Roseville Resident Deployed to Hurricane Sandy

Roseville resident and American Medical Response (AMR) paramedic supervisor Kevin Anderson was among the first responders last week to prepare to help Hurricane Sandy victims in Manhattan. 

“We (sent) 11 responders from the Sacramento area which included Anderson who lives in Roseville and works in Sacramento," said Jason Sorrick, AMR spokesperson. The group left Friday, Oct. 26 for a seven day deployment. Their mission has been extended because of the devastation, Sorrick said.

American Medical Response is a private company, but still directed by federal government officials to assist in natural disasters.

As strike team leader, Anderson was among those directing and moving critical patients from hospital to hospital before and after the storm hit. "That’s generally their main function. That’s why we activate so quickly," Sorrick said. "Once FEMA initiated our deployment, we reacted within 24 hours."

Anderson has been sent to help in previous hurricanes. 

"We had a total of 350 units operating in that geographic area. Once those crews arrived on the East Coast they met up with their assigned vehicles," Sorrick said.

Now that the storm has passed, Sorrick said Anderson and his fellow Sacramento responders are 'backfilling' or assisting with unrelated storm emergencies for local paramedics dealing with storm-related emergencies.  

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