As the prolonged cold snap takes hold in North Texas, MedStar ambulance service has implemented special protocols.
Out of concern for patients being out in the cold when they experience other emergencies, MedStar's Matt Zavadsky said certain calls are bumped up to "lights and sirens" status with a mission of getting the patient into a warm ambulance more quickly for treatment. The protocols are implemented when the "real feel" temperature, or wind chill, falls to 20 degrees.
Meanwhile, MedStar already saw a bump in weather-related traffic accidents on Wednesday. With more freezing rain, sleet and snow in the forecast, those calls could pile up in the days ahead.
And with temperatures likely to fall to even more dangerous levels by the weekend, Zavadsky shared several cold weather safety tips.
