Date: 092207
Time: 1030
Type: Other / Barn Collapse
County: Lancaster
Injuries: 0
Deaths: 1
 

Agencies

Susquehanna Fire & Rescue Co. #4, Station 84 Washington Boro Fire Company, Station 78 Millersville Fire Company, Station 65

 

Comments

The operator of the tractor just finished hanging tobacco in the barn. Other farmers were still in the rafters when the operator was driving the tractor out of the barn and there was a failure of the floor and the tractor along with the trailer fell into the basement of the barn. The operator was pinned between the tractor and trailer after they both fell into the basement. The emergency responders found an obvious DOA when we arrived so the rescue turned into a recover. First the collapse unit shored up the entire first floor from the basement. Then crews prepared two come a longs to move the trailer away from the tractor to free the victim. Trailer moved and victim was freed and removed from the building.

 

Thoughts

I believe the rescuers were prepared for this incident. The County 9-1-1 center was aware of the structural collapse and had the collapse unit dispatched immediately.

Rehrersburg Company #27, along with Bethel #54 and Strausstown #50, were dispatched to the Arrowhead Poultry Farm along New Schaefferstown Road in Tulpehocken Township (Berks County) for a grain dryer bin fire.  Womelsdorf Truck #47 was requested to the scene to assist.

 

The fire was in a 3000 bushel capacity grain dryer bin, which was loaded with 2500 bushels of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seed is a very difficult grain to handle in any type of dryer. It becomes packed so tightly and will not "agitate" correctly, thus increasing the chance of becoming too hot and burning. This was one of our active member's farm, and he had checked the bin approximately 45 minutes earlier and all was OK. He left to run an errand and his wife called him to tell him it was burning and she had called the FD.

Initial responders on scene turned off the blowers and propane supply. After initial evaluation, it was determined that this would have to be off-loaded. After the necessary equipment was in place, the off-loading process began. FF's had to pull the seeds down into the unloading augers, thus the need for confined space SCBA and tag lines. Truck #47 served as a high anchor/tie-off point for FF safety.  Unloading process took about 5 - 5.5 hours. Very little water used to cool some smoldering product.

Additional photos available on Company #27's website.

Tractor rollover with entrapment in Caernarvon Township (Lancaster County).  For more information, go to www.tvfd69.com and go to the "news" section.

Photo courtesy of the Twin Valley Fire Department.

This was emailed in from the Chad Graybill, Deputy Chief of the Bart Township Fire Company in Lancaster County:

"First time for me on 1 of these calls. 11/01/2006 - 321 Furnace Rd, Bart Twp. Bart Twp. Fire Co, Quarryville FC Rescue 5-7 and Medic from Susq.Valley EMS in Q-ville. -County radio advised a 23 year old male stuck in a corn picker. Chief 5-1 arrived on E5-1-1 with a male with both legs pulled all the way to the top of a single row cornpicker. He was pressure washing the corn picker off. His pant leg caught 1 finger on the chain and it pulled him in. Thankfully the machine was at idle. The machine actually stalled out. The patient was conscious and had definately chewed up legs from just above the knees down.

"Not sure if we went about the rescue the right way or not. We extricated him in 6 minutes. Guys used the spreaders at the bottom of the snap rollers, spread it & cribbed it about 7-8 inches. It allowed them to pull him right up out quickly. The airbags were about to go in next but they got him out.

"Here say, says he had only 1 broken leg, skin all torn, but not all the tendons. Expected to make a full recovery. 

"I was running command and very pleased with the quick outcome. We tried like 4 helicopters that were unavailable, 5th was able to fly, but ALS arrived just as they extricated him."

(Photo courtesy of Bart Township Fire Company)

Reported on 8/28/06

Date: 08/28/06
Time: 16:59
Type: Other
Other: Hay Pile Collapse
County: Lancaster
Injuries: 0
Deaths: 1
Comments: Patient became trapped under a large grass hay bale (3'x3'x6'). Scene: Large square grass hay bales stacked in bank barn on machinery/storage floor. Bale dimensions 3'x3'x6' stacked 3 to 4 high. Judging by the scene presented and discussion with others associated to the farm the following scenario appeared to have occurred. Pt. cut the strings on bale #2 of a stack that was four bales high. Pt proceeded to remove "chunks"/slabs of hay from bale #2 and throw them down a hay hole nearby. (Bales may have been stacked in a slight stagger form.) As the pt removed hay from bale #2 and turned to put it down the hay hole, bales #'s 3 & 4 fell/collapsed on top of the pt. Pt was pinned to the barn floor with only the pt's back-side visible. The pt's son was sent to check on the pt because the pt was not responding to phone calls. The son found the pt and called 911 from his cell phone. It is unknown on the amount of time elapsed from the time the bales fell till the son notified 911. Responders: PD & FD personnel arrived in POV's and fire apparatus. FD responder located pt and determined the scene safe (no more unstable bales) and proceeded to cut the strings of the bale trapping the pt. FD & PD personnel proceeded to remove the hay from off of the pt, till enough access was gained to put pt in FD stokes basket and remove the pt from the barn. The pt was placed in EMS care in their rig and at that time the paramedic declared a DOA.

Thoughts: Access was the biggest challenge. To reach the pt the responders had to travel between a stacked barn floor of small square bales and the stack of large square bales. The "walkway" was approximately 3 feet wide and became covered in loose hay as the bale was being removed from the pt. It was difficult for two people to pass in the walkway. Equipment (stokes) had to be passed back the walkway. Challenge that potentially would need to be addressed: Unstable hay stack. Due to the narrow passageway, to secure the hay stack one would need trench shoring. If the "end" of the stack was unstable you would need to secure the "face" of the stack. Possibly wrapping the stack with ratchet straps or securing the stack to barn beams above the stack if the beams were stable, accessible and substantial enough to support the weight. We discussed removing the remaining hay but this could cause the stack to become unstable and add the risk of injury from a machinery accident. (Due to the operator being "excited", in a hurry to remove the bales.) Also finding space outside to stack the bales.

Reported on 8/21/06

Date: 08/20/06
Time: 03:00am
Type: Other - MVA - Vehicle vs Skid Steer
County: Berks
Injuries: 1
Deaths: 0
Comments: Farmer in a skid steer was on Old Route 22 when he was rearended by a Chevrolet Beretta. Upon arrival, Hamburg Ambulance (came across incident while transporting another patient) was already treating patient. Company 50 personnel helped package patient before the arrival of Car27 EMT's. Car27's EMT proceeded to treat patient until arrival of Bethel Ambulance. After patient was transported a member of Company 27 was able to operate the skid steer and move it and the implement it was pulling off the road into a field.

Thoughts: No entrapment involved, patient self-extricated upon arrival of emergency responders.

Reported on 8/11/06

Agencies Responding:  Highville Fire Company and numerous other departments.
Date: 08/06/2006
Time: 11:40
Type: Barn Fire
County: Lancaster
Injuries: 1
Deaths: 0
Comments: Barn fire (Hay) 50'x200' 15,0000 Ton of hay try it put out the fire

Agencies Responding = Rehrersburg Fire
Date = 02/25/2006
Time = 18:00
Type = Tractor Accident
County = Berks
Injuries = 0
Deaths = 0
Comments = Farm tractor pulling manure spreader stopped in traffic to turn left onto side road. When the tractor began making the turn, the car following behind attempted to go around and struck the tractor wheel. Very minor, if any, damage to tractor; car suffered moderate damage.
Thoughts = Fire department services not needed at scene. State Police arrived to take over call.

Reported on 2/24/06

Agencies Responding = Boyertown Fire Dept.: Rescue & Utility 15, Engine 16-2, Gilbertsville MICU 332

Date = 02/24/06

Time = 08:57

Type = Other     Other = Logging Accident

County = Berks

Injuries = 1

Deaths = 0

Comments = Logger was cutting a 3' diameter tree in half. Part of tree was on a stump and when the tree was cut, the one half of the tree rolled off of the stump and onto his leg, fracturing it. Crews from the Boyertown Fire Dept. loaded the logger into the awaiting stokes basket, carried him out of the wooded area and into Utility 15. The patient was driven to the awaiting ambulance.
Thoughts = All agencies did the best that they could given the situation.

Agencies Responding = Hamburg Fire Company, Shoemakersville Fire Company, and Hamburg EMS
Date = 09/25/2005
Time = Approx 1700
Type = Machinery Entrapment
County = Berks
Injuries = 01
Deaths = 00
Comments = Older male subject with his arm caught in the husking rollers of a pull-behind style ear corn picker.  Upon arrival fire personal went into service with hydraulic rescue tools and cribbing to try to relieve pressure on the victims arm.  A second crew went into service with hand tools disassemble the rollers and free the victim.
Thoughts = I feel that all parties involved did an outstanding job.  This was a complicated rescue and the victim was removed from the equipment in approx 20 minutes from arrival of the first piece of equipment.

Reported on 9/13/05

Agencies Responding = REHRERSBURG FD [RESCUE 27]  BETHEL EMS BLS 589
Date = 09/13/2005
Time = 13:45
Type = Tractor Accident
Other = GARDEN TRACTOR OVERTURN
County = Berks
Injuries = 0
Deaths = 0
Comments = EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED FOR A LAWN TRACTOR OVERTURN WITH ENTRAPMENT. ARRIVED TO FIND AN UNKNOWN AGE MALE LYING PARTIALLY IN A FARM POND ONE LEG PINNED UNDER A GARDEN TRACTOR. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL LIFTED THE TRACTOR TO FREE THE PATIENT. THE VICTIM REFUSED TREATMENT.
Thoughts = I THINK EVERYTHING WENT WELL.

Reported on 9/13/05

Agencies Responding = MT. AETNA FD, REHRERSBURG FD, BETHEL FD, FRYSTOWN FD.
Date = 09/13/05
Time = 13:01
Type = Barn Fire
Other = CORN STORAGE SHED
County = Berks
Injuries = 0
Deaths = 0
Comments = ARRIVED TO FIND A 40 X 30 SHED FULLY INVOLVED & A SMALL BRUSH FIRE THREATENING 2 ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL THE FARMER USED A BULLDOZER TO CONTAIN THE BRUSH FIRE. ARRIVING UNITS EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES.
Thoughts = EVERYTHING WENT WELL.

Reported on 9/12/05

Agencies Responding = Goodwill Fire Co #1(Station 30) & Keystone Hook & Ladder #1 (Station 31); Myerstown First Aid Unit (Ambulance 140); First Aid and Safety Patrol Medic. (Medic 12-2); LifeLion
Date = 09/12/2005
Time = 09:20
Type = Machinery Entrapment
County = Lebanon
Injuries = 1
Deaths = 0
Comments = 22 y/o Male found to have a right below knee amputation. Subject was operating a silo blower/loader to ensile corn silage when the incident occurred. Male was extricated prior to FD/EMS arrival. Lower leg was not salvageable.
Thoughts = Yes all responders responded with proper action and decision making.

Agencies Responding = Rehrersburg Fire Company; Bernville Fire Company; Bethel EMS [BLS]; Schuylkill Valley EMS [ALS]
Date = 08/18/05
Time = 20:20
Type = Other
Other = Skid Steer Accident
County = Berks
Injuries = 0
Deaths = 1
Comments = Patient was a 2 year old male who suffered severe head trauma and was being carried to meet rescuer's by mother.  Patient was treated for respiratory arrest by EMT's and paramedics. and was airlifted but died enroute to the hospital.
Thoughts = I think everything went well considering the circumstances. I think we had enough personnel with adequate training.

Reported on 8/12/05

Agencies Responding = Fayette EMS, Franklin Twp Fire Dept.
Date = 08/12/05
Time = @1950
Type = Tractor Accident
Other = Hay wagon rollover
County = Fayette
Injuries = 1
Deaths = 0
Comments = A hay wagon flipped downhill onto it's side while traversing an off-camber field. Pt was riding in the hay wagon and was thrown off then buried under several hay bales. Responders needed to remove hay bales, then immobilize pt for transport

Thoughts = Everything went smoothly, training and equipment were both sufficient to handle this incident.

Reported on 5/28/05:

Agencies Responding = Bally Community Ambulance Association (Berks Squad 505), Douglass Twp. Montgomery Co. PD (91-5 and 91-7), Pennsylvania State Police (Skippack, Montgomery County), Fire Police from Montgomery St. 67 and St. 65
Date = 05/28/05
Time = 1154
Type = Other
Other = Farm truck motor vehicle collision on public road
County = Montgomery
Injuries = 1
Deaths = 0
Comments = The involved vehicle (dump truck) lost brakes while approaching a hard turn in the road. The operator attempted to make the turn and the vehicle ran into a ditch and rolled over. The operator self extricated himself and a passerby called 911. Minor injuries were suffered. There was significant damage to the vehicle, which had current inspection and farm registration. The incident was originally dispatched as being in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, but ended up in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County. Responders acted upon the incident as they would in a normal MVC, evaluating the patient and providing treatment.
Thoughts = This incident was no different than a standard MVC, so emergency responders didn't need any special agricultural training/equipment. Had the patient been more seriously injured or entrapped, rescue services would've been needed and the extrication would have been complicated due to the fact that the truck had a full load of wood which would have impeded the rescue effort.

Agencies Responding = Frystown Fire; Bethel Fire, Mount Aetna Fire, Rehrersburg Fire, etc.
Bethel EMS
Date = 05/14/05
Time = 10:47
Type = Barn Fire
County = Berks
Injuries = 0
Deaths = 0
Comments = Fire in a 300' X 40' chicken (broiler) house.

Agencies Responding = Fredricksburg Volunteer Fire Dept, Lebanon First Aid and Safety Patrol & Life Lion Aero Medical Service.
Date = 05/13/2005
Time = 11:26
Type = Silo or Grain Bin Rescue
County = Lebanon
Injuries = 1
Deaths = 0
Comments = Had a 40 y/o + Male that fell inside a silo about 15-20ft. Pt had a f/x ankle along with seizures.
Thoughts = The Fire dept along with EMS were hidden behind a silo which the helicopter could not see them to land. Also the Fire dept radio was not working.

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