WICHITA—A nurse who took quick action to put out a fire in the hospital emergency room is being called a hero.
Just after 3:15 p.m. Thursday, a patient set fire to one of the emergency rooms at Wesley Medical Center,550 N Hillside Street in Wichita, according to hospital spokesman Dave Stewart.
The attending nurse who is a former firefighter was able to extinguish the flames almost immediately.
While the flames were isolated to a single room, the smoke and smell filled the emergency department. The staff acted quickly to move current ER patients to areas that were safe and smoke free.
Hospital staff then set up a temporary tent outside the Emergency Department to initially triage patients, then sending them to either the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, or to the East wing of the Emergency Department.
A short time later, the Wichita Fire Department gave the all clear to reenter the area. To make sure the smoke and smell were completely gone, Wesley staff used fans to blow out any remaining smoke and smell.
As for the nurse who put out the fire, Wesley President and CEO Bill Voloch said, “He’s a hero who saved lives with his quick thinking and actions.”
The patient who set the fire is no longer at Wesley, according to Stewart.