Ambulance Service of Manchester Assisting with Springfield Tornado Damage

The Ambulance Service of Manchester is among the agencies assisting with damage caused by a tornado that struck Springfield, MA, earlier this evening.

According to David Skoczulek, who works as a director for the agency, the Ambulance Service of Manchester has already sent eight to 10 ambulances to the Springfield area to assist with the damage and staffed all of its 25 ambulances for continued relief throughout the night.

"There was massive destruction up State Street (in) Springfield with uprooted trees, destroyed cars and shredded signs. Our ambulances responded to collapsing buildings, chest pain, active childbirth and more. Response was hindered by debris in the road,” Skoczulek said. "The sky was an eerie yellow for about twenty minutes." 

Skoczulek said there are about 50 to 60 ambulances on the scene, including from areas as far away as Albany, N.Y., and Natick, MA, while the Massachusetts State Police have set up a mobile emergency command center at the Basketball Hall of Fame on West Columbus Avenue in Springfield.

“For us to have eight to 10 ambulances of our 25 dedicated is significant,” Skoczulek said. “It’s not Joplin bad, but the damage looks to be pretty significant.”

The Hartford Courant is reporting that at least four people have been reported dead as a result of the storm in western Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency.