Fire department and county EMS officials in Marysville, Wash., defended the decision to transport high school shooting victims to a nearby hospital rather than the region’s Level I pediatric trauma center, according to a Seattle Times report.
Teenage victims of the October 24 shooting were transported by ground ambulance to nearby Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash., according to an earlier report. Providence is a designated Level II adult trauma center, but only a Level III pediatric facility.
In a statement quoted by the Seattle Times, Marysville Fire District Chief Greg Corn said, “…ground transportation by medic unit was the fastest way to get unstable patients to the closest hospital that could provide them with the appropriate level of care.” Based on a preliminary review of the incident, local fire and EMS leaders support the transport decisions.
Terry Matsumura, Marysville fire department battalion chief and medical services officer, said the Emergency Department at Providence Regional Medical Center is responsible for the decision not to transport patients to Harborview, according to the Seattle Times. Matsumura also noted the difficulty of distinguishing pediatric from adult patients in the high school setting. Read More