Two First Responders Recall Their Actions On April 19th, 1995

At 9:02, EMSA paramedic Joe Wallace was sitting in his ambulance at EMSA's offices just a few blocks away.

Wednesday, April 15th 2015, 11:32 pm

By: News 9


At 9:02, EMSA paramedic Joe Wallace was sitting in his ambulance at EMSA's offices just a few blocks away.

“Twenty years and it seems like yesterday,” said Wallace. He hasn't spoken much about his experience, but said his recollections are still very clear. “Broken glass everywhere, several people running toward the ambulance, blood on their faces, screaming for help.”

Wallace and his partner were among the first on the scene, they worked the Journal Record building doing triage, and treating one injury after another.

“I don't know if it's instinct or training, or just the type of person that it is that gets into this type of business. You just keep moving,” said Wallace.

The only thing that stopped him was discovering that one of the youngest victims had been placed in his ambulance.

“I was just climbing up into the truck to get some more supplies out of the cabinets, and I lean over the cabinets and I look down, and there's a tiny little socked foot sticking out from under a blanket. I had no idea she was in there, and I remember I just sat down on the bench of the truck and just my moment of silence,” Wallace continued.

Mel Spruill, another EMSA worker, has had her own moments of silence. “It's been something that's been a little hard for me to say or talk about.”

For years, it upset Spruill that she hadn't been one of those pulling bodies from the rubble, but she's since realized that what she did do was also significant.

“Something told me, this is going to need your help,” said Spruill.

From her post at the dispatch center, Spruill could hear what crews were needing blankets to cover bodies, work gloves, and much more.

“So, I called Walmart and said, ‘Hey, we need a lot of help. Can you guys donate these items.', and they said absolutely. And so within an hour or so, we had $25,000 worth of donations show up outside of our building,” said Spruill.

Spruill personally delivered it all to the bomb site. She made mental notes of a lot of things while she was there, the size of the hole in the building, the looks on people's faces. But, especially all the toys from the day care.

“And I didn't cry for a really long time, but coming to work one day it was rainy and there was a ball rolling down the street, and I started crying. I didn't know why, and then it hit me. There was no child playing with that ball,” said Spruill.

Both Spruill and Wallace said, as horrific as the day was, it confirmed that they were in the right profession. Twenty years later, they still work for EMSA and they're not alone, there are 20 people who were with EMSA on April 19, 1995 and still work there today.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

April 15th, 2015

March 14th, 2024

December 4th, 2023

September 25th, 2023

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024