Local paramedic chosen for ground work in disaster area
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By BETH ZUMWALT
Ronnie Goewey
Ronnie Goewey, who works as a full-time paramedic for the Pike County Ambulance and also full-time as a flight paramedic for Air Evac 27 out of Jacksonville, was recently picked to work on a ground ambulance in the two hurricane disaster zones in the southeast.
“I was chosen for deployment though the Office of Emergency Management with the American Medical Response,” Goewey said. “They are contracted by FEMA to provide medical support for disasters.”
Goewey said he had signed up for the deployment for the past five years, but, this was the only time he was selected. His time in emergency services is well documented, two years with the Spring Creek Fire Department as a first responder, four years as anEMT and 25 years as a paramedic.
Goewey left Illinois Sept.24 for what he thought would be a five day stay. He returned home Oct. 15.
He said he landed at the Atlanta Airport and picked up an ambulance, then went on to Auburndale Ga. where they joined a search and rescue squad.
“Most of the people we rescue were just overheated from trying to clean out their houses,” Goewey said. “Eventually we joined Task Force 3 and did more search and rescue.”
Goewey compared the sand in the streets and the yards as similar to snow in Pike County.
“It was three-feet deep, people couldn’t get their doors open,” he said.
By this time all the damage Goewey had seen was from Hurricane Helene.
“Then we were sent to Greenville S.C. to stage before going to Asheville before the second hurricane, Hurricane Milton.”
The orders changed and Goewey’s unit was sent to Naples and Tampa, Fla., where they helped clear out a hospital and also moved 340 people back to a nursing home.
“They had been sleeping cots,” Goewey said. “They were glad to get back to the nursing home.”
Next they staged to go to Greenville N.C., but, didn’t go.
“The team ahead of us got picked, but, not us,” Goewey said. “We were sent back to Florida. There was a lot of structural damage. It ripped the roof off of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
Goewey said the additional days took a toll.
“I only took five-seven days worth of clothes. I was expecting two weeks at the maximum,” Goewey said. “I hate to complain because so many people had their whole house in the yard, waiting to be hauled away. We went days without a shower or clean clothes. Some places we were sent too had laundry other did not, some had showers. On days with 90 degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity, you needed showers and clean clothes.”
Goewey said some of the posts had sleeping trailers with cots.
“But people were in and out all night,” he said. “I slept in the ambulance.”
Goewey said he might sign up for deployment again in the future, but, not too soon.
Goewey said him being gone for 21 days left both his employers in a bind as far as scheduling.
“Maybe later when the kids are older,” he said. “We had planned to go down there this year on vacation, but, didn’t get too. I’d like to go back to visit.”
