Friday, June 29, 2007

Better luck next time

A mass casualty drill Wednesday turned into a minor disaster because firetrucks and ambulances couldn’t reach “injured” survivors of a mock plane crash.

American Medical Response ambulances and Colorado Springs firefighters didn’t reach the “crash” scene on Peterson Air Force Base until an hour after the drill began.

Doug McIntyre, a paramedic and disaster coordinator for AMR, said the delay was due to an escort’s failing to accompany the five ambulances and firefighters taking part in the drill through a security gate.

The main problem, said Cindy Litteral, Peterson’s deputy fire chief, was miscommunication.

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