CINCINNATI — Despite the terrible road conditions on Sunday, cooperation between local health care providers and the Ohio Department of Transportation ensured that a child was safely transferred to Cincinnati Children's.
I spoke with Gov. Mike DeWine from his home in Cedarville today, where he said his main concern now is about people who may be restless to leave their homes underestimating road conditions and the wicked cold.
"When you're talking about -25 degrees, wind chill factor ... people don't last very long out in that, so we just want to encourage people to be very, very safe," DeWine said. "Currently, our interstates are open, but we know that there's a lot of backroads that are just not passable."
DeWine said anyone driving should have plenty of clothes on, as well as clothes and other necessities in their car.
"What happens if you slide off a ditch? You know, it could be a while before the sheriff finds you. Just gotta be very, very, very careful," DeWine said.
That careful approach applies to more than just the everyday driver. DeWine told us a plow driver was called to escort an ambulance from Cincinnati Children's to Mercy Anderson and back to pick up a child who needed to be transferred.
"They contacted the Ohio Department of Transportation, and we had a snowplow literally go in front of the vehicle that was taking the folks from the Children's Hospital there," DeWine said. "They got there, they did what they needed to do. They got to go back. So it's just kind of the cooperation that you see going on."
Cincinnati Children's said their team received a request to transport a patient in need of a higher level of care. Because road conditions were so bad, Cincinnati Children's transport team contacted ODOT to have a plow escort them and ensure the child's safety.
"We're Ohioans. We don't brag a lot ... we just sort of go to work, and we just do what we need to do and we just sort of take that for granted," DeWine said. "But I think it's one of the great things about Ohioans. They go fix the problem, and move on."
The governor's office says to dial 911 or #677 if you find yourself stuck and in need of help.
