Ambulance Strike Teams at the RNC a Model for Success

Numerous Minneapolis-Saint Paul area EMS agencies, headed by the U.S. Secret Service, undertook special preparations to handle EMS operations during the Republican National Convention held Sept 1-4, 2008. Following is an inside account of the experience along with some lessons to take away for future events.

Make Ready

At 1300 on Monday, Sept.1, Ambulance Strike Team (AST) 2 was called out to downtown St. Paul by the U.S. Secret Service. Local media had just reported that some "splinter" protestor groups were becoming violent near downtown St. Paul. In response, a strike team leader in a Chevrolet suburban and 4 ambulances left the undisclosed EMS garage facility in St Paul. Each ambulance had a painted orange ID number on its sides and each rig was from a different ambulance service.

In the Metro Region EMS communications room, a dispatcher said, "Ambulance strike team 2 reports to location on ETAC 4, reply back on arrival and switch to ETAC 3 and wait for assignment on ETAC 3 channel." The Metro communications room had 5 EMS personnel, again all from different ambulance services in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The table was full of 8 laptop computers, and a large screen on the wall displayed all EMS/Police/Fire calls on a Google map of downtown St. Paul. The Google map was a "real time" map of incidents and calls from the U.S. Secret Service (USSS). Dispatcher J.D. said, "We even know where a suspicious package was left, where a bridge was blocked, or where an anarchist type group has been sprayed by police."

At EMS Command

A Metropolitan Emergency Services Board member, Mary, handed me an EMS bag, clipboard and an ANSI Level II vest. I responded with Metro Region EMS Coordinator Ron Robinson and Minneapolis Fire Chief Charlotte Holt, in Chief Holt's Ford Explorer, to supply additional first aid items and to provide lunch and refreshments to (AST) Ambulance Strike Team 2. AST 2 was now dispatched to a second location by the USSS, on the north side of downtown St. Paul.

Horse Patrol Sheriff's Officer Saved

At the Minneapolis Police Public Works building, we learned that a horse patrol sheriff's officer had arrived on Sunday and unloaded his horse stock and food/hay supplies in the parking lot in preparation for horse patrol coverage for the City of Minneapolis. Suddenly he dropped to the ground from cardiac arrest. The garage employee placed an AED on the patient and shocked him twice. As Mpls Fire and HCMC Ambulance arrived, the sheriff had a return of spontaneous circulation, and was alive. The Mpls Public Works garage had just received the AED's and training this year!

AST 2

We arrived in the parking lot at the Sears building near the Capitol and downtown St. Paul, and saw 5 ambulances and a strike team leader's Crown Victoria vehicle. All members wore blue Metro Region EMS shirts and vests with "MN Metro Region EMS Strike Team" letters as identification. Also present was a controller, John Bundt from the Twin Cities Hospital Commission, and Dr. Marc Conterato, emergency room physician and assistant Medical Director at North Memorial Ambulance.

All 5 ambulances were from different ambulance services, but a St. Paul Fire/EMS rig was present in the southern end of the parking lot, on standby and providing local 911 coverage. The purpose of the AST is to serve and handle a potential "surge" of EMS calls, and to respond to USSS requests close by for EMS coverage. We could see the protestors and demonstrators peacefully walking the fenced designated route, some carrying poster signs on the south side of the parking lot.

One person stopped by and said, "I got trapped inside the protestor fenced route and could not get back to my car and ended up walking further." AST 2 staff and Dr. Conterato provided him with a chair, water and a cool ice pack. After about 15 minutes, he said "thanks" and headed out to his car "about 2-3 blocks away." About 100-200 or more persons walked through the Sears parking lot, some carrying signs, and the temperature was 86 degrees with a warm to hot southerly breeze.