911 operator assists in rescue
Published: August 21, 2006
Tuesday’s crash of an Arkansas Army National Guard OH-58 Kiowa helicopter in Carroll County, Ark., may have turned out quite differently if not for the assistance of a Stone County 911 operator.
A 911 call was taken by Stone County Emergency Services operator Carrie Bell from the passenger of the downed helicopter, identified as Arkansas State Trooper Andy Wiley at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“He was coherent and able to talk to the pilot,” Bell said. “He was very much aware of what had happened to them.”
Stone County has a one-touch transfer system with Carrol County, according to Pat Blevins, Bell’s supervisor in emergency services.
“We were able to transfer the call and the coordinates to Carroll County responders,” Blevins said, “They don’t have the same capabilities that we do, so we were able to guide them into the location of the crash.”
“We are a phase two compliant system,” said Bell, “which means that we can trace the origins of any cell phone calls that come in and pinpoint their location precisely.”
Wiley was able to retrieve the crashed helicopter’s coordinates from the pilot, Major Timothy Dickinson, and those were relayed to another Army National Guard helicopter in the area.
“That helicopter ended up being the first on the scene, arriving while I was still on the line,” Bell said.
National Guard 1st Lt. Chris Heathscott said the helicopter went down appoximately four miles northeast of Green Forest, Ark., about 20 miles southwest of Branson, during a counter-drug operation in northwest Arkansas.
“They were flying over the area looking for evidence of marijuana patches or meth labs, things of that nature,” Heathscott said.
Dickinson was airlifted to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Wiley was airlifted to Northwest Regional Medical Center in Springdale, Ark., and both were treated for serious injuries, according to Heathscott.
Both men were reported in stable condition Thursday.
“Carroll County did all of the work,” Bell said, “I’m just glad we were there and had the technology to help them out.”
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