Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company

On the afternoon of August 28, station 607 was dispatched along with station 900 for an ATV accident in the area of the intersection of Belltown Road and Old Garnder Road. Engine 607-4 responded code 3 with Chief Kovach as the officer. 607 Deputy responded direct to the scene and established incident command. Another member of the ATV riding party met the crews at the intersection and stated that the patient was a few miles off the road along a trail. 607 Chief requested that station 603 (Friedens) be dispatched for a special detail with their rescue modified John Deere Gator. The engine crew followed the ATV rider into the woods to the patient, a distance of approximately 1-2 miles. The patient was quickly evaluated by an EMT from the engine crew and a patient report was relayed to 607 Chief for the incoming 900 crew. 607 Chief requested that MedSTAR 1 be dispatched to the scene and 607 Deputy assumed the role of Landing Zone Officer. The engine crew packaged the patient into a stokes basket and began to extricate him from the location of the accident to an opening along a nearby ATV trail. 603 personnel arrived on scene with the gator and transported a medic from 957 into the woods to begin ALS care of the patient. MedSTAR 1 landed in a clearing in the woods about 1/2 mile from the location of the accident, and the MedSTAR crew was transported into the woods to administer medications before the patient was extricated the rest of the distance out of the woods. The patient was loaded onto the gator and taken to the helicopter where additional 607 crew members assisted in transferring the patient into the helicopter. MedSTAR 1 lifted from the scene, and all fire and EMS units cleared the scene without incident. The Sipesville volunteers would like to extend a special thanks to station 603 for their fast response with the Gator (this incident was the first emergency call for the unit).