REMS cleans up awards at the House of Commons

Telford Road Traffic Collision

At approximately 1010 on the 27 July 2009 a refuse truck collided with another

refuse truck on the Trench Lock roundabout in Telford, Shropshire. Having left the office to get some stationary supplies I, Daniel Thomas, came across the first ambulance crew and the scene of the accident in one of our response vehicles.

The first paramedic crew on scene had difficulty gaining access to the two patients who were both trapped due to significant cab intrusion. The first was in shock in the passenger seat; the second was trapped around his lower body due to the cabin having caved in around him. Assessing the situation on approach and deeming sufficient need I made my way through the traffic and parked at the rear of the scene providing additional cover.

I approached the scene and identified myself as off duty and passing but willing to offer any support and assistance. Upon speaking to the paramedic it was clear the situation called for further assistance, as the engine of the vehicle was still running and the cabin of the vehicle was filling with smoke, and this was duly requested. I also offered the further support of two of our Technical Rescue Paramedics that were still in our operational headquarters around the corner.

Jonathan Trattles and David Seel also responded in another of our primary response vehicles to the scene closely followed by the fire brigade and another ambulance crew. The three of us as a team worked to isolate the engines power and fuel lines, but the key snapped off in the igniting making it increasingly difficult, so one of Jon Trattles could access the cab and assist with the patient.

We were all as a team in a difficult position as we were committed to the scene but realised we would had have to retreat due to the risk of fire/explosion. At this moment in time our team took charge of the scene to create a systematic approach to the situation for all services to work closely and efficiently for the interests of the patients.

The first patient, who was not trapped, was extricated from the vehicle and taken by an NWAS ambulance to the Telford General Hospital. With our team on scene it allowed us to clear the second ambulance without a patient to resume other emergency calls, as at this point the EMAS helicopter was en route.

Jon climbed inside the smashed cab to deliver treatment whilst the Dave and myself worked to gain access to the patient from outside the vehicle through the wreckage attempting to space create with our hands which was not going to work and there was an obvious need for a mechanical solution from the fire brigade.

During this process the fire brigade managed to move the front refuse lorry to allow us greater access to the trapped patient, as Jon dealt with drawing up Morphine and Metoclopramide and fluids to make the patient more comfortable and allow for any further complications that may have arisen due to the entrapment mechanisms of injury, we had recognised this need as a team much earlier than others on scene due to our familiarity with working in such technical environments.

At this point I was maintaining the patients fluids, keeping them free from the fire brigades cutting equipment and managing the area I was in whilst Dave Seel with his experience helped guide the fire brigade in creating the space.

It was not long after this the EMAS Helicopter crew arrived, landing on the now closed Trench Lock roundabout, and providing additional support in terms of treating the patient inside the cabin and his extrication. Whilst one of our team

assisted with the patient, another, a holmatro instructor, assisted the fire brigade in space creation around the patient. At this point there were in excess of thirty individuals on scene, all with relevant jobs and those without a direct need maintained a safe and unobtrusive distance.

Shortly after the arrival of the EMAS Helicopter I was told by one of there Paramedics that the Coventry and Warwick Helicopter was inbound with a doctor on board to provide further clinical skills. Our team worked closely with the helimed crews in making vital decisions as to the treatment and extrication of the patient.

The second helicopter arrived promptly and after an initial handover and scene assessment with one of our paramedics who was in the cab, a decision was made that there was enough space to now extricate the patient. The helimed doctor at this point decided that the most practical way to do this was using a Kendrick Extrication Device (KED).

With the helimed crews nor the WMAS ambulances carrying this piece of equipment we informed the doctor that we could have one on scene within minutes as we are based nearby, again this was confirmed and requested. I then telephoned another of our off duty crews, David Anderson and Barry Wade, who had the initiative to ready themselves at the office incase further support was needed, to request a KED for the scene which arrived moments later.

Due to the crews on scene being unfamiliar with the equipment our team assisted with the KED extraction of the patient and his immobilisation where he could be properly assessed and his wounds managed, again using our israeli compression bandages that the other crews were surprised to see. Along with the helimed crew I then assisted with the removal of the patientfrom the scene to the helicopter for transport to Selly Oak Hospital.

I left the patient with the crew and asked if there was any further assistance needed from our team, at this point one of the helimed doctors specifically thanked our team for the work we had done and asked me to pass it on to the others.

The helicopter left the scene shortly followed by the other one and crews started to pack away equipment tidy the scene and hand over to the police and other authorities. Our team had finished at this point and made a specific effort to thank all those involved for a good job.

Shortly before leaving we were approached by the ambulance office and WMAS Cardiac Community First Responder coordinator who enquired as to who our team were and our dynamics.

After explaining this at some length and our specialist roles he asked why were not responding within the community, something that we had tried to set up on the initial move to Telford.

This has resulted in further communication between WMAS and REMS to initialise a voluntary ad hoc responder scheme for our teams to assist the ambulance trust, with rapid response vehicles as and when we can with a view to enabling a more permanent arrangement. The incident provided a good demonstration of efficient teamwork and positive patient care in a busy and stressful environment.

The teams skills and training from our other specialist roles clearly showed through from showing initiative to offer the available resources at the outset knowing capabilities of the team to having the skills and resources to provide equipment that suited the situation to which we were faced with, providing a further positive outcome for the company, the team and more importantly the local community.

Working alongside rescue paramedics in these kind of environments has allowed me to become a well rounded EMT, attempting to think outside of the usual scope and take an alternative angle on a situation if required, progressing my skills and constantly developing my training.

The Team in the House of Commons

Bev getting her award from Jacqui Lait MP & Michael Pearce Preseident of the ASI.

Dave Seel, Dan Thomas & John Trattles receiving their awards from Jacqui Lait MP

Dave Anderson presenting the "Paramedic of the Year" award to Renton O'Malley (South Western Ambulance Service)

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Posted on 16 Nov 2009 by Reporter