EMERGENCY

DISPATCHES

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

FEB. 28

8:14 a.m. — A lethargic and confused 89-year-old woman who fell and hit her head a day earlier at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro was taken to Hillsboro Community Hospital by Hillsboro ambulance.

9:56 a.m. — What appeared to be the same patient, now diagnosed with a brain bleed, was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, Wichita. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 12:15 p.m.

12:22 p.m. — A 76-year-old woman with a rapid heartbeat in the 100 block of W. 4th St. in Peabody declined to be taken to a hospital by Hillsboro ambulance. She told ambulance attendants she instead would go by private vehicle to NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center. The ambulance arrived at 12:47 p.m., diagnosed the patient as having a potentially life-threatening situation, remained at the home until 1:24 p.m., and returned to Hillsboro at 1:48 p.m.

6 p.m. — Lincolnville firefighters stood by during a controlled burn near 230th and Wagon Wheel Rds.

6:16 p.m. — An 82-year-old man bitten by a dog was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to NMC Health.

6:26 p.m. — A woman who told dispatchers she lost her car keys near 160th and Old Mill Rds. and asked for help was evaluated at a deputy’s request for possibly having a seizure but declined to be taken to a hospital by Marion ambulance.

7:05 p.m. — While en route back to its station, Marion ambulance was diverted to HCH for an emergency transfer to McPherson Center for Health, pending Hillsboro ambulance’s return to the county. The ambulance left for McPherson at 7:33 p.m.

7:30 p.m. — Still returning from Newton, Hillsboro ambulance was diverted to the 100 block of W. B St. in Hillsboro where a 21-year-old woman, 23 weeks’ pregnant, was experiencing contraction two to three minutes apart. Her physician wanted her taken to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, but paramedics feared that there might not be time. Still 12 to 15 minutes away, they asked for first responders from Hillsboro to be dispatched. They arrived at 7:37 p.m. Tampa ambulance also was dispatched to stand by in Pilsen in case of additional calls. Hillsboro ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and took the woman to HCH at 7:49 p.m. Hillsboro ambulance returned to the hospital at 9:18 p.m. to help transfer one patient by air ambulance and a second by Hillsboro ambulance to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 12:50 a.m.

9:23 p.m. — Still returning from McPherson, Marion ambulance was dispatched to a residence on Rose Lane near Gilham Rd. northwest of Marion County Lake, where a 67-year-old woman fell while bathing and hurt her wrist. She was taken to St. Luke. The ambulance returned to its quarters at 10:54 p.m.

MARCH 1

9:17 a.m. — A dead tree on fire near Peabody’s burn pit was extinguished within 25 minutes by Peabody firefighters.

2:43 p.m. — Smoke seen coming from a cement mixing plant near 3rd and Maple Sts. in Marion was determined by Marion firefighters to be from a controlled burn overseen by a new employee who hadn’t known that leaves should be taken to a city dump instead.

4:26 p.m. — A 24-year-old man whose right knee gave out in the 100 block of N. Cedar St. in Marion was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

THURSDAY

8:07 a.m. — A 78-year-old woman who suffered a seizure at a residence in the 100 block of N. Freeborn St. in Marion was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

11:43 a.m. — Burns first responders, dispatched along with Marion ambulance, determined that a medical alarm accidentally was activated by a 56-year-old man in the 200 block of W. Main St. in Burns.

2:04 p.m. — A 71-year-old man whose shoulder was injured by recoil from a chain saw east of Indigo Rd. on 70th Rd. was taken to NMC Health by Hillsboro ambulance. A lone first responder aboard Peabody ambulance arrived five minutes before Hillsboro ambulance.

3:19 p.m. — A requested transfer from St. Luke to NMC Health was delayed until 3:33 p.m., when Hillsboro ambulance returned the county. Marion ambulance transferred a 90-year-old woman with cardiac issues and returned to Marion at 5:36 p.m.

6:47 p.m. — Dispatchers informed Marion ambulance that a request to transfer a patient from St. Luke to Wesley was being delayed by other pending calls.

6:48 p.m. — A 63-year-old woman who may have suffered a stroke at a residence in the 200 block of N. Lincoln St. in Hillsboro was taken to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance.

6:59 p.m. — Marion ambulance and a lone first responder aboard Peabody ambulance were dispatched after a neighbor reported that an elderly woman in the 800 block of N. Poplar St. in Peabody was responsive and possibly not breathing. According to dispatchers, the neighbor declined to return to the residence to check on the woman. Upon arrival, the Peabody first responder reported that the woman had no pulse. Sheriff’s deputies were summoned. With all other ambulances occupied, Tampa ambulance be told to stand by in Canada for an hour in case of additional calls. Marion ambulance arrived at 7:17 p.m., and medics apparently pronounced the patient dead.

8:24 a.m. — Marion ambulance arrived at St. Luke to make the delayed transfer to Wesley. The ambulance returned to Marion at 11:05 p.m.

8:59 p.m. — A 78-year-old woman with abdominal pain and blood in her urine was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from Parkside Homes to HCH.

FRIDAY

1:15 p.m. — A 49-year-old man with unspecified illness or injury was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from HCH to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Hillsboro at 2:59 p.m.

5:22 p.m. — Goessel firefighters were alerted that a resident conducting a controlled burn accidentally had included tires in a burn pile.

6:48 p.m. — A 43-year-old woman with trouble breathing after undergoing surgery earlier in the day traveled by private vehicle to the Peabody ambulance station. She then was taken by Peabody ambulance to Indigo Rd. and US-50, where a crew from Hillsboro ambulance joined one of the Peabody EMTs in transporting the patient to St. Francis. The ambulance returned to Peabody at 8:52 p.m. Hillsboro ambulance, which had been left in Peabody as a first-response vehicle, then returned to Hillsboro.

SATURDAY

1:27 p.m. — An 82-year-year old woman who fell and hit her head at Marion Ace Hardware was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

2:13 p.m. — An out-of-control grass fire near 160th and Kanza Rds. was battled for 1½ hours by Hillsboro firefighters.

2:59 p.m. — A grass fire ignited while working on fences along 340th Rd. between Sunflower and Timber Rds. was extinguished in less than an hour by Lost Springs firefighters.

10:53 p.m. — A 2-year-old girl with pneumonia and hypoxia was transferred by Marion ambulance from St. Luke to NMC Health. The ambulance returned to Marion at 12:48 p.m.

SUNDAY

12:03 p.m. — A 26-year-old fugitive who complained of chest pains and a heart condition after police chased him on foot from Hillsboro’s Dollar General to a mobile home park on 3rd St. was checked by Hillsboro ambulance attendants but transported to jail, not a hospital.

12:56 p.m. — Firefighters from Marion, Florence, and Peabody spent 1½ hours battling a rekindled grass fire near 120th and Upland Rds.

3:09 p.m. — A 67-year-old woman who fell at a residence in the 200 block of S. Cedar St. in Marion and could not get up for several hours was taken to St. Luke by Marion ambulance.

7:30 p.m. — A 32-year-old man who suffered a seizure in the 500 block of N. Elm St. in Peabody was taken to HCH by Hillsboro ambulance. Peabody ambulance was not available.

7:52 p.m. — A 68-year-old woman injured in a traffic accident was transferred by Marion ambulance on a non-emergency basis from St. Luke to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. The ambulance waited until 8:53 p.m., after Hillsboro ambulance had arrived at HCH, before beginning the transfer. Marion ambulance returned to Marion at 11:18 p.m.

9:33 p.m. — With Marion ambulance en route to Hutchinson, Hillsboro ambulance was dispatched to St. Mark Catholic Church in Marion, where an unresponsive man was found lying in the yard. Law enforcement officers reported that the man was intoxicated. They and ambulance attendants helped him get home.

MONDAY

8:25 a.m. — Marion and Peabody ambulances and Peabody firefighters and rescue squad members were dispatched to a report of a semi-trailer truck being sideswiped by another semi on US-50 near Quail Creek Rd. The county’s ambulance director also responded and canceled the call to Marion ambulance after it was determined that the driver apparently was uninjured. Firefighters appear to have been needed only for traffic control.

Technical problems related to a power irregularity prevented monitoring of transmissions from 11:28 a.m. until 1:56 p.m.

2:15 p.m. — A 72-year-old man with low blood pressure was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from Salem Home to HCH.

3:05 p.m. — Hillsboro ambulance and Goessel first responders were dispatched to a residence near 90th Rd. and K-15 in response to a call from an, intoxicated 33-year-old man complaining of a kidney stone. Ambulance attendants initially asked for a sheriff’s deputy to be dispatched but withdrew that request after the patient began cooperating. He was taken by Hillsboro ambulance to NMC Health.

3:09 p.m. — Three people, including a 7-year-old girl initially reported to be unresponsive and not breathing, were injured in a one-vehicle rollover near 190th and Quail Creek Rd.

Two of the victims were airlifted by LifeSafe and EagleMed helicopters to Wesley more than an hour after the initial call. Transmissions did not indicate whether the third person was hospitalized.

With Hillsboro ambulance tied up on a call near Goessel, Marion and Tampa ambulances were dispatched. Marion ambulance arrived within six minutes, but Tampa ambulance did not arrive until 32 minutes after the initial call. The county ambulance director was available on scene, however.

The first helicopter had radio problems and had to contact a Marion firefighter via his personal cell phone. It arrived at 3:44 p.m.; the second, at 4:14 p.m. The first lifted off shortly thereafter; the second, at 4:37 p.m. The trip to Wesley reportedly took 15 minutes.

After cleanup, Marion ambulance was back in service at 5:24 p.m. Tampa ambulance returned to its station at 5:40 p.m.

8:41 p.m. — A 70-year-old woman reportedly injured by a dog was transferred by Hillsboro ambulance from Salem Home to HCH.