Good Samaritan rescues AMR vehicle from snow

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Emergency workers have worked hours on end to keep this community safe, but one response vehicle was the one needing a rescue.

This weekend, Topeka residents experienced a record-breaking snowstorm. Residents and even American Medical Response (AMR) were feeling the power of this storm. On Sunday, Topekans finished the day seeing more than 14 inches of snow, as well as freezing rain from one storm system. Many roads and highways across the state closed due to the conditions. Meanwhile, emergency crews were still hitting the streets responding to calls that came up.

At one point, an AMR vehicle got stuck on Polk Street and a good Samaritan braved the elements to lend a hand.

"I would like to give a big thank you to the citizens in the community that saw these as well as help dig our crews out, so that we could get them rolling to the next call," AME Regional Director Jon Antrim said.

Antrim told 27 News the Topekans who stepped up and helped out were a lifeline while resources were stretched.

"I absolutely think it was amazing that we had that recourse available to us," Antrim said. "There wasn't a lot of resources available, you know, and we were getting stuck. The fire departments were getting stuck, law enforcement was getting stuck and there was not a lot of resources available. So to have those citizens come out and help us was just absolutely amazing and we're very appreciative for it."

Even though few storms lived up to this weekend's blizzard, Antrim said this was a good experience, because crews got to better understand what calls are critical and need an immediate response and how to divert less serious calls to nurses on the phone in the future.

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