Posted by oneofamajority (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why did it take Andalusia Fire Dept. 30 min. to get there? That is a shame.

Posted by fromabove (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Andalusia Fire Dept has no association with Advanced EMS. Advanced is the only known dept. that has extrication tools. The Andy Fire dept. doesnt even have such equipment. Thankfully Andalusia Fire actually responded, even though its not "inside of the city limits!" There isnt any mention of River Falls Fire Dept. Did they respond as well? Just for further info, the extrication process takes time!

I am pro-Fire, 100%! I think some of the extrication should be handled by the fire depts and have such equipment to do such. I also think that EMS and the Fire depts should cross train with each other for the betterment of the victim.

THANKFULLY, the victim was not harmed any further!
This should also be a reminder to slow down and obey the speed limits.

Posted by ahsgradaufan (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yes, the River Falls Fire Department was on scene. They responded accordingly and performed their duties well with the equipment they have.

Posted by outlaw11 (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is an ongoing problem here in our part of the state. I know that in Mobile, Montgomery, and NW Fla, there are QRTs (quick response teams) trained in extrication. These teams are made of firemen, EMTs, policemen, county, and even State Troopers. Each member is trained to react if needed, whether on duty or not. This means that at all times, there is at least one or two on duty, and on-call personnel are listed. There are several extrication tools in each area and normal response time is 15 mins. Instead of spending a lot of the money that is spent unwisely, I feel that some politician should 'man-up' and file for grants for this training and for the tools. Just the thoughts of a simple man.

Posted by proudamerican (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Quicky, to set the record straight from someone who knows the facts: The patient was extricated, treated on scene and in the hospital 30 minutes after the call came in to E911. (Check it out). Response time by Advanced EMS and Andalusia Rescue Squad (ARS), who work together on auto accidents - ARS handles heavy extrication, was about 5 minutes. ARS has some of the best professional extrication technicians in the business. ARS has two sets of Jaws of Life, a variety of air bags, and other extrication tools. Some of the information in the article and the posts above is wrong and casts a shadow on dedicated people who do a great professional job every day in Andalusia and the surrounding area. If you don't believe me, ask some of those whose lives have been saved. Thanks for allowing me to clear up some incorrect information.

Posted by outlaw11 (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks, proudam', all some of us have to go on is what is reported in the paper, on WAAO, and in these sections. But, I still say we need more. Anyway, good job to all who were involved.

Posted by 362firefighter (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just to clarify, ARS is NOT the only dept in the county with extrication tools. Along with ARS, Opp Fire and the Airport Fire have tools and the only volunteer dept in the county to have tools is Florala Fire. Also, all have very devoted individuals that train ALOT and I know that a large majority of Florala Fire's members are trained through the Alabama State Fire College, and I'm pretty the rest are as well. (I know the full time firefighters have to be, it's part of the curriculum at the Fire College) I just wanted to let people know that ARS is not the only person to have trained professionals using their tools. Thank You.

Posted by proudamerican (anonymous) on December 16, 2009 at 9:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks, 362firefighter for that post. You are correct, there are many fine fire departments across our county that have extrication equipment and trained techs to use it. They all provide a great service to their respective communities. What many citizens don't realize is how many times and under what conditions these volunteer groups are called on to respond - wrecks, industrial accidents, and all sorts of emergency situations. In 2007, ARS sold its ambulance business to Advanced EMS because it got to be too much of a burden. However, we still do extrication and rescue work on a volunteer basis. So, if you are qualified and interested in this kind of work, please contact me or call E911; they will direct you to one of our members.

Posted by proudtoserve (anonymous) on December 19, 2009 at 6:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ok guys there is alot of correct information in these comments... but one stands out to me and i can't stay quiet, the very first one... now i know i'm three days late and i hope u guys get my post a... now by no means am i mad... but Andalusia Fire Dept DID NOT respond to this call, and River Falls did, and also to set the record straight it would not have taken them 30 mins to respond... to Andalusia Rescue and Advanced Rescue, both are overly qualified in the jobs that they do, chances are if you have to be cut out of a car its gonna be done by Greg Plamer, and friends i've worked hand in hand with him you won't find anyone any better that will work any harder or faster than Greg, not to mention that he has done it for free for 17 years for this county... and i don't won't to take away from anyone else how helps out with that "just not sure who they are" and i'm really sure they are highly qualified too... now for Advanced Rescue, these guys are just plain damn awesome, we have medics that are second to none in that department i have also worked hand in hand with many of these guys too, you have guys like Michael Smith, Eddie Rawels, Darrin Raines, and several others that if you were in a ditch that you know if you see any of these guys you'll be in the best of hands, and as far as fire goes we have many many many great firefighters in our area, so please the next time you see one of these guys shake their hand they deserve it.... sorry for babbling

Posted by proudamerican (anonymous) on December 22, 2009 at 1:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen, Proudtoserve. Couldn't have said it better. We have the best extrication specialists in the state in Greg and Steve Palmer. They take cars apart as their job, who else could be better to pop a door off, etc. They are top notch. And, the paramedics and EMTs at Advanced EMS, they are the best of the best. I have been in this business for 32 years, and I would be proud for any of them to come get me, anytime, anywhere. If you aren't in the circles to know what these guys do on a daily basis, you would simply amazed at their talents and ability to save lives. From medical conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetic shock, etc. to accidents (car, industrial, farm), to gunshots, stabbings, to you name it. The worst being when they have to deal with children - babies, toddlers, children. These can nearly take down a seasoned paramedic, esp. if he/she has children. As the gentleman said above, they deserve our thanks and respect. They are the first line of defense between you and death in many cases. If you have been fortunate enough for these guys and girls to help you, add a post. Better yet, go by and tell them "thanks, I appreciate what you did for me." That would go further than you might know. Thanks for allowing me to ramble. One last thing, perhaps the Star News could run some special stories on these agencies during their national awareness week. For example, EMS week in usually in May I think.