pelika O bserver O Vol. 11, No. 24
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Opelika, Alabama
“By local people, for local people.”
Local response saved lives
EAMC, local agencies, neighbors worked together to minimize loss of life
Photo courtesy of East Alabama Medical Center An EAMC ambulance backs into the ambulance bay at EAMC on March 3 while EMS workers prepare to unload a patient from another ambulance. More than 30 patients were transported by EAMC ambulances in the aftermath of the storm. More than 90 patients were transported and treated at hospitals in Birminghan, Columbus and Opelika.
By Kelly Daniel For the Opelika Observer After a tornado left a swath of tremendous devastation and loss in portions of Lee County on March 3, East Alabama Medical Center demonstrated proactive leadership that was vital to ensuring that injured survivors received the
care they needed. Bruce Zartman, who serves as EAMC’s vice president of Supply Chain and Perioperative Services and incident commander, described his unit’s response to the situation. “About 10 to 15 minutes after the tornado touched down and we began to hear damage reports from the field, we
implemented our disaster plan and stood up our full incident command center. The Incident Command Center provided a communications link for all of the various activities occurring throughout the organization,” Zartman said. Despite the shock and sadness that was felt by many in Lee County, EAMC employees
worked tirelessly to help in the efforts to care for the victims of the storm. “This was a tragic and difficult day for so many people in our community, and it affected our staff in a profound way, too. For several hours straight, it was all hands on deck as we received around 60 patients from the tornado,” said EAMC director of public relations and
marketing John Atkinson. “As has been reported, one young patient died after arriving at the hospital - that was extremely difficult. Plus, one of the 23 deaths reported from the tornadoes was our own Maggie Robinson, who had worked with us for nearly 40 years.” Those working with Emergency Medical Services were among the
first to see the extent of the devastation and to care for victims. “On arrival to the scene it was almost like ‘Is this a dream? Did this really happen?’ However, amid the devastation and tragedy, emergency workers showed bravery and resolve,” said EMS manager Austin Bayles said. See EAMC, page A3
Local small business owners say ‘we will rebuild’ in aftermath of March 3 tornadoes By Morgan Bryce Editor Beauregard resident Troy Bell’s Sunday afternoon nap on March 3 was interrupted by the buzz of his cell phone, alerting him that severe weather was imminent. Scrambling to his television, Bell said he turned it on as reports of a tornado on the ground and headed in
his direction. While attempting to gather his family and move them to a safe place, he stood on his back porch and observed the storm in the distance, a dark, hideous wedge of wind that would later be classified as EF-4 tornado nearly a mile in width and sustained winds of 170 miles per hour. “It was just a big, black monster. Most
of the ones you see are skinny and have a narrow base, but this one was just wide and ugly,” Bell said. “You could see everything turning dark, but more than anything, you could hear it.” While closing his bathroom door, Bell witnessed the storm engulf the building that See Bell, page A7
Index
COUNTY NEWS............................A4 OPINION..............................A6 SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY..............A9 RELIGION..................................A13
By Morgan Bryce Editor All Opelika resident Trey Capps could do was watch his television on the afternoon of March 3, hoping and praying his business would not be affected by an incoming line of severe weather. Owner and operator of Capps Sausage on Lee Road 100, Trey had
SPORTS................................B1 CALENDAR....................................B3 LEGALS ......................................B4 ENTERTAINMENT......................B14
recently returned home from working a halfday at the shop when evidence of tornado damage in that area began to be reported. “I saw something on the screen that confirmed a tornado was on the ground, and then there was this blue graphic showing actual tornado debris. They zoomed it in and it showed Lee Road 100,
and that’s when I knew something was wrong,” Trey said. After the first tornado passed, a second tornado spawned, preventing Trey from going to assess the damage. Following the second tornado, Trey departed on a nearly 90-minute journey, driving over downed power lines and
pelika O Observer.com
See Capps, page A7