Chester County Rescue Task Force

The Team held its monthly training this morning. After a presentation by our EMS physician on medical management for patients in technical rescue incidents, we then traveled to the training site where a simulated structural collapse was staged. Squads were established and tasks assigned. Squads had to detect and locate the “victims” and then gain access to and assess the “victims”. Crews determined that there were several non-viable “victims and one viable “victim” who required advanced care from our medical team while our rescue specialists worked to “free up” the victim and then package and extricate from the collapsed area. This challenging evolution required members to operate in cramped spaces while still providing expert care. Close coordination between the Rescue Group and the
Medical Group provides the victim with the best chance of survival.

Crews also reviewed a few new tools recently added to the equipment cache.

Rescue Task Force personnel assisted Union Fire Company No. 1 ~ Oxford, PA Station 21 with this late morning incident in East Nottingham Township. Additional USAR assets from New Castle County also responded. The victim was successfully rescued and transported as Chester County Rescue Task Force units arrived on scene.

This weekend concludes the 80+ hour FEMA US&R Equivalent Structural Collapse Specialist course funded by the South Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force and taught by instructors from Spec Rescue International, Inc. Since late June, twenty four members from the Region have spent every other weekend learning how to safely operate at structural collapse incidents. Topics covered included building construction and collapse patterns, emergency building shoring techniques, crane operations, heavy rigging and lifting, characteristics of concrete along with hands on time with all of the specialized tools necessary to effect a rescue from a collapse structure. Students completed two written exams as well as numerous skill stations. The course culminated with Sunday’s scenarios, simulating a collapse where students were able to put it all together. The knowledge and skills acquired by these new specialists will greatly enhance rescue capabilities within each county, as well as the SEPA Region. We truly appreciate the time, dedication and hard work these members put in to accomplish this.

Challenging incident in South Jersey today.