Battalion Chief Michael Robinson described the survival of the two Baltimore County firefighters caught in a house explosion and collapse Sunday as "miraculous" and credited their rescue to the quick execution of fire department contingency plans.
The firefighters were trying to find the source of a gas leak at a duplex Sunday afternoon when an explosion leveled the structure. Two firefighters on the porch were blown away from the house and the two inside were caught in a void between the first floor and the basement, Robinson said.
A cast iron bath tub was thrown 60 feet from the house. When firefighters on scene looked at the destruction, there was a great deal of anxiety about the condition of the firefighters inside, Robinson said.
"Your thought is, nobody can survive this," he said.
The two trapped firefighters, from Engine 7 in Essex, were able to transmit a mayday just moments after the blast and the first and second alarms went out. The department also called for a special rescue team including an advanced tactical rescue unit and heavy rescue. Fire Chief John Hohman and the local union president also responded to the scene.
In addition, helicopters and a surgical team were standing by, a search dog was brought in, and fire department chaplains and a critical incident stress team were brought in.
The rescue group began forced air ventilation and removal of surface level debris for extrication. After about ten minutes they pulled out the occupant of the home. An hour later they pulled out one firefighter, and after about another ten minutes they pulled out the second firefighter.
Robinson said the collapsed floor had settled just inches above the trapped firefighters' heads. "There was an inch or two clearance around their bodies," he said.
Robinson said this incident illustrated the importance implementing and following contingency plans, including mayday and RIT policies. He said rescuers also benefitted from having implemented ideas they learned from instructors at Firehouse Expo.
The two firefighters who were thrown clear of the duplex were taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The two who had been trapped were flown to Shock Trauma and were released Monday morning, Robinson said.
In addition to the firefighters and the occupant, a civilian and a police officer were struck by flying debris at the scene, bringing the total number of injured to seven. Robinson said all of the firefighters' injuries were minor, consisting of burns, cuts and bruises, and all of the firefighters were back at home as of Monday.
Robinson said an investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing. Investigators are dismantling the wreckage and will examine the appliances, as well as interview the occupant at Bayview Medical Center.
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