Past Hot Shots from 2004

December 11th, 2004 - The driver of a Toyota Corolla was grateful to be alive after an accident pinned her under a flatbed truck. Around 1:50 in the afternoon, a medium sized flatbed truck slowed down while traveling North on US 441, just South of Boynton Beach Blvd. The compact car that was a distance behind did not slow down and ran up under the rear of the truck. The twin I-beams under the truck bed ripped the roof of the small car like a can opener opening a metal can. Miraculously, the driver’s head remained between the two beams as they traveled all the way to the rear of the vehicle. After almost 45 minutes of intensive extrication work, rescue crews were finally able to slide the driver onto a backboard and out the passenger side of the car. Injuries appeared to be non-life threatening. Units on scene included RP47, RE42, EMS4, DC4, SO31, RE31, R31, DC9, SF3, and PI1.

December 7th, 2004 - Station 31 crews responded to assist Station 43 with a motor vehicle accident on Lantana Road just east of Military Trail in the early evening. Station 43 units responded as mutual aid to the City of Atlantis to a auto accident to find two vehicles with heavy front end damage with one driver pronounced dead and the other driver heavily entrapped. The entrapped patient was freed from the wreckage and flown to Delray Medical Trauma Center by Trauma Hawk and was listed in critical condition.

Units on scene: E43, R43, RE31, R31, SO31, Greenacres Engine 2, EMS9, DC4, DC9, Trauma Hawk 2, and Safety 8

November 15th, 2004 - Special Operations 31 B Shift assisted Station 33 crews in extricating a the driver of a car that was fleeing from Palm Beach Sheriff Officers late Monday afternoon. The driver lost control of his car and landed sideways in a canal and was unable to get out due to being partially trapped under the car. Station 31 crews stabilized the car with air bags, cribbing and the use of "spreaders", and then gained access to the patient who was then transported to Wellington Regional for treatment of his injuries.

November 13th, 2004 - Station 31 responded to aid Station 46 with a motor vehicle accident late Saturday night that required heavy extrication. When Station 31 crews arrived, they had found two severely damaged vehicles with the first arriving crews in progress of extricating two entrapped occupants and giving extraordinary patient care to all victims. Station 31 crew members worked hard with units on scene to free the entrapped occupants which were flown by Trauma Hawk to Delray Trauma Hospital which one occupant was pronounced dead and two others in critical condition.

Units on scene : RE46, R46, RE41, R41, RP47, RE31, R31, SO31, DC4, DC9, EMS9, BC4, PIO 1, and Trauma Hawk

Station 31 received a surprise visit on Wednesday morning 9/22 from Country Radio station WIRK. It seems that Palm Beach County Fire rescue Station 31, was nominated for a Hero’s of Hurricane France award.

As most of us know these crewmembers were involved in a number of extraordinary calls during the Hurricane. They worked a difficult house fire at the beginning of the storm and then, during the storm, evacuated a nursing home with over 100 patients and staff, removed standing water from the roof of the Special Care Unit at the Fairgrounds (before it caused a collapse), and then ran multitudes of other calls during the multi-day period. Chief Newport was interviewed live by the radio station and gave credit to all public service agencies and their employees that many times went above and beyond to protect the citizens they served during the hurricane. The award from WIRK was 44 tickets to a local movie theater for all crew members and their families to see the newly released fire service related movie Ladder 49, starring John Travolta.

August 7th 2004 - On Saturday evening around 10 PM a mini bus with 24 people on it, mainly pre-teen youngsters, ended up in a canal alongside the Turnpike. The bus was returning from a trip to Orlando and was part of a Church group from Broward County. The incident spanned 3 ½ hours, utilized 22 fire rescue units and nearly 50 personnel. The tragic event claimed 3 young lives. Many of the survivors were rescued by motorists, law enforcement and fire rescue personnel.

May 12th 2004 - Station 31 crew's were about to sit down at the firehouse and begin some training exercises when the tones went off. Dispatch advised a small plane had crashed at the local driving range near Lantana Airport on Congress Avenue. Units from Station 31 responded and found a small plane upside down on the driving range with the pilot out of the plane on a cell phone calling for help. The pilot stated he had unknown engine failure and was going to come up short and would have to land on the long grassy field used for a driving range. He was able to land his plane on the range, but was unable to stop in time before hitting a small hill which caused the plane to flip upside down. The pilot was helped out of the plane by some golfers working on their game and was later taken to J.F.K Hospital for evaluation.

First arriving units called for additional resources including more Rescue units, Special Ops 5 and Ladder 5 from the West Palm Beach Fire Dept. Efforts were steered towards gaining access to the car and extrication of the occupants. The roof was removed using a reciprocating saw and the Hurst Tool cutters. This allowed firefighter/paramedics to enter the car and treat the patients. The Special Ops response was canceled but additional rescue units continued to the scene. Since there was no access to the driver's side door, two occupants were removed upward and out from where the roof had been. One patient was taken out the other side door. The three victims were then evaluated further for injuries. On scene were Engine 24, Rescue 24, Rescue 23-Bravo, Rescue 33, and Rescue 31, Rescue-Engine 31, EMS-3, District Chief 10, and a safety officer.

Story and Photos by Mark V. Carr

Station 25 crews responded to a motor vehicle accident at Forest Hill Blvd. and State Road 7. R36 was the first on scene with 3-4 vehicles with heavy damage with one vehicle that had rolled over. When units from Station 25 went arrival, E25 took command and declared this incident a Level 1 MCI. Crews from Special Operations 31 assisted with patient care and extricated one patient who was flown to St. Mary's Trauma Center via Trauma Hawk for further treatment. Several other patients were transported to area hospitals and the driver of the car that rolled over was removed and transported to Wellington Regional for further treatment.

Units on scene : E25, R25, RQ29, R27, RE31, R31, SO31, EMS9, EMS2, R36, OPS3, CH5, DC2, DC3 DC9, BC2, SF2, Trauma Hawk.

Monday February 9th, 2004 at 0944hrs. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue units responded to an auto accident on I-95. Calls to 911 stated that there was a semi-truck involved and leaking fuel. After dispatch received that information they dispatched Special Operations units to help enroute units. Upon arrival RE35 had a semi-truck that had just made a delivery to PBIA of Jet-A fuel, the accident ripped holes in the saddle tanks of the semi and were leaking. The fuel had to be pumped off into over pack drums and the fuel tanks had to be removed before the semi could be taken from the scene. Foam had to be applied to cover fuel on the roadway while crews worked. Only one minor injury that was taken to J.F.K hospital for treatment. Units on scene were RE35, R35, RE31, R31, SO31, TC31, T43, DC9, EMS9.

Thursday February 5th 2004 - Station 31 responded to a vehicle accident on Congress Ave. and 6th Ave. in Unincorporated Lake Worth on Thursday February 5th 2004. Rescue Engine 31 arrived to find approx. 4 cars involved with minor to moderate damage with multiple occupants complaining of injuries. Two occupants were "extricated" using the Hurst Tools or the "Jaws of Life" to free them from their car. Special Operations 31 was called for additional personnel and to assist with the extrication and to help package the patients for transport to J.F.K. hospital.

Monday January 26th, 2004 - This shift provided us with another unusual but challenging rescue call. District Chief Newport, Special Operations 31 and Station 32 received a page to respond to Heritage Farms for a public assist. This particular assist turned out to be for a nearly 2000 lb horse that had fallen into a canal. On arrival, Chief Newport organized the Special Operations team from Station 31 along with assistance from Captain Houston Park, Captain Brad Havrilla, Rescue 32 and Brush 32. By using the training they received from a Large Animal Rescue class, they were able to successfully pull the 12 year old rodeo horse from the canal. The animal, which had nearly succumbed to exhaustion and a near drowning, was given supplemental oxygen while lying on its side. He then managed to gather some strength and stood up much to everyone’s relief. Chief Newport, the “task master”, coordinated a great line pulling scenario (“one, two, three…pull) which flawlessly hauled the heavy animal onto the canal bank leaving him uninjured and out of harms way. Units on scene included DC9, SO31, RE31, TC31, B32, RE32, SF2, SF3, R31 and PI1.

Story and Pictures by Capt. D. DeLucia

Wednesday January 21st, 2004 - Special Operation units on "A" shift respond to a airplane accident that involved two fatalities in a twin-engine, five-seat Piper Geronimo plane in Lantana early Thursday afternoon. The twin engine plane had just taken off from Lantana air field, and within minutes, the plane crashed into a house in the Lake Osborne Estates neighborhood with two people occupying the residence. The occupants of the house were uninjured, but the pilot and passenger did not survive accident.