The First Hour: Dramatic Audio From I-10 Charter Bus Crash First Responders

March 14, 2018

“I’m going to need some help…we’ve got a full charter bus. Multiple, multiple injuries. They are about 60 feet down the overpass here. We need as much help as I can get….We are going to need multiple, multiple agencies.”

Those are the words from the fire firefighter to arrive at the scene of a deadly Alabama charter bus crash Tuesday on I-10 between the Wilcox Road exit and the Florida line. In the video above (direct link), NorthEscambia.com has condensed the first hour of response by Baldwin County fire departments.

The dramatic audio of radio traffic between first responders paints a vivid picture of the accident involving a charter bus full of Channelview (TX) High School band members It was about 5:30 a.m., and it was still pitch black dark when firefighters found the bus on its side with multiple people trapped inside, some critically injured.

“Be advised we are going to need multiple air bags, stabilizer jacks and extrication,” the incident commander said. “We’ve got at least 50-60 patients down here.”

The bus driver did not survive.

It was a cold morning, and that was creating problems.

“I need some blankets down here. We need some blankets and some gloves…anything warm. We getting hypothermia setting in on several. So get me blankets or something down here too.”

Still some half hour after arriving, the incident commander was still asking for more help and more tools to save victims.

“Could you get me some more backboards down here, down this ravine. We are going to need chainsaws. Somebody else is working on my portable extrication (equipment). We need whatever you can get me down here.”

For an earlier NorthEscambia.com story and photo gallery, click here.

NorthEscambia.com video. Audio courtesy Broadcastify.

Comments

One Response to “The First Hour: Dramatic Audio From I-10 Charter Bus Crash First Responders”

  1. No Excuses on March 14th, 2018 2:34 pm

    I know the NAS Fire and Safety details were deployed as well – this was a big deal. Glad the agencies could all work together to assist these students.