Zoo EMS Incident Spotlights Pre-Planning

A boy injured by a camel at the Knoxville (Tenn.) zoo had to wait for medical treatment after miscommunications kept fire and EMS units stalled at the front gate while zoo officials investigated if the camel was loose. The incident, and past incidents at other zoos, highlight the need for close cooperation between zoo personnel and local emergency services to insure safety and a prompt response. In this case the 400-pound camel stumbled in its enclosure, fell over the fence and accidentally struck a child. A woman dialed 911 to report the injury and stated that the camel was loose. She also described the encounter as an “attack,” and that information was relayed by dispatchers. The caller wasn’t kept on the line or closely questioned about the circumstances of the contact or the status of the camel. The caller wasn’t identified and it’s not clear if she notified zoo employees on-scene. Zoo officials say they weren’t aware of the incident until EMS units arrived, and kept the front gate locked for safety. Read more and listen to the 911 call and radio traffic here.