Orland
Fire responds to emergency call: Man’s hand caught in meat grinder
The
Orland Fire Protection District received an emergency call on Saturday (Nov. 3)
involving a worker whose fingers were caught in a food meat grinder. The
seriousness of the circumstances were aggravated when firefighters trying to
extricate his hand from the machine had accompany the many to the hospital.
Fire
Chief Ken Brucki said it was an extremely unusual incident.
“Once
on the scene, the firefighters and paramedics were presented with an extremely
serious incident which would test their skills and experience,” Brucki said.
“The
worker had his arm stuck in a machine that grinds meat. The paramedics quickly
began to treat the worker as the firefighters developed a plan to extricate the
worker. It became quickly apparent that the extraction would be difficult and
time consuming, the rescue team began to dismantle as much of the machine as
possible on the scene.”
Brucki
said that paramedics recognized that the patient had to be immediately
transported to the hospital where the extrication had to be completed in the
emergency room.
“It
was obvious to the paramedics that the this rescue would require medical staff
and an Emergency Room for the best outcome,” Brucki said.
“The
decision was made to transport the worker with his arm still in the grinder
part of the machine to Silver Cross Hospital where doctors could assist the
rescue team in the removal.”
Brucki
said it was the patient was taken to Silver Cross Hospital.
“This
was a first in the history of the Orland Fire Protection District, we had never
gone to a hospital to continue an extraction, Engine 3, Truck 1, Battalion 1
and Ambulance 3 all proceeded to Silver Cross hospital,” Brucki said.
“Once
at the hospital firefighters conferred with Emergency room Doctors, it was
decided that the extrication could not be done in surgery and that the
firefighter would perform the extraction in a sub room of the ER where the
firefighter could use a smaller version of the “Jaws of Life” to meticulously
cut away the grinder portion of the machine.”
Brucki
said it was “like a scene from a movie” with firefighters cutting the machine
apart under the direction of the Emergency Room Doctors.
“The
extrication lasted about 20 minutes and was successful the ER staff immediately
took over care as the firefighters began to put their equipment back in
service,” Brucki said. “This is another example of how well trained our Orland
Firefighters are to handle unique situations.”
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