5 Hour Extrication for the Rescue, Medic, and Chief

At approximately 8:30 p.m. Falmouth units were alerted to Interstate 95 Northbound at the 144.5 milemarker for an auto accident involving a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle. Stafford County Emergency Communications Center reported that vehicles were overturned with entrapment. Rescue-1, Medic-11, and Chief-1 arrived simultaneously to find multiple units intiating extrication efforts on a tractor trailer that had overturned on its roof 100 feet down an embankment. District-1 (Weissman) had established I95 Command and Chief-2 (Dunstan) was handling the extrication group. The driver of the tractor trailer was significantly trapped within the vehicle and multiple extremeties were pinned.

The Rescue joined the extrication efforts upon completion of deploying every piece of equipment on the unit to the tool staging area at the crash site. A haul system was established to lower equipment and for patient removal. The passenger vehicle was stabilized by the Rescue Driver utilzing the front bumper winch on R1. M11-1 assisted with the establishing a medical supply area for the duration of the incident. Chief-1 assisted with command post operations by handling Sitstat/Restat for the incident and for ensuring resource coverage for the County. BC-1 handled the Safety responsibility. Support-4 was definitely appreciated for providing fluid replinishment. APP-21 handled the logistics division by supplying additional supplies.

A trauma surgeon from Mary Washington Hospital and Baltimore's Shock Trauma Facility were brought to the scene. After approximately 5 complex hours units were able to access the patient enough to disentangle, safely remove, and prepare the patient for transport. The patient was transported by M11-1 to a local trauma facility. An outstanding team effort by all personnel involved.