With Ambulance Stuck in Snow, Oklahoma Rescuers Get Creative

Dec. 2--A house fire caused by a floor furnace seriously injured a man and two children Friday, and their rescue was complicated when an ambulance got stuck in the snow.

Deep snow covering the streets hampered emergency vehicle response throughout the region Friday. Firefighters, ambulance medics and police officers have had to work together to get where they need to go.

"This is an unprecedented weather event," said EMSA ambulance service spokeswoman Tina Wells. "We have never experienced anything like this before."

She said EMSA worked creatively, calling in off-duty personnel and relying on four-wheel drive support vehicles, fire department first responders and tow trucks to aid in response.

About 7 a.m. Friday, firefighters and EMSA medics were dispatched to a house near Third Street and Sheridan Road, authorities said.

"We arrived to find flames coming out of the front of the house and heavy smoke conditions inside the house," Fire Capt. Larry Bowles said.

A woman had escaped the fire, but a man and two young boys remained inside.

"We forced entry in the front door, went inside and got them out," Bowles said.

They all suffered burns and smoke inhalation and required transportation to a hospital.

EMSA sent four ambulances to the house fire, and one of the ambulances became stuck in the snow.

Medics and firefighters improvised by placing one of the victims in the back of an EMSA supervisor's pickup and driving him to a waiting ambulance less than a block away.

A man in his 30s and a teenage boy were transported to Hillcrest Medical Center in serious condition, Wells said. A boy who was described as being 11 years old was transported to the same hospital in critical condition, she said.

Authorities did not identify the victims Friday. Bowles said the fire was caused by combustibles -- a couch and a cardboard box -- that were too close to the floor furnace.

Wells said the winter precipitation has had a significant impact on emergency medical operations throughout northeast Oklahoma.

Calls for ambulances remained low for most of Thursday but around 10 p.m. Thursday, ambulances began having increased difficulty driving on area roads, particularly in neighborhoods.

The pace was intense until 2 a.m. Thursday and then spiked again from 7 to 11 a.m. Friday.

"EMSA continues to respond to all 911 medical calls," Wells said. "Due to the slick roads, many patients are experiencing extended response times."

The calls are prioritized according to severity of the patient's condition.

Between 3 p.m and midnight Thursday, firefighters responded 22 times to help free ambulances from the snow, Bowles said.

Firetrucks, however, are not having any problems getting around, Bowles said.

"At the first sign of a winter storm, we send out an administrative message to get the (tire) chains out and put them on the trucks," Bowles said. "With those on, and as heavy as those trucks are, we really don't have any problem getting around."

Wells said that EMSA used chains in the first two years of operation. Chains can damage the road and the vehicle using them if not used on snow-covered roads.

At the height of the snowfall Thursday evening, dozens of Tulsa police officers found themselves stuck in ditches and drifts.

Officer Jason Willingham said that at one point, they were told that it would be three hours before tow trucks could free the police cars from the snow.

"Most officers get used to carrying a shovel with them," he said.

Most of the patrol cars are Ford Crown Victorias and have rear-wheel drive, which does not get good traction in the snow and ice.

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