The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County first responders had this one covered, and then some.
A group of workers who apparently, and mysteriously, were exposed to a pesticide in the Lost Hills area Friday morning attracted a massive response from emergency workers, including deployment of more than a dozen Hall Ambulance vehicles and off-duty EMTs and paramedics. The emergency responders almost certainly outnumbered the 33 people who were actually treated at the scene.
But they can be excused for the apparent excess. First reports indicated as many as 300 people could have been affected, resulting in the first use of Hall’s “electronic recall system” to bring in off-duty employees. Hall spokesman Mark Corum said the company sent “12 advanced life support paramedic ambulances, a paramedic field supervisor unit, a disaster medical supply unit and a multi-passenger bus.”
In the end, only slightly more than a 10th of the initial reported number of victims were decontaminated and triaged. Two were transported to San Joaquin Community Hospital with minor injuries.
Kern County Fire Capt. Cary Wright said late Friday afternoon it remains unknown how exactly the solar farm workers became exposed to the pesticide. He said air readings taken at the scene were negative, and nearby Paramount Farms reported no pesticide spraying occurred in the area Friday.
“We never smelled anything out there,” Wright said. “The air seemed safe.”
Wright said the insecticide Danitol was sprayed from the ground at a location 4 1/2 miles away, and it may have drifted to the workers’ location in the 16500 block of Twisselman Road. No aerial spraying occurred.
Calls came in at 8:08 a.m. indicating 70 people were affected, including 20 of whom reportedly suffered symptoms including vomiting and bloody noses, Wright said.
The solar farm is located among almond and pecan orchards.
At 10:45 a.m., a dozen people waited in line to be decontaminated inside a blue tent. None were in distress.
Mayor Harvey Hall, owner of Hall Ambulance, said the patient count numbered 70 just before 10 a.m. Hall said the bus, usually only used for volunteer services, was deployed to address the high number of victims that was initially reported.
“When you have major incidents like this, there’s always a large number of folks who are ambulatory,” Hall said.
©2015 The Bakersfield Californian