LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As Las Vegas marks 8 years since a mass shooting took the lives of 58 people on October 1, 2017, a team of EMS was already on scene the moments shots rang out.
Community Ambulance had 21 of their team members in a medical tent at the Route 91 Harvest festival that night. It’s something they often do during big events.
“I’ve been doing this for 41 years, but that night I can remember it so vividly,” said Chief Brian Rogers of Community Ambulance.
For some of the EMS workers, this festival was their very first shift. Of those 21, Chief Roger’s daughter was working as an EMS.
“I get a call from my daughter, she said they are shooting at us at the festival,” Rogers said.
Rogers rushed to the scene but was not able to go inside because it was still active.
“People would come to the tent, and to make room, we would have to put them outside the tent to make room for others. It was like no other,” Rogers said.
Even as shots rang out, the EMS workers continued to do their job to help save those who were injured. However, Rogers was not able to ignore what was in front of him. He tells FOX5 that about 4 a.m. the next day, he was tasked with going into the festival grounds with four other senior first responders and pronounced those there, deceased.
“I felt for a pulse, not expecting any pulses at all, and when I felt a pulse, tears started to come out of her eyes,” Rogers said. “I will never forget her face for the rest of my life.”
Rogers said in the days that followed, the 21 EMS workers there that night stuck together, with many finding solace at the Community Ambulance office, even on their days off.
“We had counselors and psychiatrists, we wanted everyone here to make sure they were OK before they went home,” Rogers said. “Over the next several days, even if people weren’t at work, they wanted to come hang out here, and we all hung out as a group.”
Since that tragic day, Rogers said the team has reviewed plans and implemented new ways they can be of service, just in case there is ever another similar situation. They have created a Hospital Incident Command, which would consist of EMS workers at various hospitals to assist medical staff and have EMS on scene.
As for Rogers these days, he channels his pain from that into healing. He now sits on the board for the Forever One Memorial that has yet to be built.
“That’s a very important part of the puzzle for me in my recovery,” Rogers said.
The permanent memorial will be shaped into an infinity sign and will cost $40 million, according to Rogers.
He said every donation, big or small, would count. You can find out more about the memorial here.
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