The Fort Worth Fire Department released powerful images Tuesday showing first responders on the scene of the explosion that rocked downtown.
MedStar EMS Dispatch Center received their first notification of the blast at 3:32 p.m. Monday.
“It was controlled chaos, but they were flawless in here,” said MedStar Dispatch Communications Supervisor Stacey Sokulsky.
Her team handled 911 calls and began sending crews and ambulances to the scene.
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During those early moments, Sokulsky was unsure of the danger she was sending paramedics toward.
“That puts all us on edge because we don’t want to send anybody into an area if they’re not going to be safe,” Sokolsky said.
MedStar supervisors Chris Roberts and Jason Hernandez were among the first to treat the wounded.
“It was one of the more intense moments that I experienced,” said Hernandez.“[People] were stunned.”
“Nobody really knew what happened,” said Roberts. “It was just a lot of anxiety, fear and that’s part of what you need to focus on and treat, not just the outer injuries, but helping calm the patient.”
Twenty-one people were injured in the blast suffering lacerations, broken bones and burns.
PHOTOS: Hotel explosion rocks downtown Fort Worth
The most seriously injured was a woman flown to Dallas’ Parkland Hospital to be treated inside their burn unit. She remains in critical condition.
Family members of one victim described how he was in the conference room on the hotel’s second floor when the explosion occurred. He and another co-worker crawled to a stairwell only to find it had collapsed. He ended up jumping from there to the debris below to get out.
Three hours after the blast firefighters pulled a woman found trapped beneath the rubble.
Paramedics praised the teamwork among the different agencies.
“There were several situations that I needed somebody and as soon as I turned my head Fort Worth police department was there, Fort Worth fire department was there doing everything they could,” said Roberts.
