| December 5 - At 2340hrs, Orange County Emergency Communications dispatched
Incident #5082 for a Motor Vehicle Crash near the intersection
of Constitution and Zachary Taylor Highway's in the Unionville area of
Orange County. The Orange Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC)
responded an Engine, Chief, and 2 support vehicles along with 2
Medic Units and a Squad from the Orange County Rescue Squad (OCRS),
and an additional Engine from the Mine Run Volunteer Fire
Department. First arriving Law Enforcement found a T-bone
accident (Tractor Trailer vs. Car) with the driver of the car being severely entrapped and the
passenger out of the vehicle. OCRS units arrived and surveyed
the scene. They advised of a borderline Pri 1/4 patient
severely entrapped and had a second patient that was a Pri 1.
OVFC Chief 23 (B. Roby) arrived shortly after this and established
Constitution Highway Command. He began staging units and assigning
duties immediately, while EMS quickly packaged the patient who was
out and began transportation.
Next arriving OVFC Engine 23's crew began assessment and planning
for the very difficult extrication. Engine 23's crew along
with Firefighters from Salvage and Support 23 and Technicians from
OCRS Squad 234 stabilized the vehicle and began disassembly on the
passenger side so the driver could be accessed. Efforts began
on this side because the car was mated to the truck's cab and access
initially from the driver’s side would be impossible. Crews
began by removing the rear door then all three posts on the
passenger’s side. A second set of hydraulic tools were then
utilized to remove the driver's side C post so the roof could be
removed completely (A & B posts on the drivers side were already
severed by the impact). The passenger side crew began removing
interior components and setting up rams while the driver side crew
removed portions of the rear door and
truck bumper/fender to "release" the two vehicles. After all
parts were removed and the truck was free of the car, the truck's tires
were unchocked on the rear side so it could be placed in reverse and
moved to allow access to the lower half of the driver's body.
When this was successfully complete, the driver's side crew worked
feverishly to remove what remained of the driver's door, as well as
the remainder of the top of the B post, and made a relief cut on the rocker
panel so rams could be utilized to free the entrapped patient's
feet. When all was complete, the driver was removed and
transported by OCRS Medic 211. The entire extrication
procedure took under 35 minutes.
Notes: MRVFD's Engine 21
arrived during the course of events and assisted with equipment.
At the time of this article being written, no status on either
patient transported was available. The driver of the truck was
uninjured and refused treatment.
Command: C23 (B. Roby)
Units responding/operating: C23, E23,
S23, SU23, E21, and OCRS M232, M211 S234.
INCIDENT PICTURES
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