W ith reports that multiple residents were trapped inside, crews from Fame EMS in Lewistown, Pa., set up for mass casualty incident (MCI) operations immediately on arrival at this two-alarm apartment blaze in Lewistown Borough at midnight on Jan. 17. Ten BLS and ALS ambulances and three rehab units from two counties responded to the MCI at the three-story, 28-unit building. The crews– who had recently participated in specialized MCI training–triaged, treated and transported 13 patients in less than 30 minutes. Six Priority 1, one Priority 2, and six Priority 3 patients were taken to Lewistown Hospital and Mt. Nittany Medical Center in State College for treatment of injuries, including smoke inhalation, burns, respiratory burns and fractures. Rehab operations were established early in a nearby parking lot to support the 100-plus firefighters on scene. For a more detailed report on this incident, visit jems.com/extras.
This article originally appeared in May 2010 JEMS as Call to Action: Systematic MCI Operations.
