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Local ambulances rush to volunteer in Texas

By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

ONTARIO - The sirens could be heard all over the city Thursday afternoon as 23 ambulances headed to Houston in preparation for Hurricane Rita.

At 2 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency contacted ambulance services nationwide asking companies to volunteer vehicles and personnel, said Debbie Copeland, vice president for provider relations with Priority One Ambulance headquartered in Ontario.

"There was a lot of good teamwork out here and we got going as soon as we were called," Copeland said. "So many of our staff volunteered. Everybody wanted to be a part of it even though only some of them could go."

In the early morning hours, Priority One dispatched 14 ambulances, each with a two-man crew, on the 1,500 mile journey. Seven of the ambulances were from the company's Ontario headquarters; the other seven came from Northern California, Copeland said.

AmeriCare Ambulance service joined Priority One's caravan sending nine ambulances from its Los Angeles headquarters. At 1 p.m., the 23 ambulances headed down the eastbound 10 Freeway to the northbound 15 Freeway with lights flashing and sirens ringing.

"We were very fortunate that we could be a part of this," said Shawn Stewart, suite operations manager for Priority One. "We are in the business of helping people."

FEMA sent out the call Thursday for more than 400 medical team personnel, 14 Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces, 800 more personnel and the American Red Cross and U.S. Coast Guard to brace for the hurricane expected to make landfall in Texas and Louisiana later this week.

"Federal officials are working very closely with the states of Texas and Louisiana and have commodities, rescue personnel and other assets moving into place today," said acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison.

American Medical Response, which has already sent nearly 200 ambulances with crews from across the nation to aid with Katrina relief, has been told by FEMA to wait for the call, said Michael Reynolds, company spokesman.

"FEMA will wait until they know what they need and will contact us depending on what their needs are," Reynolds said. "But the exact need will not come until Rita hits."

Late Thursday afternoon, the ambulances crossed the Arizona border staying in contact with their dispatch office in Ontario.

They wanted to know what the weather was like in Arizona, Stewart said.

"Let's hope Rita isn't as tragic as Katrina," Copeland said. "But at this moment, I'm overjoyed to be part of such an amazing company."

- Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at
sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552.