Shawano and Outagamie highway departments save lives during Wisconsin winter storm

Amid the winter storm Wisconsin faced earlier this week, local highway crews played a life-saving role Monday morning.

On Sunday evening, all transfers out of ThedaCare-Shawano Medical Center were put on hold due to dangerous travel, including white out conditions, blowing snow, and heavily drifted highways. 

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Monday morning, two patients with life-threatening conditions required urgent transport to higher-level care facilities. Crews from the Shawano County Highway Department and Outagamie County Highway Department stepped in and coordinated an emergency response. 

Two ambulances departed Shawano under escort by a Shawano County plow truck, traveling from ThedaCare-Shawano Medical Center to Bonduel before continuing south on State Highway 47 to the Shawano/Outagamie County line.

From there, an Outagamie County plow took over, leading the ambulances safely through treacherous conditions into the Fox Cities, where advanced medical care was available.

Shawano Ambulance Services praised the two county highway departments for their role in the life-threatening emergency.

“It is at times like these when we see these ‘behind the scenes’ agencies really come together and truly make life or death efforts for people they’ve never met and probably will never know. If you know or see a plow driver, thank them for their service!” Shawano Ambulance Services said in a Facebook post.