| Over the past 24 hours, the members of the East Brandywine Fire Company have remained extremely busy, responding to 18 emergency calls since 3:47 PM yesterday afternoon, with 8 of those incidents occurring during or as a direct result of the severe storms that moved through the area.
Our first call came in at 3:47 PM for an automobile accident on Route 322. After a brief period, crews were dispatched to a reported gas leak just as members were preparing to travel to Downingtown to provide standby coverage for the annual Fourth of July fireworks.
Once the gas leak was mitigated, Engine 49-5 and Utility 49 with the ATV responded to Downingtown. Unfortunately, the fireworks display had to be launched early due to rapidly approaching severe weather.
As the storm moved through the area, the calls quickly began to stack up. Crews were first dispatched to an automatic fire alarm, followed shortly by a water rescue at Marsh Creek.
Rescue 49 and Chief 49 responded to the West Boat Launch while crews from Lionville Fire Company deployed from the opposite side of the lake. Personnel remained committed to that incident until just before midnight.
While crews were operating at Marsh Creek, additional members remained available to handle multiple simultaneous emergencies throughout our response area, including:
• Several medical emergencies, including a cardiac arrest where crews successfully regained a pulse prior to transport.
• Poles and wires down.
• An additional automatic fire alarm.
• A carbon monoxide alarm shortly after midnight.
Throughout the evening, 20 East Brandywine volunteers staffed and operated Engine 49-1, Ladder 49, Rescue 49, Engine 49-5, Utilities 49-1 & 49-2, and QRS 49, ensuring the community continued to receive uninterrupted emergency response despite multiple incidents occurring at the same time.
Around 1:00 AM, crews were finally able to clear the last of the overnight incidents and get a few hours of rest before another busy morning began.
At 7:24 AM, the company responded to back-to-back odor investigations, followed by three additional calls less than an hour later. Four of those investigations were traced to a large natural gas leak in West Bradford Township, with the odor traveling throughout the area and generating numerous calls to multiple fire departments. The fifth investigation involved a leaking propane tank, which crews were able to quickly secure before clearing the scene.
At 8:52 AM, Engine 49-1 was dispatched to assist Station 6 in West Whiteland Township for a reported house fire but was recalled while responding after crews on scene determined additional resources were not needed. At the same time, QRS 49 handled another medical emergency.
It was an exceptionally busy 24 hours for the members of the East Brandywine Fire Company. We are incredibly proud of the dedication and professionalism shown by our volunteers, who responded around the clock to ensure our community and neighboring departments received the help they needed.
With additional storms possible again tonight, we encourage everyone to stay weather aware, have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, secure loose outdoor items, and never drive through flooded roadways.
As always, if you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1. |
