Flight for Life Awards Waukesha Fire Department Scene Call of the Year

A 21-year-old man with life threatening injuries had just been involved in a severe accident. Hearing the description at the scene, Battalion Chief Joe Vitale immediately put Flight for Life on standby as the Waukesha Fire Department, Waukesha Police Department and Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department responded to the busy intersection, according to a news release from Flight for Life.

The fire department arrived at the scene and discovered three people were injured. Flight for Life was launched to the intersection.

The patient with life threatening injuries was unresponsive, so medical personnel began resuscitative efforts at the scene before the patient was placed in the helicopter and transported to Froedtert Hospital.

“In nothing short of a little miracle, several days later the flight crew discovered that this patient survived his injuries and did very well, ultimately being discharged home,” a news release states.

That was in May 2010. Now, more than a year later, the Waukesha Fire Department will be honored as they were selected as Flight for Life’s scene call of the year for 2010. The award will be presented to he fire department at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday during the Common Council meeting at City Hall.

“I think it's just a great testament to all the training, response times, patient care and trauma systems that we have that really gave this kid a second chance,” Vitale said.

The young man had multi-system trauma, Vitale explained, with injuries including a torn aorta, broken femur, ruptured liver and spleen and closed head injury.

“The biggest thing is that it took a total team effort from everyone involved to give this kid a chance of survival,” Vitale said.

Only 1 percent of people who receive similar injuries survive, Vitale said. The young man was not only resuscitated, but he was discharged from the hospital 11 days later.

“It's a testament to all the systems involved: pre-hospital to helicopter to the Level 1 trauma center at Froedtert,” Vitale said.

The news release states that the scene call of the year award is judged on guidelines from the American College of Surgeons for utilization of air medical transport and transfer to an appropriate trauma center.

The submissions, the release states, were also reviewed for the following:

• Scene safety
• Patient triage and treatment decisions
• Integration of the helicopter into the call
• Overall incident scene management and interagency teamwork

“The call that the City of Waukesha Fire Department responded to that day highlights the outstanding collaborative partnership that exists among dispatch centers, EMS, fire departments, law enforcement, hospitals and air medical services as they work together to provide patients the best opportunity for a positive outcome,” the release states.