Delaware Park to Review Safety Protocol

The Delaware Park Safety Committee will review safety protocol following a Tuesday, Aug. 18 paddock accident in which a valet suffered serious injury but was not transported from the track for 32 minutes.

At the regularly scheduled Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19, track security personnel presented a timeline that suggested 32 minutes elapsed from the time valet William Hollick was injured until the time he was transported from the track.

Upset with the level of care after Hollick's injury, jockeys took off their mounts, forcing cancellation of the final four races Tuesday.

According to officials who spoke at Wednesday's meeting, Hollick was injured when he was pinned against a paddock wall, or pillar, by a filly he was attempting to saddle for the fourth race. The race was conducted while Hollick awaited the arrival of an ambulance.

Track personnel suggested that while they hope to improve plans to prevent a similar incident in the future, their current plans were stretched by circumstances Tuesday. EMTs were occupied wrapping up care for a woman who fell near the winner's circle, when Hollick was injured.

Protocol calls for EMTs to determine the severity of injury and follow with a decision. In this case they determined calling in an ambulance was the appropriate call to treat Hollick, who suffered broken ribs on both sides, an inflamed lung on one side, a partially collapsed lung on the other side, a broken shoulder blade on one side, and a broken collarbone on the other. 

While EMTs called for an outside ambulance, track security personnel at Wednesday's meeting suggested that a call from Hollick's wife may have been first to reach the ambulance. Security noted that EMTs had to first evaluate the situation before making that call.

Track officials at the meeting said timing of the run was slowed by traffic from a nearby auto accident and by the ambulance going to a gate used to service on-track injuries and had to be re-directed to the location closest to the paddock.

"There was a breakdown in communication," said Delaware Park president Bill Fasy at Wednesday's commission meeting. 

Delaware Park executive director of security Kathy Harer presented a timeline in which the injury was first reported at 2:35 p.m. EDT, on-site EMTs arrived three minutes later, the ambulance first arrived at the wrong gate at 2:52 p.m., and arrived at the correct gate at 2:56 p.m. Hollick was not removed from the track until 3:07 p.m.

Fasy said there was too much chaos in the paddock area while the EMTs attempted to assess Hollick's injuries. Fasy said it was fine that Hollick's wife was holding his hand but chaos was created by numerous people approaching him to wish him well. He said if a future accident occurs, it will be a priority for security to clear the paddock.

"We can't change what happened. Horses are reactionary and can get a little crazy at any point in time. That's not the problem. The problem is that when the EMTs arrive, they're assessing the victim's injuries and agony. Their job is to determine what is the best course in how to handle the situation but there was a lot of chaos going on in the paddock at the same time. People were coming up to Billy and fist-bumping him," Fasy said. "The protocol is for the EMTs to make the assessment and to call the ambulance, let them know what the vital signs are, what occurred, what to expect, and where they're at. That was a breakdown in the situation." 

Fasy said the off-site ambulance was given incorrect information, causing them to arrive at the wrong gate.

"As I understand it the ambulance was told it was a racing incident," Fasy said. "When they get told that, they go to the main gate. They came to the main gate first, then they went to the paddock."

Fasy noted that there also are factors beyond the track's control when off-site medical personnel are called. He said they can be slowed by their current location. He said on Tuesday there was a traffic accident that slowed their progress. 

"Talking to professionals that do this every day, a half-hour is not necessarily that long a response time," Fasy said. "If I was injured, I'd want it to be two minutes. But it happened and I can't change what happened. I can only tell you that the first responders from our staff were there. I do think there was some confusion going on around them that shouldn't have occurred. There was no clearing out of people that should have occurred."

Fasy said as soon as possible the track will require all valets to wear safety vests.

At the meeting, Fasy also addressed rumors about Hollick's condition at the track. He said the valet never lost consciousness although he was in pain. Fasy said in hindsight, the race should have been stopped or delayed.

The Delaware Park Safety Committee includes representatives from the track, riders, horsemen, and regulators. Robert Colton, director of the Delaware Park Jockeys Association, said he's confident Delaware Park will address the issues. 

"I can tell you that our facility has an excellent record in terms of responding and getting people to the hospital," Fasy said, later noting the track has six full-time EMTs on staff. "We have an excellent record. For the last 20 years, our staffing has been very similar to where we are now. I think we handle everything, I'm not saying there won't be a freak accident like yesterday again but there is nobody that doesn't want more safety."