The East Whiteland Fire Company and the Malvern Fire Company Medic Unit received an emergency dispatch at 7:46 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2016, for a dump truck into the Glasgow Inc. Catanach Quarry in East Whiteland Township, PA.
For first responders, one look out the window indicated that no matter what was happening at the quarry, the operation would be challenging due to heavy rain causing flooding conditions. The other issue that came to mind was that there were no small vehicles operating there. This is a substantial quarry operation, and as such, all vehicles operating in and around the quarry are very large. Additional information from the quarry superintendent indicated that the operator was still inside the vehicle.
Quarry basics
Located about 25 miles west of Philadelphia, the East Whiteland and Great Valley area in Chester County, PA, has always been known for their abundant limestone and quarry operations. The 400-acre Glasgow Inc. Catanach Quarry was once owned by Philadelphia businessman Adam Catanach. It was a thriving limestone operation and a great asset to his Philadelphia building materials business in the early 1900s. Limestone is still derived from the quarry today, in conjunction with the other Glasgow quarry locations in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Initial observations
As the first emergency vehicles arrived inside the main gate at the massive quarry complex, they were directed by quarry personnel to a rough gravel pathway with a steep grade to the incident location on the south rim of the quarry. Upon arrival, East Whiteland Fire Company Captain Greg Lewis assessed the situation and quickly realized that this would be a major incident requiring additional resources.
With the quarry being 350 feet deep, it was estimated that the dump truck was about 150 feet from the top. Employees at the quarry stated the dump truck slid about 100 feet down the steep embankment where it stopped, then slowly moved an additional 50 feet before coming to rest on unsettled and unstable ground.
The dump truck was a large Volvo articulated vehicle, also referred to as a haul truck or hauler. It was later determined that the operator had been attempting to unload fill material and due to unstable ground conditions, the dump truck got too close to the edge and continued over the embankment.
Captain Lewis requested the Chester County Rescue Task Force (CCRTF), and due to the unstable ground and heavy rain, trench and collapse teams were also requested. Knowing that Abel Brothers Towing headquarters was nearby, two huge 50- and 60-ton rotator rescue recovery trucks were requested, a decision that was later found to be very important.
The operator in the dump truck could be seen waving to rescuers on the top rim. Because of the precarious position of the cab well above ground level, the operator stayed in the cab and waited for rescuers. His condition and injuries were unknown to rescuers, as there was no direct communication to obtain that information.
As additional emergency vehicles responded to the scene, an urgent issue took priority over the rescue. The area around the incident scene and where the dump truck went over the embankment was unstable and had substantial amounts of pooling water. Certain rescue units positioned for observation around the quarry to monitor the unstable conditions below the dump truck, advised that it was not feasible to reach the dump truck operator from below or from the sides. The top position was the only way to reach and extricate the victim.
Quarry Superintendent William McGrath immediately summoned all available quarry haul trucks to start transporting stone from the quarry below to the incident scene on top, as well as all heavy equipment to essentially start building a road for emergency vehicles and to make a safe and solid work area at the incident action area. As this was being done, emergency vehicles staged, and responders came together to form a plan of action for the rescue.
Once the road and incident action area had a solid foundation, Abel Brothers’ 60-ton rotator truck and a heavy-duty quarry bulldozer were positioned and used as anchors for the rope rescue operation.
Rescue operations
Captain Lewis continued command of the incident, while East Whiteland Township Fire Marshal Ken Battin and Deputy Task Force Leader Bill Cummings from CCRTF took control of operations. Three rescue personnel—East Whiteland Firefighter/EMT Rich Garber and CCRTF team members D.J. Matthews and Kevin Beans—were appointed to prepare for descent on the rope lines to reach the dump truck operator.
Two separate rope systems were implemented using 300-foot sections of half-inch Kernmantle rope, specially made for rope rescue operations. Heavy tarps were placed over the edge to protect the ropes as much as possible. A portable, artificial high-direction Arizona Vortex tripod rescue tool was considered to help guide the ropes, but because of the ground conditions, an alternative solution was found. The end of the large rotator boom was ultimately used as the high directional.
One person was assigned to manage the up and down movement of the ropes while Garber was lowered first, then Matthews and Beans were lowered with needed rescue supplies and equipment. Crews utilized twin-tensioned multi-purpose devices, or MPDs, and Aztec Kits to attach to personnel operating in the action area, connecting them to a solid anchor point to prevent anyone from falling over the edge.
As rescuers reached the dump truck, the operator was assisted out of the vehicle. Rescuers assessed the victim’s injuries, which were minor and non-life threatening, and immediately provided care. The operator was then carefully placed onto and securely fastened in a pliable but sturdy SKED rescue stretcher for his ascent to the top. Because of the unstable ground and heavy rain, quarry officials decided to leave the dump truck in its place, to be removed at another time.
The rescuers and the victim in the SKED were secured to the rope systems and hauled to the top. It was a slow procedure, as the unstable and rugged ground and the difficult movement in heavy mud made the ascent very challenging with every safety measure being taken.
Awaiting at the top were multiple ALS and BLS units. An ALS unit is always assigned on Rescue Task Force calls. This medical component is primarily for Rescue Task Force personnel; however, many of the paramedics are also technical rescue technicians. When the crew reached the top of the quarry, the victim was placed into an ambulance and transported to a local hospital.
A total of 35 emergency vehicles from 17 departments within Chester County responded to the incident, which was placed under control at 10:40 a.m. Emergency units began to depart the quarry and return to their respective stations for a much-needed cleaning detail for vehicles, equipment and personal gear.
Notes of interest
CCRTF Deputy Task Force Leader Cummings stated that the incident operations went very well considering the difficult circumstances involved, and added these notes of interest:
- Due to the extreme mud, all the ropes were brown and could not be identified by color to the operations personnel at the top of the rim. This complicated communications as rescuers called operations by radio to pull or adjust various color ropes. Towels were used to wipe off as much mud as possible on the ropes, but it still remained an issue.
- There is more than one way to do things. Be open to different ideas. One example: using the rotator truck and bulldozer as anchors, as opposed to the high-angle device, which would have normally been used.
- Communication and training are vital to everyone being on the same page. Rescue Task Force personnel are trained and certified to NFPA 1006 (technical rescue) standards.
- Timing of the progress of the incident is important. Someone should be monitoring the time spent on the operation and providing updates to everyone involved. With so much taking place at the incident scene, it is easy to lose track of time and not be aware of the time already spent on the operation.
Departmental actions
The East Whiteland Township Fire Marshal’s office credited the East Whiteland Fire Company Special Fire Police as being an important part of the incident by providing the following actions:
- Escorting heavy-rescue rotator recovery trucks to the incident location.
- Providing traffic control at the quarry main entrance and directing emergency vehicles from the main highway. With responders coming from all over the county, this location was not especially known to most, and with heavy rain and morning traffic, this was a very helpful function to get responders easily and quickly to the scene.
- Positioning an officer on the main quarry road to direct responders up the remote gravel access road and to secure that road for authorized vehicles and personnel.
- Establishing a safety and security perimeter as well as a secure staging area for media representatives, which kept the main entrance area open and clear.
- Establishing a vantage point from the north rim to monitor the entire operation and taking photographs through a telephoto lens, which later proved beneficial.
- Providing traffic control at the quarry main entrance to assist departing units.
The following departments assisted at the incident and are all members of the Chester County Rescue Task Force: West Chester Fame Fire Company; Lionville Fire Company; Berwyn Fire Company & Ambulance/Medic 2; Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company; Longwood Fire Company; Wagontown Fire Company; Downingtown Alert Fire Company; Thorndale Fire Company; Norco Fire Company; and Chief 15 (Hazmat). Good Fellowship Ambulance Club, Uwchlan Ambulance Corps and Radnor Fire Company were all on standby during the incident. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also provided a unit on the scene.
The CCRTF operates with various members from certain fire and rescue departments throughout Chester County, each with their own specialized training. The rescue functions include confined space, trench/excavation, rope (low and high angle), ice, swiftwater/flood, mass transportation and structural collapse.
In September 2016, the CCRTF rescued an injured hiker from a rough terrain rock area at St. Peter’s Village in Warwick Township, conducted a water search for a drowning victim at a county park in West Caln Township, and completed this quarry rescue. Then in early October, the trench rescue team was requested for a 1,700-lb. Clydesdale stuck in a muddy watering hole in Thornbury Township. These incidents are in addition to the extensive training performed by each member who responds with their respective fire and emergency departments.
Achieving success
The success of the quarry incident was due to effective communication and extensive training. Everyone worked together as a team in very difficult circumstances, with each department and individual responder providing a vital role in the outcome of the rescue.
