Texas winter storm: EMS workers prepare for busy weekend

ARLINGTON, Texas - With threats of icy roads, hypothermia and more due to winter weather, medical professionals across North Texas are preparing for a busy weekend.

Arlington EMS workers ready to work

AMR Arlington medics are staging extra ambulances, stocking supplies and getting ready for a spike in emergency calls.

Last year, they had more than 60,000 responses and transported a little over 41,000 patients.

"We have a very succinct system, if you will, that allows us to bring the ambulances in, lift, and the chains are actually already on tires, and are then placed on the ambulances, then they go right back out," Arlington AMR operations manager Chris Weinzapfel tells FOX 4’s Casey Stegall.

Weinzapfel also tells Stegall that, in addition to already bulking up on staffing, additional support is on stand-by.

"We have people that have said they’re willing to come in to work, and so we will activate them, if necessary, once we kind of see how things are playing out throughout the day and through the evening if we need them, we’ll recall them, and they’ll come back in," Weinzapfel said.

Weinzapfel knows that the time EMS workers are most needed is when things get bad.

"Preparedness is what we do," he said. We’re prepared for whatever comes our way, we’ll prepare as best we can, and we’ll answer the call when it comes." 

Beware of more than just icy roads

Back in 2021, Texas health officials confirmed 236 deaths statewide during the February winter storm.

161 of them died from exposure to the cold, like hypothermia and frostbite. 22 were killed in motor vehicle crashes.

Dr. Taylor Yates, an ER physician at Parkland ER, warns that hypothermia can happen in places you wouldn't expect.

"We do also see cases of hypothermia when people are indoors with adequate heating," Yates told Stegall." So, this might be a good time to check in on people that are potentially at risk of this."

He warned about the use of portable generators indoors. 19 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning during the 2021 storm.

"It’s just not designed to be used inside an enclosed space like that, so it can increase that carbon monoxide to levels that can be dangerous or even life-threatening," Yates continued.

Parkland says some staff members will be camping out at the hospital all weekend to ensure there’s enough to meet an anticipated spike in demand.

What you can do:

First responders say the biggest risks are preventable. Stay off icy roads, use generators outside only, and check on neighbors who may be vulnerable to the cold.

Dallas Weather Forecast

The National Weather Service has now issued a Winter Storm Warning for North and Central Texas starting at 6 p.m. on Friday and continuing through noon on Sunday. An Extreme Cold Warning will also be in effect from Saturday evening through Monday morning.

FOX 4 forecasters warn that North Texas may not climb back above freezing until Monday afternoon, meaning travel could be dangerous until Monday evening. 

A full changeover to sleet and snow is expected across parts of North Texas late Saturday before the wintry weather ends Sunday, according to the NWS. Power outages are possible due to ice accumulating on trees and power lines.