Arlington County paramedics encountered an added difficulty on the job when they became stuck in an elevator with a patient suffering a medical emergency this morning.
A crew responding to a medical emergency at the Whitmore apartments (4301 Columbia Pike) attended to the patient, who needed to be transported to the hospital. But they got stuck in the elevator on the way to the ambulance. A second engine crew initially was called to assist, but the crew already on scene managed to free the people in the elevator.
ACFD deputy fire marshal Brian McGraw said the impact to the patient was minimal because the stuck elevator delayed the medical workers for less than five minutes. He said medics were equipped to continue caring for the patient inside the elevator while they waited to be freed.
“It’s not a frequent issue,” said McGraw. “But from a patient care perspective, whenever we put a patient in an elevator, we have sufficient personnel and resources to render the care they need inside the elevator.”
McGraw would not comment on the nature of the patient’s medical emergency, but scanner traffic referred to the patient’s status as “priority 1,” which typically indicates someone with a life-threatening condition. The person was transported to Virginia Hospital Center.