Medical crews prepare for winter weather

With slippery conditions and icy roads many people may need medical care.  That's why hospitals and emergency workers are implementing their inclement weather plans.

Arkansas' Children's Hospital is one of many hospitals getting their employees prepared for the worst.

When some businesses and even schools close, emergency responders have no snow days.  So they're doing all they can to get the job done.

A medical emergency can happen at any hour which means inclement weather may not give hospital employees an option to go home.

"{Employees are asking} lots of questions such as can I get here tomorrow? Am I going be safe on the road if I choose to come to work?" Emergency Management Coordinator with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Doug Brown said.
 
Brown is answering those questions by telling hospital employees to be prepared.

"Really our physicians and all our staff are really good about staying here and helping out when it's needed. They really come through for us," he said.

Hospital administrators spent Thursday evening assembling cots inside the fitness center for any staff members who want to stay overnight.

“Staff can stay there at no cost. We provide food, showers, and shelter to them as well as security," he added.

When drivers are encouraged to stay off the roads, paramedics don’t have the choice.

"The ice storm is probably the most difficult scenario that we have to deal with," said Jon Brown, Executive Director for MEMS. 

So MEMS is pulling out extra vehicles to make it easier to navigate, like four-wheel-drive vehicles.

"We also use those vehicles in the event we slide off the road into a ditch or need to be pulled out of a situation that the ambulance is in," Brown added.

MEMS also has an agreement with a Little Rock hotel where paramedics can stay throughout inclement weather so they can be close to work and be prepared for those emergency phone calls.