Anderson County EMS and Knoxville Fire Department representing State of Tennessee EMS Region 2 and headed to Charleston, S.C., on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, to help with Hurricane Florence. Pictured above are Scott Prosise and Bobbi Jo Henderson of Anderson County EMS, and Brian Buchanan of KFD. (Photo by Anderson County EMS)
Anderson County Emergency Medical Services has responded to a deployment request from the state of South Carolina to aid in evacuations ahead of the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Florence.
Anderson County EMS is part of the Region II EMS Directors Association, which is comprised of 30 ambulance, fire, rescue, aeromedical, and hospital agencies located in 16 counties throughout East Tennessee.
The Anderson County team responded to South Carolina’s call for help with the “Ambus,” a regional asset from Region II EMS Directors Association, that is housed, maintained, and operated by Anderson County EMS, a press release said.
The Ambus is designed to accommodate 20 or more low-acuity patients from one location, the press release said. It is not designed for the most critical patients, although the unit can adapt to any situation that is encountered. The transport kit was provided by the state and installed into a school bus donated by Morgan County Schools.
The Ambus has been deployed on previous events, including the Gatlinburg wildfires in 2016.
“I am incredibly proud of our Anderson County EMS team, and that they are trained, ready, and willing to help others in need when called,” Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said.
This current deployment mission is a joint venture with other Ambus operations found in other regions of Tennessee. They were deployed on September 10, 2018, to the Charleston County, South Carolina, area. Current information is that they will return home before the hurricane makes landfall in South Carolina, the press release said.
The Ambus is being staffed by Anderson County EMS staff Deputy Director/Paramedic Bobbi Jo Henderson, Paramedic Scott Prosise, and Knoxville Fire Department Paramedic Brian Buchanan.
“It is an honor to be a part of such a great association, to have opportunities such as this,” Anderson County EMS Director Nathan Sweet said. “We have a great team at Anderson County and I am proud of their desire to step up and help others. Whether it is our neighbors in Gatlinburg, or people in different states, we are all in this together.”
Updates can be found on the Anderson County EMS Facebook page as the crew has time to post them.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has ordered the evacuation of all the state’s residents and visitors along South Carolina’s entire 187-mile coastline ahead of Hurricane Florence’s anticipated arrival, according to national media reports.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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