Central Volunteer Fire Company of Elizabeth Township

Here’s another example how often a vehicle into a structure will require shoring. Central Volunteer Fire Company of Elizabeth Township responded in Rescue 147 for an unoccupied vehicle into a structure. Upon arrival, crews on reported significant damage to a garage. Rescue 147 deployed their Paratech Rescue Struts to provide stabilization to the garage.

Want to learn more about their rig? Checkout our post a while back that walks you thru it here.

Tractor Trailer vs House

Below are a few pictures and the description of an incident that involved a tractor trailer into a house with people trapped. I believe every fire department should have a basic understanding of shoring up a house for just this type of incident.  Vehicles into a structure can happen anywhere.  Departments train for vehicle accidents with entrapment but often this doesn’t include any shoring training.  Shoring a structure is under the technical rescue category.  However, I would prefer to have my crew know how to properly deploy T Spot Shore to provide additional safety those working in or around the compromised structure.  The Field Guide for Building Stabilization and Shoring Techniques published by the Department of Homeland Security and is packed full of useful information.

Here’s a video on using Paratech Struts to make a T-Spot Shore.

The Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department had an incident with a Tractor Trailer in a residence with occupants trapped near the Clements intersection. Crews assisted with stabilizing the structure to remove 4 occupants and the Truck driver. One patient was pinned inside the structure and required additional rescue efforts. All patients were extricated and transported within an hour of arrival.

Chief 7 was assigned as a Rescue Group Supervisor with Chief 5 holding Command. A total of 4 Heavy Duty Rescue Squads, 2 Ladder Trucks, 1 Engine, NDW Pax River Collapse Trailer and Support, Charles County TRT, DCFD TRT Task Force, EMS units from Seventh District, Leonardtown, and Mechanicsville, along with Baltimore Shock Trauma Go Team responded on the incident.

Social Media is a great method to show the public we serve the diverse nature of the skills today’s firefighter have. Take a look at the at the vehicle into a building and the shoring/stabilization that was posted on the Twitter page of Somerset Fire/Rescue.

Quick stabilization job. pic.twitter.com/5rs3lPkM4W

— Somerset Fire/Rescue (@SVFRC56) June 27, 2017

However, if you look further into their Twitter feed you can see they train on shoring with their Paratech Struts.

Pretty ambitious for a Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/8gpjVypWXu

— Somerset Fire/Rescue (@SVFRC56) March 1, 2017