Friday, February 11, 2005 was an unusual day for Huntingtown with approximately 15 calls being dispatched for the station.
At 1427 hours, Company 6 (Huntingtown), Engine 151 (Navy Base), Rescue 1, Ambulance 1 (North Beach), Ambulance 5 (Dunkirk), Company 10 (Medic) and Mass-Casualty 7 (St. Leonard) were alerted to Ponds Wood Road for the auto accident involving two loaded school buses and one vehicle overturned.
Chief 6C (Spriggs), Squad 6 (F/F Nasti), Engine 62 (Lt Mongtomery), Ambulance 68 (EMT Wells, K), and Ambulance 69 arrived on location to find two school buses involved and a vehicle overturned with significant damage.
Apparently, the vehicle clipped one school bus, then struck the second bus head-on before overturning and coming to rest. The crews from both ambulances and the squad began to assess the 51 students on the buses. They also assessed the sole occupant of the vehicle, who was in and out of consciousness.
Three patients requiring transport were identified on the school buses and it was determined that the driver of the vehicle would require transport to a local Trauma Facility.
Chief 6C assumed command while several EMTs began to triage the other students. Safety Officer 6 (Cox) assumed Safety/Accountability Sector. The Landing Zone was handled by Engine 62. Assistance was also provided by Chief 1 (Freesland).
Due to the majority of the students being uninjured, the Calvert County School Board was notified and arrangements were made to transfer the uninjured students to additional buses.
Three patients from the school buses were ground-transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital and the patient of the vehicle was air-transported to Prince George's Shock Trauma.
Ponds Wood Road has been a frequent location for severe accidents lately. Just ten days ago, a fatal accident occured less than one mile away on Ponds Wood Rd. Additionally, just four days ago, Company 6 was dispatched to another first-due accident involving a loaded school bus on Plum Point Road.
