| On Monday, December 12th, 2005 the Westwood Fire Company was dispatched at 0507 for a report of an auto accident with serious injuries on Airport Road between Business Route 30 and the Route 30 Bypass.
Chief 44 responded and was advised of a two vehicle accident with a possibility of 2 unconscious patients believed to be trapped in the vehicle. Valley Police arrived soon after and advised 3 patients were trapped in serious condition. The Chester County 911 Center had placed an air medical unit on standby at the time of dispatch.
Ambulance 44 was on another emergency at the time and had requested the Sadsburyville Fire Company's Quick Response Service to be dispatched to provide medical care since our Ambulance was unavailable at the time of dispatch.
Medic 93-1 had received additional information of patient condition and requested 2 additional Paramedic Units and 2 additional Ambulances.
Chief 44 arrived on location at 0514 at assumed "Airport Road Command." Chief 44 also confirmed 4 patients all trapped in the vehicles with serious injuries, requested a total of 4 air medical units on standby, and requested a second rescue unit to be dispatched.
Crews worked from Tac 44 with a Hurst Maverick Tool ("Jaws of Life") to free two occupants from a utility type work vehicle. Two patients were quickly extricated and EMS crews began to provide care to the patients. Ambulances from Pomeroy, Coatesville, Downingtown, and Uwchlan were all on location to assist. Westwood Ambulance also responded from the previous call to the scene.
Coatesville Rescue 43 arrived on location and assisted Tac 44's crew with extrication of the driver of the utility truck, while EMS crews continued to work on the trapped occupant of the second vehicle. Once all three patients were extricated from the work truck, both rescue crews continued to work on the second vehicle which involved a more complicated rescue.
Sadsburyville Fire Company also responded an Engine for assistance to set up landing zones for the helicopters at the Lanchester Christian School on Airport Road in the area of the accident scene.
Parkesburg Rescue 28 arrived and was assigned to assist with the roof removal from the second vehicle.
The first extricated patient was transported to Christiana Hospital and Trauma Center in Delaware by air medical unit Medevac 6. The second patient was transported to Reading Hospital and Trauma Center by air medical unit PennSTAR 4. Sky Flight Care helicopter transported the third victim to Reading a short time later.
The fourth patient was extricated and was transported to Reading Hospital by PennSTAR 2.
Fire Police from Westwood, Modena, Coatesville, Parkesburg, Wagontown, Thorndale, and East Brandywine Fire Companies were all dispatched to assist with traffic control and road closures during the rush hour.
The final Fire and EMS units cleared the scene at 0717, with fire police personnel remaining for a few additional hours to provide assistance to the police department with road closures.
Cochranville Engine 27-5 relocated to the Westwood Fire Company to cover our district while we were tied up on this emergency.
Later in the morning at 0909, crews were once again called to the accident scene to assist the police and investigators with removing a seat from one vehicle with our rescue tools.
Thank you to all who assisted on this incident. Our thoughts are with those involved. |
