First response plows help EMS render care in storms

Jennifer Lewke

[anvplayer video=”5083935″ station=”998131″]

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — In weather conditions like we saw Monday, getting around can be very difficult for anyone let alone emergency crews trying to help others. We all assume that if we call 911 for help, we’ll get it and we will but it doesn’t just magically happen.

Pat Donovan is the guy who helps first responders help you if you need it in this weather. He drives the first-response plow truck for CHS Ambulance which covers most of the west side of Monroe County.

That truck helps keep the bases clear, plows out paramedics and EMTs who need to get to work and then follows ambulances on calls.

"It has been pretty bad… there was really deep snow probably about 1-2 o’clock this morning," Donovan said, "the town plows had not been out yet or very limited so any hills, ambulances were getting stuck… they were struggling to get up so, we were running around trying to do everything we could to get them to the patients that needed help."

In this kind of weather, there is also the issue of the patient’s driveway.

"We’ve been lucky that some patients have walked out for us which has been very, very helpful but there have been a couple that we’ve had to plow and shovel a path from the front door right to the road," Donovan explained.

Donovan basically delivers whatever help he can to ensure the CHS crews offer the same life-saving services regardless of the weather conditions outside.

"They get on the radio and give us a call and I’ll get there as fast as I can," he told News10NBC.