Drills, drills, drills pay off at Onawa hospital
By Tim Gallagher, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Beth Fragedakis took on the role of information officer at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa, on Wednesday. The completely renovated 25-bed hospital treated nearly 20 Boy Scouts and other victims of the tornado that struck Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Blencoe, Iowa, just south of the Monona County seat. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
ONAWA, Iowa -- "We're always doing some sort of drill."
That's what Duane Renz, 26, said to me this week after working around the clock to serve those injured in the tornado Wednesday at Little Sioux Scout Ranch.
In fact, Renz, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, took part in a mock plane crash at the ranch two years ago. Emergency workers asked local Boy Scouts to help them in that drill.
On Wednesday, Renz was driving home to Mondamin, Iowa, when his pager went off. He pulled over in Pisgah, Iowa, and jumped in one of the four fire trucks Pisgah sent to the ranch. The nurse bolted from the truck and began hauling life-saving equipment to the scene as the driveway was still blocked by fallen trees and debris.
A Boy Scout on the site quickly recognized Renz.
"The boy had participated in our drill a couple of years ago and he recognized me," Renz said. "He told me I hauled him to the hospital a couple of years ago (in the drill)."
Renz, like so many others, hailed the job the Boy Scouts did in administering first aid to one another. Renz joined his crew from the ambulance that came from Burgess Health Center, the 25-bed critical-access bed serving Monona County.
"I helped with triage at the scene and once things settled down there, I came to the emergency room here (at Burgess)," he said.
That's where I set up shop late Wednesday. The whole place -- an impressive site by the way -- was more controlled than chaotic. Family members sat quietly and waited for news about their boys. A resident from Onawa walked in with a Bible and offered prayers and comfort as did local ministers.
Doctors, nurses and other medical staffers tended to the Boy Scouts who, according to everyone, remained calm in the face of tragedy.
Injuries included broken bones, back injuries, lacerations, head contusions and a chest injury. Twenty were transported to Burgess, including 16 Boy Scouts ages 13 to 15, two adults and two children.
Many of them were treated in an emergency room that had just seen its renovation project completed last month. They were given a boost when a large binder containing health records of the boys arrived at the hospital.
Burgess enacted its High Level Code Orange Disaster, said Dr. John Garred, Jr., a surgeon and longtime member of the medical center. Burgess conducts disaster drills every year and was planning to participate in a drill involving tornado response Thursday.
"We're always doing some sort of drill," Renz repeated.
One staff member I spoke with was home watching her daughter's triplets that night. When asked to report to the hospital, she wondered if it was another drill. Nope, she was told, this was all too real.
"Sixty to 70 additional helpers were brought in for this," said Beth Frangedakis, director of the lab and public information officer for Burgess. She was at home in Dakota Dunes when she got the call to report. She was still hard at it Wednesday at midnight when I left to head back to the Journal.
Frangedakis still had calls to take from "Good Morning America," "NBC News" and more.
Burgess also offered overnight lodging to up to eight parents and grandparents of hospitalized patients. More were expected to arrive after midnight for treatment of bumps and bruises.
Tonya Habrock of Norfolk, Neb., stood at the entrance of Burgess as the clock struck 12. Her younger brother Tyler, a junior-to-be at Norfolk Catholic High School, was at the camp, but escaped serious injury.
"When I heard about the tornado at the camp Tyler was at, my heart stopped and I cried forever," she said. "It was the longest 90-minute drive here."
Soon, they were reunited.
"He had been texting me from the camp," Habrock said. "He said it had been pretty boring."
Boring might describe the many drills the people at Burgess and in towns all across Siouxland continually undertake. If boring produces results like those we witnessed Wednesday, then I'm for a lot more boring.
Frangedakis summed it up well. "It became a day of pain as well as one of outstanding joy," she said.
That's what Duane Renz, 26, said to me this week after working around the clock to serve those injured in the tornado Wednesday at Little Sioux Scout Ranch.
In fact, Renz, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, took part in a mock plane crash at the ranch two years ago. Emergency workers asked local Boy Scouts to help them in that drill.
On Wednesday, Renz was driving home to Mondamin, Iowa, when his pager went off. He pulled over in Pisgah, Iowa, and jumped in one of the four fire trucks Pisgah sent to the ranch. The nurse bolted from the truck and began hauling life-saving equipment to the scene as the driveway was still blocked by fallen trees and debris.
A Boy Scout on the site quickly recognized Renz.
"The boy had participated in our drill a couple of years ago and he recognized me," Renz said. "He told me I hauled him to the hospital a couple of years ago (in the drill)."
Renz, like so many others, hailed the job the Boy Scouts did in administering first aid to one another. Renz joined his crew from the ambulance that came from Burgess Health Center, the 25-bed critical-access bed serving Monona County.
"I helped with triage at the scene and once things settled down there, I came to the emergency room here (at Burgess)," he said.
That's where I set up shop late Wednesday. The whole place -- an impressive site by the way -- was more controlled than chaotic. Family members sat quietly and waited for news about their boys. A resident from Onawa walked in with a Bible and offered prayers and comfort as did local ministers.
Doctors, nurses and other medical staffers tended to the Boy Scouts who, according to everyone, remained calm in the face of tragedy.
Injuries included broken bones, back injuries, lacerations, head contusions and a chest injury. Twenty were transported to Burgess, including 16 Boy Scouts ages 13 to 15, two adults and two children.
Many of them were treated in an emergency room that had just seen its renovation project completed last month. They were given a boost when a large binder containing health records of the boys arrived at the hospital.
Burgess enacted its High Level Code Orange Disaster, said Dr. John Garred, Jr., a surgeon and longtime member of the medical center. Burgess conducts disaster drills every year and was planning to participate in a drill involving tornado response Thursday.
"We're always doing some sort of drill," Renz repeated.
One staff member I spoke with was home watching her daughter's triplets that night. When asked to report to the hospital, she wondered if it was another drill. Nope, she was told, this was all too real.
"Sixty to 70 additional helpers were brought in for this," said Beth Frangedakis, director of the lab and public information officer for Burgess. She was at home in Dakota Dunes when she got the call to report. She was still hard at it Wednesday at midnight when I left to head back to the Journal.
Frangedakis still had calls to take from "Good Morning America," "NBC News" and more.
Burgess also offered overnight lodging to up to eight parents and grandparents of hospitalized patients. More were expected to arrive after midnight for treatment of bumps and bruises.
Tonya Habrock of Norfolk, Neb., stood at the entrance of Burgess as the clock struck 12. Her younger brother Tyler, a junior-to-be at Norfolk Catholic High School, was at the camp, but escaped serious injury.
"When I heard about the tornado at the camp Tyler was at, my heart stopped and I cried forever," she said. "It was the longest 90-minute drive here."
Soon, they were reunited.
"He had been texting me from the camp," Habrock said. "He said it had been pretty boring."
Boring might describe the many drills the people at Burgess and in towns all across Siouxland continually undertake. If boring produces results like those we witnessed Wednesday, then I'm for a lot more boring.
Frangedakis summed it up well. "It became a day of pain as well as one of outstanding joy," she said.
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