On march 8, 2008, the passaic (NJ) Fire Department was in the process of handling a severe storm with periods of high winds and heavy rain. At approximately 1900 hours, the 911 dispatch center lit up, reporting everything from downed utility lines to roofs blown off buildings. Nearly 40 911 calls were received in an hour and a half; one of those calls was from the local hospital. At 2039 hours, the 911 dispatch center received a call for persons stuck in the elevator. Ladder 2 and Engine 3 were dispatched. While en route, the units were asked to expedite because hospital staff was reporting a coded patient in full cardiac arrest in the elevator. On arrival, fire department members were met by hospital staff and directed to the third-floor intensive care unit (ICU). The area's only access was through the emergency room (ER) to a rear stairwell. Once units arrived on the third floor, hospital staff informed crews that four hospital staff (two nurses, one doctor, and one security guard) and one critical care patient were in the elevator.
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