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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1999)
I *are sens« after the •'ealization that Bonfire has collapsed lure - (ce^ bers °f the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets sit i who”werf ' n j urecl during the fall of Bonfire on Thursday, r SeanC |0n ^ w ' tb other student volunteers carry a log sy afterno 1 JP BEATO/Tni |{\ii\iKi\ After learning of the tragedy, A&M students, community pull together to aid victims, survivors of collapse BY BROOKE HODGES The Battalion D uring the wee hours of the morning of the tragic col lapse of the 1999 Bonfire, pots could be seen rising into the air as a signal of student’s willingness to volunteer with the rescue effort. Throughout yesterday students across the Texas A&M campus did their part in aiding the rescue attempts by offering their services in many ways. At 2:46 a.m., Texas A&M University Emergency Medical Services (TAMU EMS) received an emer gency call to the Bonfire site. Brandi Whitley, Director of Public Relations for the A&M Emergency Care Team (TAM-ETC), said the team has a crew that staffs every cut and stack. She said last night they had an unusually high number of nine student staff members at Bonfire site. Whitley said that after the collapse, an emergency page was put out to all student volunteers who were not at the scene. She said between TAMU EMS and TAM-ECT there were 50 student volunteers who answered the page. Whitley said the two services were ready for the accident. “It is the kind of thing we prepare for but you never expect it to actually happen,” she said. At Bonfire site, students were volunteering their services by helping in the removal of the logs that trapped workers underneath. The students who were present raised their pots into the air to show they were ready to help. The spirit of the Twelfth Man was evident in their willingness to aid the rescue effort. The removal of logs by volunteers continued throughout the day until the removal was taken over by professionals with heavy machinery. Bart Humphries, public information officer for the College Station Fire Department, said once the cranes could not be used any longer, the rescuers would have to return to the slow process of remov ing one log at a time. Students who were not involved in Bonfire but still felt they needed to participate in the rescue effort helped by donating blood at different area blood trailers on campus. Susan Wu, a freshman business major and a member of Alpha Phi Omega, said she went to work around 10:00 a.m. as a volunteer at the blood drive being held today at Sbisa Dining Hall. Wu said the stream of people wanting to help by donating blood remained constant throughout the day. Sara Byrne, a freshman business major and a member of Alpha Phi Omega, said she believes it was a blessing the blood drive was being held this week. Steve Graham, territorial manager for the American Red-Cross, said the need for blood donors was well received by volunteers. Graham said blood was sent from Dallas, Waco and Tulsa to St. Joseph’s Hospital for aid in the efforts. He said at 2:00p.m., St. Joseph’s had used over 200 pints of blood. Graham said the American Red-Cross center on University Drive could be seen with over 300 people waiting to give the gift of life. [Hess detector E’5 Bo ‘»nan i t ng PPing 1 miuiiiik IBTiWnl Task Last time Force One moaning arrives and on the tapping site are heard 5:00 u m Fire Department initiates a more apressive dismantling of base level Reed Arena Memorial Service Private vigils and rescue efforts continue into the night 10 students are confirmed dead, 1 unconfirmed