EEEWE, I'd hate to have been on that call.
Several years ago i got a call to remove a window in base quarters. No explination as to why the window needed to be removed, just a note to stand-by and replace the window when needed. An Air force NCO that had been stationed at that base for several years lived in the quarters. After moving in this NCO's wife had started gaining weight. She quite going out side of the house. Just sat, ate, and got bigger. When Maintenance crews came she would hide till they left. Then one day she got sick. She was not able to get out the door to go to the Hospital. So she just sat at home and got worse. Finally her husband called the EMTs. The EMTs called back to the Fire Station to explain to the Fire Chief that they needed a crew to help remove her from the house, and they felt a wall needed to be removed. The Fire chief called me. The picture window in the living room was removable, so I got the job. This woman was well over 700 lbs.
Once I had removed the window, I suggested to the Chief we use the Roofing Crews Lift Truck to get her to the Hospital since she would not fit into the Ambulance. And we needed to get her out the window that was 12 feet off the ground. No way was the Fire Crew going to handle her weight without someone getting hurt. I went to the CE Yard and got the truck. The Fire Crew had to slide a small A/C loading pallet under her so enough of them could get hold and move her. Once on the truck the Fire Crew covered her with blankets and a tarp. I drove the truck to the Hospital. The AF Hospital sent us on down town to the Civilian Hospital, they did not have the equipment to handle such a heavy person. I drove off base with an Ambulance in front, and a Fire Truck behind. The Anchorage Hospital had a special bed, and a lift, just for heavy people. Once I got her to the loading dock at the Hospital, the hospital personnel took over.
Got a second call to help remove a large woman from the second floor of a quarters on Ft WW. It took 15 of us to get her out of the Bathtub, down the narrow stairs, and again out the front room window. This time we were able to slide her onto the back of a large Fire Truck for transport to the Hospital. Again we were advised to go to the Civilian Hospital in Fairbanks, where they had the equipment to handle someone of that size. This second woman could have walked out the door if she had been able to walk. But it was easier for us to slide her out the window.
