| BERWYN, PA - The volunteers and career staff of the Berwyn Fire Company responded to numerous water rescues and other calls for assistance as heavy rain fell during the morning rush today. A total of 39 calls were responded to in a 24 hour period, with 18 of those calls being categorized as water rescues.
At one point all Berwyn emergency vehicles, with the exception of Ambulance 2-3 and ATV 2 were operating throughout Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships at the height of the storm. A total of 26 volunteers and 6 career staff personnel responded to continuous overlapping incidents between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Berwyn rescuers were able to safely evacuate numerous civilians from cars and structures. Crews also checked and cleared vehicles that were stranded in water on various roadways.
As seen in previous rain events over the past couple of years, the training and skills of Berwyn personnel were put to use by using safe practices and equipment during a storm that dumped over 4 inches of rain in just a few hours.
Based on the amount of water rescue calls being received in the area, the Chester County Department of Emergency Services dispatched water rescue boats from the Longwood Fire Company and Friendship Fire Company No. 2 (Phoenixville) Dive-Rescue Unit to standby at the Valley Forge Middle School in Tredyffrin Township. The Newtown Square Fire Company was requested for a unit to standby and assisted at a water rescue incident in the are of the 700 block of Lancaster Avenue also in Tredyffrin Township.
The Tredyffrin Township Police Department, Tredyffrin Township Public Works Department, Easttown Township Police Department, Easttown Township Public Works Department, PECO, AQUA PA, and Belfor Disaster Services all provided assistance at the various incidents. The Paoli Fire Company Ambulance covered a medical call on Westlakes Drive as Berwyn crews were handling other emergencies.
The Berwyn Fire Company strongly encourages that if you cannot see the road in front of you due to flooding conditions, "Turn around, don't drown!" You need to seek high ground and wait to drive your car, or you will risk getting trapped in swift water. While we do not experience some of the significant flooding seen in other parts of the country, we do experience swift water flooding conditions that create high risk situations for those stuck in the water and the rescuers who respond to help them.
Berwyn Fire Company Call Log – August 13, 2018
#1 12:59 a.m. – Fire Alarm - 300 block Leopard Rd. – Easttown Township
#2 1:34 a.m. – Fire Alarm – 200 block Musket Ln. – Tredyffrin Township
#3 2:55 a.m. – Basic Life Support (BLS) – 300 block S. Valley Forge Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#4 7:43 a.m. – Fire Alarm – 500 block Pugh Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#5 8:21 a.m. – Fire Alarm – 300 block Sugartown Rd. – Easttown Township
#6 8:31 a.m. – Water Rescue – 200 block Lancaster Ave. – Easttown Township
#7 8:40 a.m. – Water Rescue – Contention Ln. & Old State Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#8 8:43 a.m. – Residential Flooding Investigation – 200 block Forest Hills Circle – Tredyffrin Township
#9 8:47 a.m. – Water Rescue – Berkley Rd. & Grove Ave. – Tredyffrin Township
#10 8:56 a.m. – Fire Alarm – 1000 block Chesterbrook Blvd. – Tredyffrin Township
#11 8:58 a.m. – Water Rescue – E. Conestoga Rd. & Upper Gulph Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#12 9:05 a.m. – Water Rescue – Upper Gulph Rd. & McMull Dr. – Tredyffrin Township
#13 9:09 a.m. – Water Rescue – 500 block Richards Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#14 9:12 a.m. – Water Rescue – 100 block E. Swedesford Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#15 9:28 a.m. – Water Rescue – 900 block Old Eagle School Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#16 9:28 a.m. – Water Rescue – Rt. 202 & Devon Park Dr. – Tredyffrin Township
#17 9:30 a.m. – Advanced Life Support (ALS) – 700 block Richards Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#18 9:37 a.m. – Water Rescue – 700 block Lancaster Ave. – Tredyffrin Township
#19 10:06 a.m. – Residential Flooding Investigation – 700 block Thomas Jefferson Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#20 10:40 a.m. – Water Rescue – 900 block Old Eagle School Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#21 10:45 a.m. – Residential Flooding Investigation – 600 block of Richards Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#22 10:48 a.m. – Advanced Life Support (ALS) – 400 block N. Valley Forge Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#23 10:56 a.m. – Water Rescue – 700 block Richards Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#24 11:00 a.m. – Water Rescue – Walker Rd. & West Valley Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#25 11:02 a.m. – Water Rescue – 400 block Church Rd. – Easttown Township
#26 11:03 a.m. – Water Rescue – 400 block of Old Forge Crossing – Tredyffrin Township
#27 11:03 a.m. – Water Rescue – Old Eagle School Rd. & Devon Park Dr. – Tredyffrin Township
#28 11:04 a.m. – Water Rescue – Strafford Ave. & Old Eagle School Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#29 11:04 a.m. – Water Rescue – Colonel Dewees Rd. & Glenhardie Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#30 12:01 p.m. – Motor Vehicle Collision – Rt. 422 & PA Turnpike Underpass – Tredyffrin Township
#31 12:40 p.m. – Basic Life Support (BLS) – Unit block Long Ln. – Tredyffrin Township
#32 1:00 p.m. – Residential Flooding Investigation – 700 block Worthington Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#33 1:41 p.m. – Residential Flooding Investigation – 500 block Park Ridge Dr. – Tredyffrin Township
#34 3:16 p.m. – Basic Life Support (BLS) – 2600 blcok Wayland Rd. – Newtown Township
#35 3:56 p.m. – Carbon Monoxide Alarm – 700 block Lancaster Ave. – Tredyffrin Township
#36 5:22 p.m. – Basic Life Support (BLS) – Valley Forge Rd. & Peddrick Dr. – Tredyffrin Township
#37 6:13 p.m. – Advanced Life Support (ALS) – 700 block Conestoga Rd. – Tredyffrin Township
#38 9:53 p.m. – Advanced Life Support (ALS) – Rt. 252 & Sawmill Rd. – Newtown Township
#39 10:05 p.m. – Advanced Life Support (ALS) – 400 block Virginia Ave. – Tredyffrin Township
Municipal Response Breakdown
Tredyffrin Township – 33 calls
Easttown Township – 4 calls
Newtown Township – 2 calls
Incident Type Breakdown
Water Rescue – 18
Residential Flooding Investigation – 5
Fire Alarm – 5
Basic Life Support (EMS) – 5
Advanced Life Support (EMS) – 4
Motor Vehicle Collision – 1
Carbon Monoxide Alarm – 1 |
