Date of Incident:
11/08/2018
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO INCIDENT:
Bemus Point Fire Dept. Personnel: Jeff Molnar Asst Fire Chief Randy Apperson - Firefighter Louise Parker - Firefighter Nick Carlson - Firefighter John Johnston - Firefighter Jen Jaeger Firefighter Jeff Bloss - Firefighter Jeremy Crist - Firefighter Chautauqua County Technical Rescue Team Members: Noel Guttman - Deputy Fire Coordinator / Rescue Technician Jennifer Guttman - Paramedic Steve Bourgeois - Rescue Technician John Szumigala - Rescue Technician / Paramedic DAVID WEILER - Rescue Technician / EMT RANDY EDWARDS - Rescue Technician JACOB HINSDALE - Rescue Technician / EMT ANDREW BRODELL - Rescue Technician / Paramedic GARRETT YAGER - Rescue Technician Christopher Wichlacz – Rescue Support Team Daniel Imfeld – Haz Mat Coordinator / EMT Michael Volpe - Paramedic JAMISON JUSTHAM - Rescue Technician / Paramedic Piazza Charles - Rescue Technician Dr. Brian Walters DO – Medical Director KATHERINE HUTCHINSON - Rescue Technician / Paramedic Chautauqua County Office of Emergency Services - John Griffith Fire Coordinator - Anthony Cavallaro – Deputy Fire Coordinator - Greg Scott, Battalion Fire Coordinator
DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:
On November 8th, at 10:51 hours, BPVFD was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving a full semi-truck with chicken feed that had just left the rest stop. The vehicle was turning right as it passed through the on-ramp and rolled off the road onto its left side down a hill approximately 30-40 feet. New York State Police was first on scene with numerous units. Chautauqua County Medic 73 was second on scene declaring entrapment with heavy extrication needed.
Car 444 called on scene, establishing command. Car 444 started the Chautauqua County Technical Rescue Team and Tech Rescue 1 to the scene along with confirmation to launch Starflight with a landing zone of the Interstate 86 off-ramp. Upon further assessment, there was an oil leak from the vehicle. County Hazmat was activated along with the fire coordinators. County Fire 1, County Fire 2, and Battalion 4 responded. Tech Rescue 71, Tech Rescue 72, and Tech Rescue 1 responded. Hazmat 71, Hazmat 72, and Hazmat 1 responded. County Medic 72 also responded. New York State Police shut down the exit from i86 to the rest area. Car 444 would be command for the duration of the event, Medic 72 would be EMS operations, Tech Rescue 1 would be stabilization and extrication operations, Battalion 4 would be the PIO. Ambulance 441 would be dedicated to the patient upon extrication to move them to the helicopter. Starflight would land on the I86 off-ramp blocked off by NYSP. Car 452 and Ambulance 452 would be dedicated to the firemen on scene.
Ostrom's Towing Heavy Duty Recovery truck responded from Jamestown for vehicle removal and to assist with stabilization. Due to the heavy entrapment, the patients left arm was entrapped under the vehicle up to the mid-shaft forearm. The patients left leg was entrapped between the steering wheel column, the gear shifter and seat. The patients right leg was trapped as the cab had collapsed onto the leg when the vehicle rolled. The patient's torso was free to move and the patient was positioned between supine and left recumbent in the cab. MD1 arrived on scene about ⅓ of the way through the extrication.
Prior to extrication attempts were made, both the vehicle and the trailer needed to be stabilized. A Paratech 610 Gold with 12x12 base plate was picketed to the ground, and was then positioned on the truck frame rail. The strut was then tensioned in place. A second Partech grey strut with extension was also picketed to the ground, and then secured in place supporting the trailer. The 60 ton Rotator boom was used to back tension the truck, but was not used to move the truck. Two more struts were placed on the truck, one on the front end near the engine, and a second supporting the front of the trailer. Multiple Hydraulic extrication spreaders and cutters were used to start removing the truck cab door, and other section of the cab. During the course of the rescue operation, the AMKUS hydraulic cutters were used to remove the gear shift, which was one of the objects that needed to be removed in order to get patient access. The rear of the driver seat had to be cut away as well. Another AMKUS spreader was used to assist moving one of the truck seats out of the way. An AMKUS hydraulic spreader was used with chain attachments, to wrap the steering column, and then the spreader was collapsed, which caused lateral displacement of the steering column. The same spreader operation was repeated to move a second section of the dash that was pinning the leg. Multiple powered reciprocating saws and air chisels were used in the extrication process as well.
Simultaneous to the AMKUS hydraulic tools being used to free the legs of the patient, a multiple air bag lift was being established to work on freeing the patients left arm. The patients arm was trapped under multiple parts of the truck cab, and high pressure air bags were used to left the cab section pinning the air. An air cart was established and multiple Paratech Maxforce Airbags were positioned for a coordinated lift, on two different sections of the cab. Paratech Maxforce KPI 5/8/22/32 and 35l high pressure air bags were used or the lift, which was then cribbed in place. Upon the patient being freed, the patient would be secured to the stretcher and put in Ambulance 441 to be transported to the helicopter. The patient would be transferred via the flight team to Starflight 1 with a destination of UPMC Hamot. The scene would be cleaned up released to NYSP for recovery of the truck. All equipment was cleared and in service by 15:51 hours.