AURORA, Colo. — Aurora fire crews came to the rescue in the early hours of Friday morning after two ambulances became stuck in the heavy, wet snow that fell around the state on Thursday.
Early Friday morning, the crew of a Falck Rocky Mountain ambulance was called to help with a patient, who needed medical care but was not in critical condition. While responding through more than a foot of wet snow, the ambulance became stuck on a residential street near S. Buckley Road and E. Kenyon Drive in Aurora, according to Aurora Fire Rescue.
A second ambulance was called to help, but also became stuck en route to the patient.
Aurora Fire Rescue was then called in to free the ambulances.
Using a Brush 13 Type 3 4x4 wildland engine — typically used for wildland fires — crews with Aurora Fire arrived at 2 a.m. and within 15 minutes, had freed both of the ambulances from the snow. The crews in the ambulances quickly resumed operations and the patient, who was not impacted by the delay, was brought to the hospital.
Aurora Fire said the fire engine was upstaffed on Thursday during the snowstorm to help motorists and emergency vehicles that had been stranded.
“Our team is proud to serve our community in any circumstance," said AFR Fire Chief Alec Oughton. "Using our resources to pivot from fires to snowstorms speaks volumes about the skills of our firefighters. We are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to provide exceptional care, protection and support for our community.”
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As of Friday around 10:30 a.m., Aurora's official snowfall total was 17 inches. Snowplow drivers are continuing to remove snow from roads on Friday, and are addressing Priority 3 Green Routes, which include neighborhood streets and bus routes.
If you live in Aurora and have a medical condition that prevents you from clearing snow around your residence, you can call the Aurora Police non-emergency line at 303-627-3100 to request help from the city's public works department.
