Ambulance sent to school for odd call
Staff writer
County EMS director Travis Parmley received a first-time request last week when a Peabody ambulance was called to provide assistance at Peabody-Burns High School for an out-of-control teenager.
He had never been in such a situation but said there was no reason for the crew to refuse responding, either.
“That’s uncommon, I think,” he said. “We’re obviously willing to work with anybody who needs whatever help we can provide.”
Peabody police responded first, but the ambulance and a sheriff’s deputy were requested as precautions, Peabody police chief Bruce Burke said.
“If the situation warrants it, we might have to make the call for them,” he said. “I was exploring options at that point.”
The call was not related to COVID-19 or drug use, Burke said, but declined to provide further explanation for why the call was made.
Parmley also sent a first responder with clearance to provide medication.
“If you’re talking excited delirium or something like that, we would need to give them Ketamine,” he said. “In an excited delirium they get so out of sorts that there’s no calming them, there’s no reasoning. We’d have to sedate them.”
The situation did not reach that level. Parmley was told the situation was under control by when ambulance crews arrived, and the additional responder from Marion was called back before reaching Peabody.