Joint Response Agency Training Saves Lives Published Aug. 6, 2008 By Darren Millard and Tech. Sgt. Stephen Hays Whiteman Fire & Emergency Services WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Whiteman Fire Emergency Response crews responded to an off-base vehicle accident, outside the south gate on Highway 23, July 25. Crews found a single vehicle in the grass that had rolled over going around a curve. Three teenagers were in the car at the time of the accident. The driver sustained serious injuries and was trapped in the vehicle. The two passengers were able to get out on their own, and suffered only minor injuries. While 509th Security Forces members blocked off the highway to ensure everyone's safety, fire and ambulance crews began tending to the injured and vehicle. Once stabilized, the Fire Emergency Services Rescue crew began extricating the driver from the vehicle. Johnson County Ambulance District and Johnson County Fire arrived and joined the effort with Whiteman emergency response crews and established multi-district command and control of the scene. All agencies worked together as one team, assessing the teenagers and preparing them for transport to Western Missouri Medical Center by Johnson County Ambulance District and Whiteman Ambulance Services. The driver was flown to a Kansas City Trauma Center by the Life helicopter staff. The successful outcome of this response is a direct result of the continued interaction between Whiteman and local emergency response agencies. At last report, all three teenagers were at home and expected to fully recover from their injuries.