance supervisor asked that Peabody firefighters evaluate the woman pending delayed arrival of the ambulance. Although firefighters informed dispatchers at 3:29 p.m. that the ambulance wouldn’t be needed, an off-duty ambulance attendant who visited the residence reinstated the call.

The ambulance became stuck in snow at 4:12 p.m. at 7th and Maple Sts. Attendants proceeded to the woman’s house on foot while Peabody firefighters attempted to free the ambulance. The ambulance was freed at 4:30 p.m. and arrived at the victim’s house a minute later but again became stuck.

At 5 p.m., the ambulance began transporting the woman, evaluated as being in serious condition, to NMC. The trip, which normally takes 22 minutes, took 38 minutes.

4:39 p.m. — A vehicle stranded at 80th and Nighthawk Rds. was freed by a Peabody firefighter but quickly became stuck again and was towed by firefighters to 9th St. in Peabody, which had recently been plowed.

6:08 p.m. — Cell phones in the region received an emergency alert urging residents not to drive on “very dangerous” Kansas roads until sometime Monday.

6:49 p.m. — Still on its way back from Newton, Marion ambulance was redirected to a farmhouse on US-56/77 near 210th Rd. where an 89-year-old man had fallen and lain outside for two hours before sheriff’s deputies found him and took him inside.

An ambulance supervisor left Hillsboro at 7:03 p.m., arriving at 7:24 p.m. after having to drive around a semi-trailer truck stuck in the US-56/77/K-150 roundabout.

The ambulance arrived at 7:32 p.m. and at 7:48 p.m. took the man in serious condition to St. Luke, arriving at 8:02 p.m.

The ambulance did not make it back to its station in Marion until 9:45 p.m.

MONDAY

6:43 a.m. — It took 40 minutes for Durham first responders and Tampa ambulance to reach a farmhouse near 310th and Diamond Rds. where a 54-year-old woman was unable to eat for several days because of nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Responders initially were told no updates about snowplowing were available from the county road and bridges department. A Durham firefighter then volunteered to take a loader to the farm to help clear the way, and a first responder contacted a county grader operator who prioritized routes the ambulance and first responder might take.

Following the plow, responders reached the farmhouse and took the woman to HCH, arriving at 8:45 a.m. The ambulance made its way back to Tampa at 10:15 a.m.

9:58 a.m. — An 89-year-old woman doubling over in pain at Casey’s General Store in Hillsboro declined to be taken to a hospital by Hillsboro ambulance.

3:40 p.m. — A man in his 60s or 70s who fell on ice, hit his head, and was not responding normally at Hillsboro Hometown Pharmacy decided to go to HCH by private vehicle rather than Hillsboro ambulance, which nonetheless escorted him to there.

5:41 p.m. — A Kansas Highway Patrol airplane checked K-15 from 330th Rd. to 370th Rd. for stranded vehicles but found hone.