500 S. Freeport Rd. (Freeport
Rd. & Route 52)
1/12/2005- At 3:22pm the Polo
Fire and Ambulance Departments received a report of a school bus rollover
accident with injuries. While en route at 3:25pm 1F19 requested a mutual
aid ambulance from the Forreston Fire Department. At 3:28pm Polo Fire
Command 5890 requested mutual aid for a Rescue Squad and manpower from the
Forreston Fire Department. At 3:31pm EMS command 2564 requested a MABAS
Box 3rd Alarm for ambulances. Assistant Fire Chief Tony Karrow 5892
assumed Incident Command and Assistant Fire Chief Jim Ports 5893 was assigned as
Operations Chief. Fire Command requested an additional Rescue Squad and
manpower from the Milledgeville Fire Department. Students were exiting the
bus through escape hatches in the roof of the bus. One student was unable
to get out of the bus due to her injuries. Rescue Co. 5841 was assigned to
extrication duties. At 3:48 EMS Command upgraded the MABAS Box to a 5th
Alarm for ambulances. A school bus from the Polo School District arrived
as a resource and all ambulatory patients were moved to the bus for further
triage and transport assignments. EMS Command in the triage area was
handled by CGH 2511. Asst. Chief Ports 5893 was assisted in the operations
area by Mt. Morris Fire Chief Hough. A total of 21 patients were
transported to Freeport Memorial Hospital, KSB Hospital - Dixon, and to CGH
Medical Center - Sterling. The students and staff not transported were
taken by Polo's bus to the Polo High School accompanied by ambulances from Polo
and Mt. Morris and the Polo Police Department. The bus was from the
Freeport School District and was transporting the 7th and 8th grade Girls
Basketball teams to a game in Sterling. The bus had 29 students, 3 coaches
and the driver onboard.
Departments involved: Polo
Fire Department, Polo Ambulance Department, Forreston Fire and Ambulance,
Milledgeville Fire and Ambulance, Mt. Morris Fire and Ambulance, Oregon
Ambulance, Dixon Rural Fire Department Ambulance, Dixon City Fire Department
Ambulance, CGH EMS (Sterling), STAR Ambulance (Freeport), Advance EMS (Dixon),
Byron Ambulance, Franklin Grove Ambulance, Shannon Fire and Ambulance, Lanark
Ambulance, Coleta Fire, German Valley Ambulance, Leaf River Fire and Ambulance
and Chadwick Ambulance. A total of 17 ambulances (49 EMS Personnel) and 11
fire apparatus (45 Fire Personnel) assisted. The accident was investigated
by the Ogle County Sheriff's Office and assisted by the Polo Police Department
and the Illinois State Police.
Click pictures to enlarge
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A Forreston fireman and Polo Firefighter Dennis Scott inside the bus after extrication |
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(L to R) Polo Firefighters Dennis Quaco, Steve Gunder, Chad Karrow and Forreston Fighters |
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Emergency vehicles at the south staging area |
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Paramedic Tim Urquhart (EMS Command) |
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Emergency vehicles at the south staging area |
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Forreston firemen - Far left (background) Polo Firefighter Steve Gunder |
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Courtesy WTVO Channel 17 - Rockford |
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Courtesy WTVO Channel 17 - Rockford
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Courtesy WTVO Channel 17 - Rockford
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Courtesy WTVO Channel 17 - Rockford
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(white helmet) Asst. Fire Chief Ports - Operations Command talking with EMS Command Ryan Buskohl |
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Updated
1/17/2005
© 2005 Polo Fire Department
