Kane hospital is well prepared to handle local disasters

October 3, 2012

Photo by Ted Lutz – This was the scene five weeks ago in Kane when a tanker truck (background near building) rolled on its side while making a 90-degree turn from Fraley Street to Greeves Street.

“Be Prepared” is the motto of the Boys Scouts.
This phrase also aptly applies to Kane Community Hospital.
When Kane was faced with the largest evacuation in McKean County history five weeks ago, the local hospital ramped up its disaster plan.
“We have a process to follow for disasters,” Gary Rhodes, the chief executive officer (CEO) at the hospital, said Wednesday. “We’re always prepared.”
The evacuation of 1,000 Kane residents took place Aug. 29 after a tanker truck carrying 8,400 gallons of butane rolled on its side. The 4:30 a.m. accident occurred while the truck was trying to make a 90-degree turn at the borough’s main intersection at Fraley and Greeves streets.
With a potential fire and explosion looming, the hospital went into its “Code Triage” mode, Rhodes said.
Wayne Steele, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the hospital’s emergency room and a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), immediately began to put plans in motion to prepare for a disaster, Rhodes said. Steele is the hospital’s “emergency preparedness coordinator,” Rhodes said.