Ambulance crash underscores strain on emergency resources

First responders with Oakridge Fire and EMS are no strangers to crashes on Oregon Highway 58 — a high-speed, two-lane road that is the site of dozens of injuries each year. But they’re not used to being in the crashes themselves. 

On Saturday, a fire chief, a part-time employee, and a volunteer with the department were injured when their ambulance rolled over on the rain-slicked highway. No patients were with them, as they were returning to the station. 

All three went to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, and the volunteer is still there receiving care as of Tuesday. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

In the hours after the crash, Oregon State Police closed Highway 58, and the community was left rattled. With an ambulance and staff out of service, Oakridge had limited emergency resources. And serious medical care is a 45-minute drive away in Springfield.

Neighboring departments saw the need and sent backup.

“We’re really grateful to our brothers and sisters throughout the other departments; everybody stepped up,” said Chrissy Hollett, public information officer for Oakridge Fire and EMS. “Typically firefighters and people in the medical fields are the last people to ask for help.” 

That help was sorely needed, because emergency calls kept coming in. Later that night, a person in Oakridge had a cardiac arrest and had to be flown out. Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire & Rescue, Mohawk Valley Fire District, and Lane Fire Authority helped coordinate such responses, and Eugene Springfield Fire provided an ambulance.

Now Oakridge is back at full capacity with its crew, four full-time employees and dozens of volunteers and part-timers. But the city is left with only one ambulance.  

What are the resources available? 

Even before Saturday’s crash, Oakridge Fire and EMS had been saving for a new ambulance in a reserve fund. The two it owns are aging: one is from 2012 and another is from 2017. 

If the department’s budget is approved by Oakridge’s city council, it will have about $200,000 set aside for a new ambulance. But that’s only half the cost of a new one. Hollett estimates the bill will be $300,000 for the ambulance itself and $100,000 to outfit it with equipment like a cardiac monitor and cots. 

To make up for the difference, the city is considering a proposal for an ambulance fee on residents’ water bills, typically issued monthly, from $6 to $10 for two years.

Oakridge Fire and EMS doesn’t expect to recover much value from the wrecked 2017 ambulance, because it is eight years old with more than 250,000 miles on its odometer.

Relying on just one ambulance is a concern for Oakridge Fire and EMS — not only for residents within city limits, but also because their service area extends well beyond them. The Oregon Health Authority licenses fire departments based on geographic coverage, and Oakridge crews frequently respond to rescue calls from biking and skiing accidents in the surrounding region.

If Oakridge needs additional support in the near future, it can submit a request to Eugene Springfield Fire as emergencies arise. A battalion chief will then determine whether the department has the capacity to respond, Deputy Chief of Operations Scott Bishop told Lookout Eugene-Springfield. This arrangement is part of a regional mutual aid agreement.

Eugene Springfield Fire owns 19 emergency vehicles. Of those, seven are staffed 24/7 and equipped for advanced life support. The department also holds a contract with Mid-Valley Ambulance, allowing it to bring in two to four additional ambulances if necessary. 

But generally, whether Eugene-Springfield Fire can provide support depends on local demand and is determined case-by-case. 

On Monday night, for example, crews responded to a report of three people trapped in a Springfield apartment building. Those people were found safe, and crews kept the fire from spreading beyond their apartment unit. 

A severe fire emergency like it unfolded last week in West Eugene. Nearly 50 staff and eight engines responded, an event that Bishop calls a resource-intensive operation.

Why is Highway 58 such a problem? 

Under Bishop’s watch, many of the department’s resources have been dispatched to crashes on Highway 58. A mix of factors contribute to the danger: high speeds, limited passing lanes, steep grades, and winter conditions.

It’s only gotten worse over the last few years with crashes increasing. According to the most recent data available from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s crash data dashboard, 152 crashes occurred on Highway 58 in 2023, resulting in 161 injuries. Twenty-three of those were classified as serious, and five people were killed.

On Monday, another crash happened on Highway 58. A Dodge driving eastbound hit a Toyota that entered the eastbound lane. The driver of the Toyota died, according to Oregon State Police. And Oakridge turned to the Eugene Fire Department to help.  

“That was a case of mutual aid. They [Oakridge] needed two ambulances, and they only had one,” Bishop said. “They called us up, and we went.”

“Really the bottom line is, we’re going to try and do the very best with what we have,” he said.