5/30/07

Vehicle Extrication in East Pikeland

At 20:35 hours, Station 61 and MICU 67 were dispatched to Rt 23 and Hares Hill Road for an auto accident. Engine 61-2 and MICU 67 responded immediately from the Wednesday night training exercise at Redners Market. Supplemental 911 calls reported that occupants were trapped and the assignment was upgraded by Chester County Fire Radio. With this information, Engine 61-2 requested that Ladder 65 respond with them from the drill.

MICU 67-1 arrived moments later to find a two-vehicle accident with 2 patients trapped and they requested two helicopters as well as two additional MICU's. Engine 61-2 and Ladder 65 arrived shortly after, stabilized the vehicle, and began extrication which consisted of removing the roof and the entire drivers side of the vehicle. Rescue 72 arrived and established an LZ for the 2 helicopters in an adjacent field and they also deployed additional rescue tools to assist on the extrication. Crews worked for about 20 minutes to free the first victim and the second patient was extricated 4 minutes later. Both patients were then flown via Sky Care 1 and Penn Star 2 to local trauma centers. Additional patients from the accident were transported to Phoenixville Hospital by Medic 325.