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Last Tuesday morning was a busy morning for first responders of Bangs Ambulance in Ithaca due to the icy conditions in the area. Bangs Ambulance was dispatched to 20 calls for pedestrian and motor vehicle crashes in less than three hours.
14 calls were for motor vehicle crashes, and the remaining were for injuries resulting from outdoor falls on the ice, including one falling from their bicycle. A majority of the calls Bangs responded to were in the City of Ithaca.
Longtime Bangs Ambulance Paramedic Christopher Katz said, “To have this many people injured in such a short period of time due to a sudden winter weather event is something we have not seen in the Ithaca area in a very long time, if ever.”
With icy weather expected to continue through Friday, Bangs Ambulance is asking residents to be vigilant when either walking or driving on icy surfaces. For those walking it is recommended to wear shoes with soles that provide good traction, moving slowly, and shuffling steps when encountering patchy ice. If you do fall to remember to bend your head and neck forward to avoid striking the ground with your head.
Driver’s are encouraged to double the distance between other vehicles, travel slowly, and to clear any ice accumulation on windows before setting off.
Bangs Ambulance in Ithaca currently has 80 employees, a mix of part time and full time EMTs and Paramedics.
