EMS praise crash response

If there was a silver lining in Thursday’s deadly chain reaction crash on Interstate 57 east of Charleston, it was how Southeast Missouri’s first responders rose to the occasion in the minutes and hours following the horrific string of accidents.

That is the observation of Butler County EMS public relations and communications manager — and EMT — Katy Ormsby, who was on scene Thursday at the incident in Mississippi County.

“It was one of the most horrific things I’ve ever seen,” Ormsby said. “(But) the incident command that was on scene, they had everything under control as far as they could. EMS knew where they needed to be, fire knew where they needed to be. Law enforcement was amazing, Highway patrol was doing their job.”

Preliminary information released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol is that there were at least 14 injuries, with five confirmed fatalities, according to Sgt. Clark Parrott. Approximately 47 vehicles were involved.

The investigation is ongoing, with the Major Crash Investigation Unit, five commercial motor vehicle troopers and officers conducting inspections on every commercial vehicle.

A fire broke out among the vehicles and portions of the interstate were closed through Thursday night.

“It’s what we’re trained for — and I think Southeast Missouri really handled it well,” Ormsby said of the response. “We don’t want to see those things happen, obviously, but when we’re needed, we were all there together. It was like one big agency — we weren’t different companies working against each other or different ambulance districts not coming into anyone else’s territory. We all worked together like one big family.”

Ormsby said Butler County EMS sent six crew members, meaning three ambulances, to Charleston. The call for mutual aid arrived at approximately 9 a.m. Thursday and Ormsby said Butler County EMS was on scene by 9:45 a.m.

“We were the last company to get there (because) we’re further (away) than anyone else,” Ormsby said. “But we jumped as soon as they called.”

Ormsby has worked in the office for Butler County EMS for several years, but has been “on the truck” as an EMT for only a year. Thursday’s incident was her first mass casualty event.

“I did some training for it when I went through EMT school at (Three Rivers College), but nothing can prepare you for the real thing,” Ormsby said. “Nothing can prepare you for seeing all that. It was an experience. And I’m new to the EMT field. I’ve been with Butler County for seven years in dispatch in the office doing administrative work, so being new on the truck, that was definitely an experience.”

Ormsby was proud of how first responders stepped up Thursday.

“I know a lot of the first responders that were on scene — they’ve either worked for Butler County or we went through school together,” Ormsby said. “Everyone just worked hard. We wanted to get the highway open again and we wanted to save as many as we could. And unfortunately, we couldn’t save all of them. But we did what we could, and we were there to help.”

Ormsby also knows the coming days will be tough for those who were there just east of Charleston Thursday.

“We’re praying for all families involved and first responders as they go through the coming days,” Ormsby said. “For everything they’re going to rethink and all the what-ifs they’re going to ask themselves.”