,
64 tweets,
15 min read
Read on Twitter
Fremont Rural VFD being called to multiple additional water rescues. One caller along the Elkhorn River reports the elderly mother is trapped and a porch has collapsed with water coming in the basement. Occupants are unable to make it to the roof.
Requesting Yutan assist.
Yutan is unavailable.
Multiple boats enroute to make a rescue. The caller is advising that the structure is nearly completely destroyed. All that is left is a center beam and a back wall.
Both rescue boats are now stuck and it sounds like personnel are in the water. Requesting a boat to come get them.
"We're in trouble!"
"We're in trouble!"
FF 1: "Can you guys get to dry ground!?"
FF 2: "I don't think so!"
FF 2: "I don't think so!"
Both boats have capsized and all personnel are in the water. The have located an emergency egress area on top of a railroad track if they have no other way out.
FF: "Do your best to get us a boat. I don't know what to say."
Personnel working on getting to the railroad tracks through swift water moving through a field. No trees or other objects around. Command contacting the railroad company to try to get a truck out there to assist.
Personnel working on getting to the railroad tracks through swift water moving through a field. No trees or other objects around. Command contacting the railroad company to try to get a truck out there to assist.
Waterloo VFD, National Guard, NSP, LifeNet all enroute.
"WE GOT A SHIT TON OF POWER LINES ABOVE OUR HEAD!"
"We're getting pretty cold."
General location is near County Road 28 and U Blvd just East of Fremont and just South of Hwy 30. 
Route in is Hwy 275 to Hwy 30.
.@NEMAtweets is aware. @NENationalGuard rep on scene assessing,
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard Douglas County advising there are 7 firefighters with 5 in dire need.
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard "We need to have all personnel available respond until we get this mitigated."
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard Contacting Mead VFD and Yutan Dive team to get them enroute. Requesting @OPDABLE1. Tell them to come in as it is a Help a Firefighter.
OFD: R33
Time Out: 21:26
OFD: R33
Time Out: 21:26
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 2 Blackhawk helicopters and Lifenet enroute. Coast Guard also notified.
Victims are still inside the house and are in dire need as well.
Victims are still inside the house and are in dire need as well.
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 Lifenet has been cancelled as it can not fly with Blackhawks in the area. 15 minute ETA on the National Guard.
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 FF 1: "You guys still hanging on?"
FF 2: "We're doing our best. Were still shivering!"
FF 1: "You're doing good?"
FF 2: "We are all together at this time!"
FF 2: "We're doing our best. Were still shivering!"
FF 1: "You're doing good?"
FF 2: "We are all together at this time!"
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 "When the helicopters arrive shine any lights on yourselves and in the air!"
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 Command: "Everybody hanging in there?"
FF 1: "We're doing what we can do."
FF 1: "We're doing what we can do."
@NEMAtweets @NENationalGuard @OPDABLE1 3 medics on scene. One member will likely need hospitalization for cold exposure.
Responding crews not attempting a water rescue as they are leaving them for the helicopters to prevent further rescues.
One helicopter on scene.
Responding crews evaluating houses in the area for potential victims as well.
One blackhawk is going to land to assist in establishing a contact on the ground. Discussing how to rescue the 5 individuals trapped in the ground.
Council Bluffs Fire enroute. Dispatch working on establishing coms with the blackhawks so they can talk with crews in the water.
Fremont Hospital also given a pre-alert.
Medics on scene:
Waterloo- 1
Valley- 2
Fremont- 2
Waterloo- 1
Valley- 2
Fremont- 2
Dispatch unable to patch the blackhawks in to their current coms channel. A lot of radio channels labeled the same thing.
Attempting to find a LZ for the blackhawks.
Blackhawk is at firefighters. 5 firefighters loaded in the helo. 2 left.
Firefighter: "IF ANYONE CAN READ ME WE HAVE 5 OUT OF THE WATER. 2 TO GO!"
LZ is established on the highway. Firefighters will be transported to the hospital as a couple are very cold.
"All rescue personnel are in the helicopter."
Crews still evaluating how to get the family of 5 out trapped inside the house.
Firefighter: "I'M ON THE BLACKHAWK. WE'VE GOT ALL 7. THEY'RE TAKING US TO THE AIRPORT!"
Blackhawk is safe and is wheels down at the Fremont Airport. Medics enroute to the airport to transport the firefighters to Fremont Hospital.
Ground crews unable to get the 5 civilians out of the house. Responders are meeting with the Blackhawk at the airport to evaluate how they may be able to rescue them.
3 of the fire personnel were in street clothes and were not in any water suits. They are going to be more hypothermic than the others.
Second blackhawk is on scene.
First Fremont medic enroute to Fremont Hospital Code 3 with a firefighter who was submerged in the water for about an hour and he is cold to the touch.
Second blackhawk is searching for the family at this time.
Waterloo Medic 811 enroute to Fremont Hospital with 3 firefighters from the airport.
NSP has established coms with the blackhawk.
Valley Medic 510 enroute to Fremont Hospital Code 2 with 1 firefighter.
Valley Medic 511 enroute to Fremont Hospital Code 2 with 1 firefighter.
Crews on scene working on re-establishing contact with the stranded family.
Some extra crews on scene are returning to service.
Contact has been made with the civilians. They are advising they have 1 foot of flowing water through the home. They also have 3/4 walls collapsed.
Victim is hanging out of the house and is shining a light at the helo.
Additional medics staging at Fremont Airport as this is where the rescued civilians will be dropped off.
A medic from the helicopter went down and made contact with the residents. They refused to evacuate and essentially "told off" the medic. However, the female caller says no one ever made contact. The blackhawk is back enroute to Columbus for life threatening injuries.
There may be a second individual they made contact with.
FF1: "Medical to command. The family all refused to get on the helicopter."
FF2: "They all refused to get the helicopter!? Uhh were they notified there was no other way for us to get them out of there?"
FF1: "Correct they were."
FF2: "They all refused to get the helicopter!? Uhh were they notified there was no other way for us to get them out of there?"
FF1: "Correct they were."
Sounds like command is terminated all crews from all departments are returning to service.
