OLATHE, Kan. — There were two things on ambulances in Johnson County Thursday morning that weren’t there last week: snow shovels and ice melt.
Med-Act, which provides emergency medical services to the county, said those winter tools help paramedics get a stretcher to and from a person’s house in an emergency.
“Those may be absolutely necessary to gain access to the house we respond to,” Division Chief Adiel Garcia said.
Ahead of Thursday morning, Garcia expected a lot of emergencies because it was the first morning commute of the season with snow on the ground. He said the number of calls increases when it rains, so on the first snow of the season, he expects even more.
“We go into work with a mindset that it may be non-stop, and we need to be able to keep our figurative pulse on that because our responders are going to need a break,” Garcia said.
He added Med-Act may bring in extra staff and ambulances to ensure a quick response. During particularly hazardous weather conditions, Med-Act sets up a type of command post where someone can help guide paramedics.
In icy conditions, paramedics wear grippers on their shoes, so they don’t injure themselves.
“If we slip and fall and become the next patient, we're of no use to the patient we actually responded to in the first place,” Garcia said.
