Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The Richland County Mass Casualty Bus may have caught your attention Wednesday when it was deployed to Greenlawn Cemetery to help twelve victims who were struck by a vehicle at a graveside service.
The big vehicle, painted white with orange and red stripes like any other ambulance, is used in many ways.
"We use it for numerous different reasons - primarily for mass casualty situations," said Captain Winta Adams with Richland County EMS. "We'll use it about ten to fifteen times a year. We also use it for evacuation purposes and special events, like large events, so like the home games for USC Football."
The bus is stocked up with everything that an ambulance has, but with a much a larger supplier for the big set of wheels.
The vehicle can hold up to twenty people laying or five sitting up. Besides the stretchers, there are countless supplies that can help them be prepared for any situation.
Adams says the bus really can help Richland County EMS save lives.
"It makes a huge difference. When you have the critical patients that need to go ahead and get to the hospital, it's a big help, especially when you have other 9-1-1 calls going on in the county during that same period of time," said Adams.
One thing Richland County EMS wants you to know is that they'll be ready if and when the call comes and you need their help.
"I hope they can see that we're prepared for situations like that and that they can rest assured that we're ready to go and staffed, we're ready to respond for something that might be on that measure," said Adams.
The bus they are using now has been in use since 2010. The vehicle was used to evacuate folks off the coast during Hurricane Matthew.