On Monday, May 30, 2016, The Longwood Fire Company (Station 25) was dispatched to the 400 block of Baltimore Pike (US Route 1) for an accident with injuries. Chief 25 arrived on scene and reported a vehicle into an antique store with structural damage. The Chester County Rescue Task Force Collapse Rescue Team (RTF) was dispatched to stabilize the structure prior to removal of the vehicle. Stations 53 (Fame), 47 (Lionville), 68 (Valley Forge) and Medic 2 (Berwyn) were dispatched to assist. RTF units arrived and staged east of the scene. Utilities were secured and a thorough size-up was conducted by RTF leadership and our structures specialist. The vehicle struck the building and severely damaged or removed structural support elements from the corner of the building. A shoring plan was developed and implemented. While RTF Collapse Technicians installed Paratech shores as an initial tactic, other collapse technicians and support staff assembled the cut station. A three-post vertical shore was installed. This temporary shoring needed to be installed prior to the vehicle being removed from the structure.

Several RTF collapse technicians operating today recently completed the 80 hour FEMA equivalent Structural Collapse Technician course sponsored by the Southeastern Regional Task Force. This was the first structural collapse incident that the RTF operated at and crews worked seamlessly again.

Once the structure was stabilized, it was turned over to local authorities and Belfor.

Story is courtesy of The Chester County Rescue Task Force.