MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
mebrady@co.pg.md.us Twitter: @PGFDPIO
Two Prince George's County employees were recognized by the Knights of Columbus in Bowie for their actions on the scene of an aircraft crash on Route 50 earlier this year. Fire Fighter/Medic Anthony L. Taylor was awarded the Knights of Columbus Career Fire Fighter of the Year and Paramedic Captain Roland D. Berg as the Career Paramedic of the Year. The awards ceremony was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Columbine Way on Saturday, January 18, 2014.
On Monday, September 2, 2013, Fire Fighter/Medic Taylor responded on board the advanced life support (ALS) unit from Northview Fire/EMS Station 816 for a reported plane crash at Freeway Airport in Bowie. Taylor was the first paramedic to arrive on the scene and encountered three victims with obvious serious injuries. A female victim, who was suffering from severe facial injuries, had been removed from the wreckage prior to the arrival of Fire/EMS units and was lying on the shoulder of the highway. Two critically injured male victims were trapped inside the plane and would require extensive extrication. Using his training and experience, he instructed the only basic life support transport unit on the scene to quickly load and transport the female patient to a nearby Trauma Center. This enabled Taylor to then focus the remaining victims, whose injuries were life-threatening. He provided ALS care to both patients while they were being extricated from the wreckage. One patient sustained a severe head injury and was presenting a decreased level of consciousness. The second patient complained of a possible broken back and could not move his legs.
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| (L to R) Paramedic Captain Berg and Fire Fighter/Medic Taylor (Bashoor pic) |
Paramedic Captain Berg realized both patients would need specialized medical care and transport to Shock Trauma in Baltimore and he requested additional air medavac resources. With additional ALS resources still a considerable distance away, Berg retrieved the ALS equipment from his vehicle. Berg began treating the patient whose back was possibly broken, while Fire Fighter Taylor attended the patient with the severe head injury. At the arrival of Glenn Dale Paramedic Unit 818, Captain Berg updated the Incident Commander on the patients’ status. Berg contacted Shock Trauma, via the Emergency Medical Resource Center, and gave them vital information that assisted with preparing for the patients’ arrival. When the 2 medavac helicopters, MSP Trooper 2 and US Park Eagle 1, arrived to transport, Berg directed and coordinated the quick and efficient transfer of care to the medavac crews.
Fire Fighter/Medic Anthony L. Taylor was presented with the Knights of Columbus Firefighter of the Year for his quick thinking to transport the female patient by BLS which is credited with saving her life. Immediately upon reaching the hospital, she was intubated and placed on a ventilator to protect her airway. Had he waited for another ALS unit to arrive and transport, the outcome could have been tragic. Taylor's decision also enabled him to concentrate on the two critically injured males and provide them the best possible chance for survival. His performance on the scene of the aforementioned incident helped save three lives.
Paramedic Captain Roland D. Berg was recognized as the Knights of Columbus Paramedic of the Year Award for his his quick and deliberate actions and expertise in mitigating the multi-casualty incident and helped to save the victims’ lives.
Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor was in attendance at the awards ceremony and stated, "I am constantly amazed at the level of professionalism and care that our firefighters and paramedics perform on a daily basis. I also am extremely grateful to the Knights of Columbus for recognizing our members and for their service to the community."
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