Paramedics Rescue Boy On Oxygen From Burning Home

[MalahatTwo7]

DOUBLE THUMBS UP HERE!

Paramedics Rescue Boy On Oxygen From Burning Home

POSTED: 6:55 am EDT July 11, 2008
UPDATED: 7:31 am EDT July 11, 2008

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. -- Prince George's County paramedics rescued a disabled teenage boy who is dependent on breathing equipment from a burning home on Thursday.

The fire department said it responded just after noon to a report of a fire at the two-story Fort Washington home. Family members were attempting to get the boy out of his basement bedroom.

A paramedic crew was able to enter the basement and remove the boy from multiple monitors and breathing machines before carrying him to safety along with two other siblings.

The boy was transported to a nearby hospital because of his medical condition. There were no fire- or smoke-related injuries.

The fire caused about $50,000 in damage. Investigators concluded it was started by a child playing with a lighter.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.

[Dickey]

Good job PGFD!
Just another day in paradise I see.

I can't wait for the arguing to start about an ambulance crew doing truck work!
"That ain't their job! They should have waited for a truck company!"








IN BEFORE THE LOCK!!

[MalahatTwo7]

Good job PGFD!
Just another day in paradise I see.

I can't wait for the arguing to start about an ambulance crew doing truck work!
"That ain't their job! They should have waited for a truck company!"








IN BEFORE THE LOCK!!

Ya, I thought of something like that too, but then wondered if PGFD is like Fairfax. We carry a min 2 SCBA in each ambulance and medic unit, so it is possible that the medic crew (if they work the same as we do) got called to pack up and do the job.

[voyager9]

Family members were attempting to get the boy out of his basement bedroom.

A paramedic crew was able to enter the basement and remove the boy from multiple monitors and breathing machines before carrying him to safety along with two other siblings.

Sounds like it wasn't yet an IDLH if the family members were down there.

Great job!

[Dickey]

I wondered if they carried SCBA too. All the fire based ambulances in my area do.

Regardless if it was bad yet, I'm sure someone will bitch.

Remember the days when stuff like this was posted and everyone talked about how they learned from it or discussed/exchanged policies and experiences to learn from or just simply gave someone a good pat on the back??

Let's just sit back and see shall we.

[bcarey]

The box alarm stated a report of one person trapped in the basement. On the fireground channel, supplemental information reported "now two people trapped in the basement". Medic 847 was the first unit to arrive and reported smoke showing, second floor of a two story private dwelling.
The medics (no PPE provided) pulled a medical device dependant teenager and a sibling from the basement as well as assisted family members who were earlier trying to do the same.

Press release,

"Just after 12 Noon, Thursday, July 10, 2008, Prince George’s County Firefighters and Paramedics were alerted to a house fire in the Fort Washington area. Fire/EMS units responded to the 13200 Block of Park Lane and encountered a 2-story single family home with smoke coming from the roof and fire showing from the second floor.

Callers to 911 frantically described to public safety dispatchers that there was a teen-aged male located in a basement bedroom that has limited mobility, is attached to several monitors and breathing equipment and is dependent on oxygen. Family members were attempting to remove him from medical equipment and to escape the burning house. Dispatchers relayed the information about the occupants to responding firefighters and paramedics.

The paramedic unit from the Fort Washington Fire/EMS Station #847 was one of the first arriving units. The crew entered the basement and removed multiple medical monitors and breathing machines from the patient and carried him to safety along with two other siblings. The teen-aged male has an oxygen dependent medical condition so paramedics assisted with his breathing and transported him to an area hospital for continued treatment. There were no fire/smoke related injuries.

There were a total of 30 firefighters and paramedics that took about 15 minutes to extinguish the fire. The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in fire loss and the fire was determined to have been started by child playing with a lighter. The family of 2 adults and 4 children will be temporarily displaced and are being assisted by the Fire/EMS Department Citizen Services Unit."

[mhenrich]

All our aid cars carry 2 SCBA, a light box, and a set of Irons. There are 2 ideas behind this, the first being that if the aid car is first on scene and they are aware that someone is trapped in the house then they have the equipment to go in an rescue them (immediate rescue comes into play here voiding the 2in2out rule), the second is, is that around here there are VERY few rescue and truck companies, so alot of times the aid car crew is used for primary searches (before rehab is needed), other than that they are used for rehab and RIT. (mostly)

[cap6888]

All of our ambos/medic units carry SCBA, all employees are also required to carry their PPE w/ them on the units also. That being said, I don't know if the two FF/medics put their gear on to get the kid out or not. From what I was told, the fire was on the first floor of the house, and the medics went around back into the basement and got the kid unhooked from the medical equipment and brought him out through the back door. I personally know one of the guys and he is a good fireman, luckily he was on the medic unit that day. I know numerous other medics who would have driven a long round about way just so they wouldn't have been first arriving.

Stay Safe

[Ha11igan]

Medics entered a structure fire?!

They should be reprimanded for such cowboy behavior!



Great save guys!