Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Rescue Squad Responds to Another House Fire

April 15, 2010

UPDATED 5/30/10

Rescue Squad Responds to Another House Fire

The Rescue Squad’s day crew responded to its 4th significant residential fire in two weeks. Rescue Squad 741 Bravo was dispatched to a house on Jamestown Court, in Glen Echo. The initial dispatch included a report of two children trapped.

When the Rescue Squad arrived on scene, the blaze had spread into the house in several places from an attached garage, where it had begun. There was no engine company on scene to provide a hose line or water, so RS741 Bravo’s officer used 5-gallon fire extinguishers and a garden hose to hold the fire at bay while the remainder of the crew made a quick primary search of the upstairs. Fortunately, no children were found.
Once engine companies from Glen Echo, Bethesda, Cabin John and the National Institutes of Health arrived on scene and established a water supply, crews quickly knocked down the bulk of the fire on the first floor. This enabled the crew to complete a more thorough secondary search. They then assisted engine and truck crews in finding and dousing hot spots by pulling a lot of walls and ceiling.

After more than an hour of salvage and overhaul work, the crew was released to return to service.

In addition to Cabin John, units from Glen Echo, Bethesda, and Rockville also responded
Both Medic 741 and a BLS unit from the Rescue Squad responded; however, there were no injuries.