MVA with Entrapment Oxford Street North

At 9:15pm Monday night the AFRD was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident with one car in the water and a person trapped inside the vehicle. The first arriving crews found a sedan that had driven off an embankment through a bollard. The vehicle was found on the passengers side in a shallow stream with 1 person still trapped inside. The vehicle had extensive damage primarily to the front end, the patient was alert and oriented with minor complaints of injury.

The vehicle was stabilized with cribbing and struts, the windshield was removed and entry was gained to the patient. The patient was extricated to a stokes basket and carried to the waiting ambulance. AFRD transported the patient to UMASS Medical Center University Campus with non-life threatening injuries.

There was a light sheen on the water from the vehicle's fluids, hazmat booms were placed down stream. The Auburn Water Department and DEP were notified, the water department did respond to the scene. The electrical inspector was also notified due to underground wires being exposed from the bollard being dislodged.

AFRD cleared the scene at 11:40pm after providing scene lighting for APD and Direnzo towing. The vehicle was removed without incident.

Any Questions.

Contact: Lt. Adam LaFlash
Public Relations Coordinator
508-832-7800
alaflash@town.auburn.ma.us

Photos for media use.

Town of Auburn Announces New Communications Director

Following an extensive interview process that included an assessment center, the Town of Auburn has hired its first Communications Director, Penny Ryan. 

Mrs. Ryan has served as a public safety professional for the past 24 years. Starting as a call Emergency Medical Technician for the Town of Charlton in 1994, she worked as an EMT-Intermediate on an Advanced Life Support Ambulance. Mrs. Ryan became a Public Safety Dispatcher in 1998 and has served as the Lead Dispatcher for the Charlton Police Department since 2011. She also works per diem as a dispatcher for the Southbridge Police Department and serves as an Auxiliary Police Officer for the Town of Charlton.  

Penny holds a Communications Center Supervisor Certificate from the Association of Public Safety Communications (APCO), is an APCO Communications Training Officer, holds certification in Emergency Medical Dispatch, CPR Instructor for the American Heart Association, graduate of the Western Massachusetts Regional Training Center Reserve/Intermittent Police Academy and is one of only 25 dispatchers in Massachusetts to hold certification as a Communication Center Manager from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

The newly created position of Communications Director will be located in the Auburn Police Department and will oversee all dispatch operations and personnel. Mrs. Ryan will begin her new position in August. 

                                                                                                      Penny Ryan