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Emergency Medical Services Response to a Major Freeway Bridge Collapse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2013

John L. Hick ,
Jeffrey D. Ho ,
William G. Heegaard ,
Douglas D. Brunette ,
Anne Lapine ,
Tom Ward  and
Joseph E. Clinton
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Abstract

Background: The Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River on August 1, 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 127.

Methods: This article describes the emergency medical services response to this incident.

Results/Discussion: Complexities of the event included difficult patient access, multiple sectors of operation, and multiple mutual-aid agencies. Patient evacuation and transportation was rapid, with the collapse zone cleared of victims 95 minutes after the initial 9-1-1 call. A common regional emergency medical service incident management plan that was exercised was critical to the success of the response.

Conclusions: Communication and patient tracking difficulties could be improved in future responses. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2(Suppl 1):S17–S24)

Keywords

emergency medical servicesmass casualty incident, triage
Type
Original Research and Critical Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 2 , Issue S1 , September 2008 , pp. S17 - S24
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2008

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