An Arlington Heights Fire Department rescue ambulance and rescue squad are towed out by a fire department utility truck during the Ground Hog Day Blizzard of 2011.
Fire departments from Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling and others among the brotherhood had one extra thing in common last night — their fire engines and ambulance got stuck in the snow.
Buffalo Grove had a fire engine stuck early — about 9:00 p.m. Then Wheeling reported trouble while trying to reach a patient for an EMS call. A FedEx semi-trailer truck stranded at Palatine Road and Wolf Road blocked their access to an emergency call. Elk Grove Village Fire Department had several incidents of stranded emergency vehicles — particularly on Busse Road. One ambulance was buried by the white out snow as it was stuck.
Arlington Heights Road had a fire engine stuck on Dundee Road near Carriageway. About 12:45 a.m. a rescue ambulance from Arlington Heights Fire Department got stuck in the snow on Hawthorne Street at Arlington Heights Road. Within minutes a utility truck — a Ford F-150 pickup truck that was designated to respond to these types of emergencies arrived. First the ambulance was attached to a towing strap and pulled out to Arlington Heights Road where a southbound lane had a recent pass from a plow. The ambulance proceeded to the hospital. Next, the rescue squad. Firefighters had a little more difficult time because its wheels were stuck a little deeper. After some digging near the wheels and undercarriage, the squad was pulled out to northbound Arlington Heights Road.
Then it was Rolling Meadows turn with an emergency vehicle stuck on Rohlwing Road.
It was pretty bad last night. Haven’t seen anything like that in my life yet—I have to give credit to people like rescue squads who had to work in this blizzard!…tough job!!!