Emergency responders will be on duty and ready for business this weekend even if snowfall in Denver is measured in feet.
Denver Health Paramedics, who collectively provide emergency medical services for the city, “are fully prepared for the snow,” said Rachel Hirsch, a Denver Health Medical Center spokeswoman.
Extra staff will be on hand for the ambulance fleet, and paramedics have been versed in what to do and how to respond should a vehicle get stuck or encounter trouble, Hirsch said. There will be additional command staff on campus this weekend, and responders will be ready and available to divert into a backup action plan as needed.
“If you have an emergency, please call,” Hirsch said. “The weather doesn’t change anything, we are going regardless.”
On a typical weekend, Denver paramedics respond to about 230 calls. Officials expect the number of calls to likely to decrease this weekend, as most people hunker down, but there will be 911 calls for service, help and rescue.
Calls this weekend will likely include people who have fallen, people being injured shoveling snow, and people hurt in vehicle collisions, Hirsh said.
“The bottom line is, if they have a medical emergency, call,” she said.
For firefighters, it’s “business as usual”
Denver firefighters are also geared up and ready to respond this weekend, no matter the weather, said Capt. Greg Pixley, a department spokesman.
“This is business as usual,” Pixley said. “We are constantly at the ready to be able to help people. If the snow is going to be an issue, we will address it.”
Fire vehicles and firefighters have equipment, including tire chains, shovels, and snow blowers, that will help responders navigate snowy roads, Pixley said.
“We do have things that will help us if we were to get stuck,” he said. “Call us if you need us.”
Police officers ready to handle snow
The majority of Denver police vehicles are all-wheel drive and “are equipped to handle the snow,” the department said in a statement. Officers will patrol the streets and roadways, on the alert for stranded motorists and vehicle crashes.
If Denver goes to “crash alert” status because of severe weather, drivers in minor accidents can exchange license and insurance information and file a report afterward. Major crashes, injury crashes and incidents involving drugs and alcohol are an exception, and drivers should call 911 regardless of the “crash alert” status.
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