Hospital RN Returns the Favor after Wildfire Near-Death Experience
The Adventist Health Feather River Hospital, a small, beautiful community hospital that served the needs of the community of Paradise in Butte County was destroyed by the “Camp” Wildfire that consumed 117,000 acres and burned more than 40 Paradise residents to death.
Registered Nurse Allyn Pierce was trapped by a fire surrounding his Toyota pickup, trapped in traffic, after leaving the hospital where he manages the intensive care unit.
He thought, “I think I’m done!”
He told the New York Times that he just kept thinking, “I’m going to die in melting plastic.”
Pierce, fearing he might not make it out alive, used his phone to record a message to his family. “Just in case this doesn’t work out, I want you to know I really tried to make it out.”
He held his coat against the car window, a futile attempt to guard against the raging fire’s intense heat. Then he put on Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” to calm himself.
Then, just when he thought his life was going to be lost, Allyn heard and then saw a bulldozer come out of nowhere and knock a burning vehicle that was hindering his escape – out of the way, giving him just enough space to flee.
With his life spared, Pierce decided not to leave Paradise and, instead, returned to his hospital where he and his colleagues began treating injured fire victims. Then, when the hospital itself caught on fire, Piece and other staff relocated patients and essential equipment 100 yards away, to the hospital’s helico...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P Tags: News Resiliency Operations Source Type: news