Hillsborough agencies ready to respond to mass casualty events like deadly Florida bus crash: HCFR
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Hillsborough County officials said they are prepared to respond to mass casualty incidents like the Marion County bus crash that left eight farm workers dead on Tuesday.
The crash happened just after 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a retired school bus carrying 53 migrant workers was heading to a farm when it was sideswiped by a pickup truck. The bus went through a fence, hit a tree and overturned. Bryan Howard was behind the wheel of the truck, according to troopers.
Troopers said eight people died and 40 others were rushed to the hospital. More than 30 ambulances responded to the crash.
Body camera video shows intense moments after Marion County bus crash
“In a scene like this, we depend, and we value the relationships and the friendships and the working relationship that we have with our counterparts in law enforcement and the fire department,” said FHP Lt. Pat Riordan.
“When we come together because of this tragedy of individuals here in my county that we work together,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
The Hillsborough County Rescue said its crews have trained for and responded to low frequency, high acuity events, working with law enforcement, fire departments and local hospitals. The fire rescue said the goal is not to overwhelm any one agency’s resources.
“By definition, for us, a mass casualty is anything that overwhelms the first compliment of the first units that arrive on scene,” said Rob Herrin with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
First responders rely on training. Once they arrive at a mass casualty scene, victims will be triaged.
Victims identified in fatal bus crash in Marion County
“You’re going from patient to patient to determine which ones are viable and which ones are not viable and it’s a simple as checking respirations,” Herrin explained. “If someone is breathing, we move onto the next step. If someone’s not breathing, we open their airway, if they’re still not breathing, we put a black tag on them and we consider them deceased.”
Herrin said HCFR developed a response plan to handle situations like what happened in Ocala.
“When we get to something that is the scope that happened in Marion County, we would also activate our emergency operation center and emergency management. They would assist with determining where patients are going,” he said.
That way the hospital isn’t overwhelmed by patients.
Six of the eight victims have been identified. Their ages range from 20 to 46 years old.
Howard is charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter. He is being held without bond.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
