Around 0320 hours on Saturday, August 23, 2008, the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad was alerted to a personal injury collision with entrapment in front of Fire Company 5. RS742 and M742C responded with Station 5 units. E705 arrived on scene and informed Montgomery they had two trapped at University Blvd. and Connecticut Ave. E705 set up for the extrication. RS742 arrived on scene and the crew pulled their own complement of hydraulic rescue tools to remove the vehicle components entrapping the occupants. The squad crew first covered the driver and removed both doors on the driver’s side. Then awaiting EMS crews removed the driver from the car. Meanwhile, the squad crew removed both passenger-side doors and B-post. Care for that patient was then transferred to additional EMS crews on scene. Both patients were transported to a local trauma center.

RS742 crew: D/C Jacob DeGlopper, Capt. Todd Sniffin, FFIII Andrew Young
M742C crew: EMS Lt. Dan Russell, EMT Spanky Resnick, EMT Jon Heafitz, EMT Seth Matheson

Around 0200 hours on Sunday, August 17, 2008 county dispatchers filled the box for a dumpster fire in an enclosed garage at the Twin Towers Apartment Complex on 1100 block of Fidler Ln. in Silver Spring. Wheaton’s Rescue Squad 742 responded on the initial assignment. Company 1 was first on the scene and found heavy smoke pouring from the side alpha entrance to the garage. RS742 arrived on scene and performed a quick search of the smoke filled garage near the burning dumpster, trash chute and surrounding debris. The squad crew dragged lights into the garage to improve visibility. The squad crew controlled the garage’s ventilation system to clear the smoke, preventing it from spreading into the 10 stories of residential apartments above the garage. Once the fire was extinguished the crew packed up and returned to service by 0400 hours.

RS742 crew: MFF Brett Russell, FFIII James Seavey, FFIII Andrew Young, FFII Veronica Gallagher, FFII Jeidy Hernandez, FFII Jacob Cunningham

Around 2300 hours on Friday, August 2nd, 2008 county dispatchers filled the assignment for an overturned vehicle on Georgia Ave at Windham Ln. Wheaton’s RS742, A742D, and C742B responded to the call with additional Kensington and Silver Spring units. K701 arrived on the scene first and reported one trapped after rolling repeatedly. Apparently, the driver had lost control of the car while turning onto Georgia Ave, flipped through the air, landed on a fire hydrant splitting part of the rear of the vehicle off and then splintered a telephone pole before coming to rest in the middle of southbound Georgia Ave. RS742′s crew stabilized the vehicle while E705 provided supression protection with a charged handline. The squad crew quickly extricated the patient and his dog from the vehicle using the hydraulic spreaders and cutters. The patient was transported to a local trauma center. Luckily the dog appeared uninjured and was safely removed from the vehicle.

On a side note, a few weeks ago the squad put in service a new hydraulic cutting tool, the Hurst MOC Ultras. Tonight’s extrication was the first use for these hydraulic cutters on the rescue squad. The new cutters replaced an older model that had been in service for the past several years. This tool represents the cutting edge in extrication technology, built specifically to tackle the exotic materials now used to build stronger safer cars. This tool could not have been purchased without the support and donations from the Wheaton community. Thank you Wheaton for supporting our organization and allowing us to continually provide the best care possible.

A few hours later the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad was alerted to another rollover on the 2500 block of Plyers Mill Rd. RS742, M742B, M742C and C742B responded to the call. Engine 705 arrived on scene and reported one ejected. RS742 arrived on scene. The crew provided lights, checked the overturned vehicle for additional occupants and assisted the EMS crews in packaging the patient. The medics from M742B and M742C assessed and treated the patient on scene. M742C then transported the patient to the hospital.

As the crews were cleaning up the debris field surrounding the telephone pole split in half by the car, Montgomery advised them of another rollover on the Outer-loop of the Capital Beltway just prior to Connecticut Ave. RS742, M742B and C742B responded to the call. Luckily, the patient was able to self extricate from the vehicle. M742B and C742B remained on scene to assess the occupant of the vehicle. While responding, E707 notified the on scene crews of an approaching DUI swerving across the interstate. This information was relayed to an arriving State Trooper, who pulled over the vehicle before it posed a threat to the crews on scene.

In total this shift saw 30 unit responses from the volunteer crews at the Wheaton Rescue Squad.

C742B: D/C Steve Sobolewski
RS742 crew: Capt. Todd Sniffin, Lt. Jon Hollen, FFIII Andrew Young, FFII Matt Jorge, FFII Kat Daragan
M742B crew: PMIC Ray Colvin, EMT Sean Howley, EMT Vibeka Mikkelsen, EMT Mike Belan
M742C crew: EMS Lt. Dan Russell, EMT Dionne Williams, EMT Bethany Lemanski, EMT Mark Reddish
A742D crew: EMT Stuart Resnick, EMT Ben Bralove, EMT Jenny Simenauer, EMT Seth Matheson
A742E crew: EMT Terry McGinness, EMT Tom Heafitz, Jacob Marx, Mishian Lehmann