Medevac Problems with Tree Strike Injury 2015

At approximately 1450 hours, while a firefighter on the Holnakatna Fire #539 is mopping-up the edge of the fireline, a 60-foot tall white spruce tree falls and strikes the firefighter directly across his upper back. The other firefighters in the vicinity immediately respond and inform the Incident Commander, who is EMT qualified, as well as a Medic assigned to the fire. The mechanism of injury and symptoms that the firefighter is reporting indicate that his injuries call for advanced medical care. Galena Fire Management Zone Dispatch is contacted and a medevac helicopter and backboard are requested by the personnel on scene. A plan unfolds that includes calling for a fixed-wing air ambulance to be ordered to the nearest airport, located in Galena. A Type 2 Zone Helicopter, located in Galena, will fill the initial retrieval request and fly to the fire to begin the medevac process.

Aviation, Medevac, RLS, Mop Up, Helicopters, Hit by Tree