AMBULANCE STAFF TELL OF VITAL ROLE IN BOMB AFTERMATH
Ambulance staff tell of vital role in bomb aftermath
AMBULANCE personnel from Omagh and Strabane have been recalling the vital role they played in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing.
Speaking this week. Mr Tony McLaughlin, who has been an ambulance worker in Omagh for 17 years, said since the atrocity local medical staff had received hundreds of cards and letters from people moved by the tragedy.
"It is difficult to do your job when you know so many of the injured, but, judging from the number of letters and cards we received, people appreciate what we did," he said.
Mr. McLaughlin and his colleague, Mr. John Sharkey, a paramedic, were first on the scene and described it as one of "total carnage".
"We started to carry the injured onto the ambulance, but there were so many. Everyone was shouting for help. Paddy McGowan asked if he could help by taking some of the injured to hospital on buses," said Mr. McLaughlin, who added that this helped keep the ambulances free for the more seriously injured.
"We completed two runs to the County Hospital, before setting-up an incident centre there," he went on.
"As other ambulances arrived we told them where to take the injured and helped organise the helicopter transfers to hospitals in Belfast, Londonderry, Enniskillen and Dungannon."
Ambulance service personnel from Newry, Dungannon, Cookstown, Altnagelvin, Enniskillen, Castlederg, Ballymena and Strabane joined staff from Omagh.
Mr. McLaughlin said patients were categorised in terms of their injuries - "walking wounded, carrying chair, stretchered and seriously injured".
The injured also arrived at the hospital by cars, buses and police Land Rovers.
"We had to keep a record of them as they arrived and where they were being transferred to," said Mr. McLaughlin.
He said the the hospital's emergency plan was put into action and was carried out speedily and effectively.
"I never saw anything on that scale before and I hope I never see it again," he said. "Thankfully there was an Accident and Emergency department at the hospital to cope with the injured."
"I knew quite a few of the injured. When you know someone it becomes more difficult. However, you do the job to the best of your ability."
Mr. McLaughlin said there were debriefing sessions tor staff on Wednesday and Thursday to inform them of the counselling services available.
Paramedic and Strabane station supervisor, Mrs. Ethel McClintock, said that she and her colleague, Mr Charlie Brown, were at the scene of the explosion within 20 minutes of the blast.
"By that time all the casualties had been taken to hospital. I have the greatest admiration for those who helped in getting them away from the scene as quickly as they did," she said.
"At that stage they were cordoning off the area, and checking buildings in case there were casualities trapped. We were told that there were a number of fatalities at the scene. We then proceeded to check for signs of life."
"We were hoping that we would find someone alive but we didn't. At the time we were just carrying out our duty but after the event it affected us. It was an awful atrocity, and even though it is part of our job, it is still very distressing," she went on.
"We then took on the role of incident officers at the scene coordinating the activities of other ambulance officers as they arrived until our divisional officer arrived on the scene."
Mrs. McClintock said they left the scene at about 6pm after assisting the RUC and other ambulance crews in the transportation of the deceased to the mortuary. They then proceeded to the Tyrone County to help with transfers to other hospitals.
"I would like to say that those killed as a result of the explosion were treated with the utmost care and respect at all times," she said.
Mrs. McClintock said the Strabane crew continued to assist other ambulance crews with transfers until they went off-duty at midnight.
She said that one ambulance and three ambulance personnel from Strabane assisted staff in Omagh, while other off duty personnel from Strabane went to assist staff at Altnagelvin Hospital.
AMBULANCE personnel from Omagh and Strabane have been recalling the vital role they played in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing.
Speaking this week. Mr Tony McLaughlin, who has been an ambulance worker in Omagh for 17 years, said since the atrocity local medical staff had received hundreds of cards and letters from people moved by the tragedy.
"It is difficult to do your job when you know so many of the injured, but, judging from the number of letters and cards we received, people appreciate what we did," he said.
Mr. McLaughlin and his colleague, Mr. John Sharkey, a paramedic, were first on the scene and described it as one of "total carnage".
"We started to carry the injured onto the ambulance, but there were so many. Everyone was shouting for help. Paddy McGowan asked if he could help by taking some of the injured to hospital on buses," said Mr. McLaughlin, who added that this helped keep the ambulances free for the more seriously injured.
"We completed two runs to the County Hospital, before setting-up an incident centre there," he went on.
"As other ambulances arrived we told them where to take the injured and helped organise the helicopter transfers to hospitals in Belfast, Londonderry, Enniskillen and Dungannon."
Ambulance service personnel from Newry, Dungannon, Cookstown, Altnagelvin, Enniskillen, Castlederg, Ballymena and Strabane joined staff from Omagh.
Mr. McLaughlin said patients were categorised in terms of their injuries - "walking wounded, carrying chair, stretchered and seriously injured".
The injured also arrived at the hospital by cars, buses and police Land Rovers.
"We had to keep a record of them as they arrived and where they were being transferred to," said Mr. McLaughlin.
He said the the hospital's emergency plan was put into action and was carried out speedily and effectively.
"I never saw anything on that scale before and I hope I never see it again," he said. "Thankfully there was an Accident and Emergency department at the hospital to cope with the injured."
"I knew quite a few of the injured. When you know someone it becomes more difficult. However, you do the job to the best of your ability."
Mr. McLaughlin said there were debriefing sessions tor staff on Wednesday and Thursday to inform them of the counselling services available.
Paramedic and Strabane station supervisor, Mrs. Ethel McClintock, said that she and her colleague, Mr Charlie Brown, were at the scene of the explosion within 20 minutes of the blast.
"By that time all the casualties had been taken to hospital. I have the greatest admiration for those who helped in getting them away from the scene as quickly as they did," she said.
"At that stage they were cordoning off the area, and checking buildings in case there were casualities trapped. We were told that there were a number of fatalities at the scene. We then proceeded to check for signs of life."
"We were hoping that we would find someone alive but we didn't. At the time we were just carrying out our duty but after the event it affected us. It was an awful atrocity, and even though it is part of our job, it is still very distressing," she went on.
"We then took on the role of incident officers at the scene coordinating the activities of other ambulance officers as they arrived until our divisional officer arrived on the scene."
Mrs. McClintock said they left the scene at about 6pm after assisting the RUC and other ambulance crews in the transportation of the deceased to the mortuary. They then proceeded to the Tyrone County to help with transfers to other hospitals.
"I would like to say that those killed as a result of the explosion were treated with the utmost care and respect at all times," she said.
Mrs. McClintock said the Strabane crew continued to assist other ambulance crews with transfers until they went off-duty at midnight.
She said that one ambulance and three ambulance personnel from Strabane assisted staff in Omagh, while other off duty personnel from Strabane went to assist staff at Altnagelvin Hospital.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0302
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
Related Images
