Emergency medical services response to a major freeway bridge collapse

Area of Science:

• Disaster medicine
• Emergency medical services
• Public health preparedness

Background:

• The Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis catastrophically collapsed into the Mississippi River on August 1, 2007.
• The incident resulted in 13 fatalities and 127 injuries, necessitating a large-scale emergency response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the emergency medical services (EMS) response to the I-35W Bridge collapse.
• To identify key factors contributing to the success and challenges of the EMS response.

Main Methods:

• Review of the emergency medical services response operations during the I-35W Bridge collapse.
• Analysis of patient access, operational sectors, and inter-agency coordination.

Main Results:

• Patient access was challenging due to the complex collapse environment.
• Evacuation and transportation of victims were completed rapidly, with the collapse zone cleared within 95 minutes of the initial call.
• The response involved multiple mutual-aid agencies, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts.

Conclusions:

• A pre-exercised, common regional emergency medical service incident management plan was crucial for the response's success.
• Future large-scale disaster responses could be enhanced by addressing communication and patient tracking system improvements.