Kearsarge Fire Department

On 10/15/2013 at 21:48:00  dispatched To 4816 Amherst Dr /ERIE, PA 16506.  The location is a  1 or 2 family dwelling.  The incident was determined to be a Confined space rescue. Station 44 was dispatched 4816 Amherst Rd to assist West Ridge Fire Department with our rescue for a man trapped due to a structure collapse. Rescue 444 responded Priority one with a crew of 5. While enroute we were given updated info and 444 then requested 447 with a confined space Tri-Pod. 447 responded priority one with a crew of 5. Upon arrival 440 gave me (452 OIC of 444) a report of the situation. I then gave my crew orders to assemble ropes gear, cribbing, air lifting bags and the little giant ladder. I then approached the hot zone and found an adult male patient upright in the footer of the porch approximately half way to the bottom pined at his legs (distal to his knee’s) against the west wall of the house, by a cement slab that was his porch. This hole or area of the incident was approximately 6′ deep by 4’x4′ wide in length. The patient was being attended to by the first responder of West Ridge fire department.  The firefighters were attempting to relieve some to the pressure of the cement slab against the patient legs using a pry bar and shovel with little success. They were also holding the patient upright using two 9′ back board straps. I then requested wedges from the cribbing bag and used then to secure the cement slab from causing any more damage to the patient. Once we had the slab secured I then entered the hole/confined space. 444 crew then handed me a class one seat harness to attempt to secure the patient before we moved the slab. This proved impractical due to the patients’ legs being pressed together making it impossible to pass straps between them. I determined that it would be safe to continue with the rescue using the 9′ board straps already in place to secure the patient. Approximately at this time 447 arrived and its crew reported to me to assist. I requested that the little giant ladder be lowered and the air lifting bags were set up. Due to the confined space and the possibility of the patient slipping even deeper into the hole, using additional box cribbing as we went on through the rescue was impractical. I then place a medium sized air lifting bag in the north western area of the confined space between the slab and wall of the house. I then place myself under the patient with my shoulder under the patient’s hips. I then give the order to inflate the lifting bags and prepared to take the weight of the patient. We had a failure of the air supply and aborted that attempt to extricate the patient. The crew of 447 then regrouped and reset the tools. I again prepared to take the patients weight and gave the order to inflate the lifting bag. At this time the lifting bag worked and I caught the weight of the patient as the crew lowered a back board. A West Ridge firefighter them entered the hole and assisted me in securing the patient onto the back board. Once secured the patient was lifted out of the hole and patient care was released to the MPS crew and taken to UPMC Hamot. Once I removed the equipment and left the hot zone 444 and 447 recovered the tools and placed them back in service. All Kearsarge equipment returned in service and without incident.

22:01:00 arrived on scene.

The following actions were performed on scene:
Rescue, remove from harm
Provide light or electrical power
Units responding were:
Unit C440 responded.
Unit R444 responded.
Unit U447 responded.

Mutual aid given:
MILLCREEK PARAMEDICS
WEST RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT

22:34:00  all units back in service