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Emergency personnel kept busy with injuries by Debbie Throgmorton--dthrogmorton@journalenterprise.com “No one could completely comprehend the devastation until the first light of day,” stated Providence Fire Chief Brad Curry. “Had it not been for the quick response and support of all the medical and emergency personnel who volunteered their services we might have lost some residents,” added Curry. Before the emergency sirens ever stopped sounding the alarms warning of the approaching storm, Providence Fire and Police departments were on the scene. And within a matter of minutes surrounding area rescue departments were headed toward Providence to offer assistance. Downed power lines and trees blocked the roads in every entrance to Providence but emergency personnel could not be stopped. Many walked miles into town crawling under electrical lines and over trees to offer their help. An emergency triage was immediately established in the fire department’s bay area by local nurses, EMT’s and paramedics to treat the injured. Five patients were treated and released for minor injuries Following the initial incident, 29 residents were transported by various EMS agencies including Providence, Webster, Union, Ohio, Henderson and Madisonville to Regional Medical Center in Madisonville. Also, throughout the remainder of the day and evening on Sunday, an additional 10 residents with tornado related injuries were transported to the hospital. Extra staff at Regional Medical Center including doctors, nurses and support teams were immediately called in to treat the trauma injuries. A total of nine patients required hospitalization with one patient, Mary Sivils, being transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Evansville, Ind. by lifeflight. She is listed in critical condition. No fatalities have been reported. E-Mail this article to a friend.

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