The trip was long, some ambulances from our strike force got lost and ended up in Galveston, TX. None were ours, so we had to wait until they caught back up in a church parking lot and when the pastor showed up he panicked a bit, but relaxed once he knew why we were there. We then went to another staging area in a parking lot where we could get drinks and snacks and use a rest room. We then staged one more time at Fort Anahauc Park where they hold the yearly gator festival, which ended up being canceled due to Ike. We only knew this due to some really nice local residents that paid us a visit while we waited. They stated there are some huge gators in the water at the edge of the park, but we did not see any. We then finally landed at Anahauc Extended Care where only the 15 CEMS and affiliates ambulances were used.
Next in an orderly fashion we loaded up 1 patient at a time however, one ambulance took two patients, a nice couple that had been engaged recently. This was a long, slow, and grueling process but we got it done with the help of the Anahauc Volunteer Fire Department, and the good organization of the nursing home staff.
They started evacuating the ambulatory patients with 2 large motor coach buses while we waited for final instructions of where we were to go. We ended up at southeastern Regional Airport after a 57 mile drive where we waited very patiently with our patients for the Air National Guard to triage and let us unload them into the airport Fire Department garage, on to cots then to the large C130 planes. Our AMR/FEMA Task Force leader lead the charge with A701 to the Port Authur Civic Center where we not only picked up patients, but their families and a large amount of luggage which got evenly distributed to all 15 ambulances.
The Port Authur Police and Fire Department were so grateful they took a business card from one of us and they said they were going to contact the office and tell them what a great professional job we had done to help them finish their evacuation in a timely manor when they thought these citizens of theirs were not going to get evacuated.
We made it back to the airport where we waited outside the gates for what seemed like an eternity. We made it inside where we are still waiting for the Air National Guard to decide whether the patients are flying or busing out, but all their luggage has already been tagged, picked up, and awaiting to be loaded onto a plane.
We all know about best laid plans, so we are being very patient and taking excellent care of our patients until we turn over care to the Air National Guard. There still might be a nursing home for us to evacuate, but we will see what the rest of the night has in store, sounds like either another nursing home or hospital still needs evacuating its now 2355. More tomorrow
Michael Smith
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