Dadeville first responder, ER manager reflect on night 'You just never forget'

DADEVILLE, Ala. — Saturday night's along Dadeville's town square are like most any other night here. Quiet. In a town of less than 3,000 people, most are at home before midnight.

The night of April 15th appeared to be one of those very nights until suddenly it wasn't. For Tallapoosa Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director Danny Robinson that realization came at 10:39 p.m.

"I get a call from one of my medics, stating that she's en-route to a multiple shooting. She needs help, She's on the square," he recalls her saying in a rushed tone before suddenly hanging up.

Tallapoosa EMS has a staff of 23 employees and two or sometimes three ambulances to cover the majority of Tallapoosa County. Robinson knew even before he arrived that his entire staff and every ambulance in service wouldn't be enough to handle what was in store. Medical helicopters were unable to fly that night due to weather conditions so Robinson called every EMS company from Dadeville to Sylacauga, a roughly 45-minute drive away, to help with the number of patients that was expected. Reports from that night indicate as many as 17 ambulances were ultimately on the scene.

"It was a tremendous outpouring of people that came to help us in our time of need for the ambulance service as well as Lake Martin (Community) Hospital."

Four people were killed and 32 more were injured in the shooting which took place at a Sweet 16 Birthday Party on the town square. It turns out, however, many of the ambulances would not be needed. Most of the victims were loaded into cars and rushed to the nearby hospital by family members or friends at the party. The shooters would not be identified or arrested for days leaving those on the scene to wonder if they were perhaps still in danger.?

"You always worry about that any scene you go on, especially this one but the police were there doing their thing so we was able to concentrate on the patients."

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Robinson didn't see the carnage inside the small dance studio where the party was held but a handful of his staff who got there first did.

"That night will be one of them that you just never forget. It doesn't go away. We have a ways of dealing with it and good people to help us out."

'IT WAS VERY OVERWHELMING'

Lake Martin Community Hospital is a small facility with five emergency room beds. 15 shooting victims would come through the hospital doors that night.

Brandon Montgomery was in bed and about to go to sleep when he received the emergency alert summoning him back to the hospital. By the time he arrived 30 minutes after the shooting, he estimated there was nearly 200 people in the parking lot.

Montgomery, who serves as the ER supervisor said the scene inside was even worse,

"Chaos. We walk in and had kids on stretchers everywhere...we had 15 patients all come in at one time which is very overwhelming for any ER but especially one of our size."

The hospital regularly trains for mass casualty events but Montgomery says this was the first time they were faced with one in real life. So many of them called on a different type of experience,

"A lot of us have children of our own. A lot of them have children of their own the same age. I actually have a 16-year-old son myself so in the moment those children where our children so it does make it definitely more emotional."

Montgomery explained it also allowed them to find the words neededto help them treat their young patients.

"A lot of them were in fear of their life, so we do what we can to assure them that we're doing everything possible for them but yes they were all terrified."

'IS THERE REALLY A NEW NORMAL NOW?'

Both men said their colleagues are still dealing with the emotional toll of what they saw and heard that night.

"The first few days were rough," Montgomery explained. "I mean we're human too so the emotions played heavy, some of the decisions that had to be made the emotions were heavy but as the days would go on I don't want to say it's getting better. Emotions are still there but we're able to cope a little better."

Robinson said members of the Alabama Fire College offered encouragement and counseling to EMS personnel in the days after the shooting.

"If this doesn't bother somebody, I don't care how short-term you are or how long you've been doing it, than there's something wrong with that person."

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The memories of that fateful night are impossible to ignore. Funerals have begun for the dead as black and gold ribbons symbolizing the 'Dadeville Strong' movement can be seen across town.

"Is there really a normal now?" Robinson asks aloud. "I think it's called the new normal," he says in answer to himself. "I believe Dadeville will bounce back strong. I think it will be a little different but it'll always be Dadeville."