Sleds used to haul patients to Prince George's Co. ambulances | News
SUITLAND, Md. (WUSA9) -- First responders in Prince George's County had to use sleds and National Guard humvees to rescue people with medical emergencies.
Most calls for help involve attempting to drive on side streets that are either unplowed or have only one lane available.
On Shadyside Avenue in Suitland, neighbors rushed to help EMT/Firefighters push aside vehicles that were blocking the path of an ambulance rushing to get to a man who had trouble breathing.
The struggle resulted in a 20 minute response time for a call that usually takes five minutes, the patient's wife said.
Two National Guard Humvees have been assigned to the Suitland area to help navigate unplowed streets. Firefighters are also using four-wheel-drive pickups mounted with plows to retrieve patients and bring them out to wait for ambulances.
When there is no other choice, rescuers have used plastic sleds to haul patients out of unplowed neighborhoods.
"You just have to make do," said one paramedic.
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