Kansas City Dispatcher Aids Truck Driver in Medical Emergency

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Despite the distance of over 160 miles between Kansas City and Pacific Junction, Iowa, a dispatcher from the Kansas City Fire Department was able to assist a truck driver in distress.

Just days before New Year’s Eve, KCFD Communication Specialist Antionette Sims encountered an unusual scenario when she answered an emergency call from a worried father in the Kansas City area.

The father explained that his son, a truck driver, was suffering from a medical emergency while on the highway and was clueless about his location.

“He had no clue where he was,” Sims recalled. With limited details, she knew the incident was occurring somewhere along the highway connecting Kansas City and Omaha, Nebraska.

Sims quickly reached out to dispatchers in the counties along the route, but she also received a crucial piece of information.

“It might be near a Love’s truck stop,” she noted, recalling the detail provided by the father. She methodically pieced together this information, conducting a search akin to a Google search to locate Love’s truck stops along the highway.

Eventually, Sims confirmed the man was in Iowa. Chase Carson from the Glenwood Fire Department responded to the emergency, describing the man’s condition as a serious cardiac event known as a “widow maker.”

Carson credited Sims’ persistence with playing a vital role in saving the driver’s life, stating, “If she hadn’t been as persistent, the outcome would not have been as positive.” Sims expressed her relief upon learning the driver was okay, appreciating any news of positive outcomes from her efforts.

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KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva focuses on educational stories related to K-12. If you have a story idea, feel free to reach out to Fe.