Garage becomes makeshift hospital during Calif. wildfires

Ambulance uses garage to keep patients safe


After their ambulance caught fire, paramedics used an abandoned garage  to keep shelter patients until they could get to safety, according to an article on The Washington Post website.

In an act of desperation, a paramedic had broken into the house Nov. 8, through a doggie door, the article said. The ambulance crew then moved three patients into the garage. They were joined by others, and ultimately 13 people took refuge from the fire.

The medical staff and patients — including a woman who had just had a C-Section — huddled in the garage as fire “rained down” around them, according to one of the nurses in the group.

The medical staff had escaped with some patients from Feather River Hospital in Paradise that morning in two ambulances. They were about a mile from the hospital when one of the ambulances broke down from the thick smoke, then started to melt.

Medical staff and firefighters kept the house safe after the ambulance crew unloaded patients into the garage. 

Read the article.

 

 



November 27, 2018


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Dirty Floors: How Pathogens Can Accumulate and Spread Underfoot

Studies show that healthcare floors are covered in bacteria and can quickly spread throughout patient rooms. 


WellSpan Health Opens Its Newberry Hospital in Pennsylvania

This marks the opening of its 10th hospital in the region spanning Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland.


Cahaba Center for Mental Health Ensnared in Data Breach

On March 28, 2025, Cahaba identified suspicious activity in an employee email account.


Reframing the Construction Manager as a Community Manager

Managers must work with patients, community residents and other interested parties to ensure a smooth, successful construction projects


Health First Celebrates 'Topping Off' Ceremony for New Cape Canaveral Hospital Campus

Construction is slated to finish by the end of 2026 or early 2027.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.