Busy Friday Night and Saturday Morning
 
By Captain Bill Cummings
January 16, 2015
 

Fame members were kept busy Friday night, January 16th into early Saturday morning, January 17th with several serious calls. Crews were dispatched shortly after 11:00 pm to Paoli Pike near East Gay Street for an reported serious accident. Upon arrival crews found a single vehicle that struck and took down a telephone pole and the attached wires. There was no entrapment. Rescue 53 assisted EMS with patient packaging while Engine 53 secured the vehicle's battery. PECO Energy was summoned to handle the damaged pole and wires. The road remained closed for several hours. West Goshen PD investigated the accident and were assisted with traffic control by WCFD Fire Police and Goshen Fire Company Fire Police. All Fame units returned to service within the hour.

Around 1:20 am, while on routine patrol, WCPD noticed heavy smoke issuing from The Pretzel Store in the 100 block of North Church Street. Stations 51, 53 and Ambulance 55 were dispatched for the building fire. Heavy smoke was issuing from the front of the one story business as Ladder 53 and Engine 51-1 arrived and went to work. The Ladder crew split, forced entry and conducted primary searches, while Engine 51-1 stretched an attack hose line. Engine 53 provided water supply for the attack engine. Rescue 53 crew was also split and sent to the roof to perform vertical ventilation as well as secure the utilities. Station 52 units were dispatched for a fire alarm at 24 West Chestnut Street, it was determined that that address was the apartments attached above and to the rear of the original fire building. 52s crews assisted in fire suppression. Rescue 53's roof team conducted searches of those apartments once done with their roof ventilation assignment. Fire was located in the basement/crawl space of the pretzel store. Multiple hose lines were stretched and operated to extinguish this stubborn fire. Extensive overhaul was needed. Engine 47-2 (Lionville) served as RIT for this incident. Several tenants of the apartments above the fire building were displaced. The WCPD, Chester County Fire Marshal's Office and the PA State Police Fire Marshal's office are investigating the cause. There were no injuries, in spite of the cold and icy conditions firefighters were forced to operate in.

Fame units returned to station around 3:45 am, but there was to be no sleep. At 5 am, Station 53, Ambulance 55 and Medic 91 were dispatched to N. New Street near Sunset Hollow Road in West Goshen Twp. for an accident with entrapment. Once on scene, crews discovered a single vehicle that had left the roadway and crashed into a tree and was suspended over a creek with one front seat passenger trapped inside. Rescue 53 place Paratech struts to stabilize the vehicle and removed the passenger's side door to access the victim. Engine and Squad 53 provided scene lighting and additional personnel to assist with victim removal. Rescue crews assisted EMS with placing the victim on a long board and into a Stoke's basket. She was then carried up the embankment and transported by EMS to a local hospital. Engine 53 crew stood-by while West End Towing removed the vehicle from it's precarious position. West Goshen PD is investigating the accident.

As the sun rose on a beautiful Saturday morning, Fame crews were just getting to bed after a long night.

 
Units: Engines 51-1, 53, 51-2, 52-1, Ladder 53, Rescue 53, Squads 51, 53 and Air 52. 55 EMS and Medic 91 (Chester County Hospital ALS)
 
Mutual Aid: Eng 47-2 RIT