COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Two emergency medical services (EMS) employees from the Maury Regional Health (MRH) system traveled to North Carolina in early September to provide aid during relief efforts following Hurricane Dorian.
Hurricane Dorian, which became a category five hurricane at the peak of its two-week path of destruction, first hit the U.S. Virgin Islands in late August before causing substantial damage to the Bahamas. The hurricane then impacted several U.S. states along the east coast, including the Carolinas.
As the hurricane continued its barrage in coastal communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asked the State of Tennessee to generate ambulance strike teams to assist North Carolina residents impacted by severe flooding and storm damage. EMS paramedics Andy Roberson from Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) in Columbia and Chris Cummings from Wayne Medical Center (WMC) in Waynesboro answered the call by loading up an ambulance filled with equipment, including an advanced cardiac life support unit and various supplies, before making their way to North Carolina.
“Assisting other communities here in Tennessee and around the country in their time of need is our duty as EMS providers,” said MRMC EMS Director Brian Hupp. “These paramedics stepped up to the call for help and gave of themselves for those in need.”
Roberson and Cummings spent several days stationed at an airport in Kinston, North Carolina, as they cared for disaster victims flown in from islands off the state’s coast. They also responded to different communities in the area who required EMS assistance.
The pair ultimately returned home September 10 and resumed their regular duties at their respective facilities.
“Maury Regional Medical Center EMS and Wayne Medical Center EMS were honored to send a joint team to North Carolina,” said WMC EMS Director Sherry Ray. “We appreciate their sacrifice to go above and beyond to provide care during this difficult time for so many people. Helping people in need is what working in EMS is all about — it’s the core of what we do.”
Maury Regional Health’s team of top-rated paramedics and emergency medical technicians respond to ambulance calls across Lewis, Maury and Wayne counties. In addition to transferring patients to local emergency rooms at Maury Regional Medical Center and Wayne Medical Center, regional helicopter services are available to transport patients to regional trauma or specialty centers when necessary.
Photo Caption: Paramedics Chris Cummings (left) and Andy Roberson (right) from the Maury Regional Health (MRH) system traveled to North Carolina in early September to provide aid during relief efforts following Hurricane Dorian.