When communities are overwhelmed after disaster strikes, the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force is called in.
SAN ANTONIO — As the water began to rise at the Guadalupe River on the Fourth of July, first responders stepped into action. The medical need quickly rose from a local response to a statewide call for help.
First responders had their work cut out for them from the very beginning. The challenges they faced since then continues to change.
“Trauma care of people who were injured. Injuries from the flood itself… Just traumatic from trees and branches and debris,” said Dr. Emily Kidd, medical director of the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force.
Those are the injuries that Kidd says first responders dealt with at the onset of the disaster. Now, many of the injuries are to those who are helping search and clean up.
“You’re going to have blisters and skin issues. People having heart attacks who are out there trying to clean up, the heat emergencies,” said Kidd.
When local entities become overwhelmed after disaster, that’s where the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force is called in.
The task force is a partnership with EMS agencies across the Lone Star State.
“Supporting our first responders, supporting our search and rescue teams, supporting police and law enforcement. But they’re also supporting the community,” said Kidd.
Each regional task force includes ambulance strike teams, up to four ambulance buses, a mobile medical unit, registered nurse strike teams, air medical strike teams and even an infectious disease response unit.
“Right now, we have 61 ambulances that are deployed across the area in Kerrville but also in the other affected areas that are helping provide care,” said Kidd.
A comparable event for the task force was Hurricane Harvey where they deployed 500 medical providers, set up four mobile hospital sites, treated 1,855 patients in a mobile medical unit and evacuated 3,244 people.
And with the aftermath of the tragedy still unraveling, recovery efforts in the Hill Country are not slowing down.