Call in the 'A' Team
BUTLER TWP — Twelve years ago, three crack fire companies in southern Butler County were charged with forming a team of specialized rescue firefighters.
Today, they still serve the community — an A-team, if you will — waiting to tackle dangerous situations with their unique skill set.
The Southern Butler County Trench Collapse Rescue Team has an annual operating budget of zero. Equipped with more than $350,000 of specialized gear, it has responded to only eight calls in 12 years.
But the rescue team provides very specialized, very skilled rescue knowledge. And in Butler County — where population and urban development are growing — the threat of trench and structure collapse is never far away.
“We would call it low frequency, but high risk,” said Robert McLafferty, Butler County 911 coordinator.
The rescue team was established in 2007, when two municipals in southern Butler County were installing a $60 million sewer project. If a trench collapsed during construction, local fire companies would be able to provide only limited expertise.
“It's a very risky rescue if you don't know what you're doing,” McLafferty said.
The team of firefighters trained in technical rescue formed from fire departments in Middlesex and Penn townships and Saxonburg. When 911 receives a call for a trench or structure collapse, the rescue team responds behind the regular fire companies.
“The three departments muster together,” said Charlie May, the county liaison for the rescue team.
Middlesex, Penn and Saxonburg have about 35 firefighters trained in trench rescue and another 25 firefighters trained in structural collapse between them.
The rescue team stabilizes damaged structures and trenches before firefighters go in.
“That's a specialized team,” McLafferty said. “The standard fire departments are not going to be comfortable (responding without it).”
The rescue team most recently responded in September to a home weakened after a Jeep crashed into it. Before firefighters entered the house, team rescuers shored the inside. This allowed first responders to safely investigate the scene.
Getting certified in trench collapse rescue requires 40 hours of specialized training.Butler County Community College provides free firefighter training through support from the Butler County commissioners and Cranberry Township Community Chest.Departments from 26 Western Pennsylvania counties train through BC3 in over 100 state-accredited firefighting courses.The program focuses on communication, safety, efficiency and teamwork.But mostly, it's about accessibility.“Firefighters have to be trained,” said Kevin Smith, interim coordinator of BC3's fire and hazmat programs. “The easier it is for them, the better.”BC3 works with 250 Pennsylvania-accredited instructors in Butler County.The Southern Butler County Trench Collapse Rescue Team members are trained at BC3.“Whenever we can get someone who's willing (to teach here),” May said.The trench collapse rescue team also trains with trench and collapse teams from Mercer and Beaver counties. It backs-up both.The rescue team uses manpower from just Middlesex, Penn and Saxonburg. But firefighters in other departments can learn enough about trench and structure collapse rescues to get things started at the scene before specialists arrive.The Southern Butler County team has participated in about 20 trench rescue classes since 2007.
Making knowledge and training accessible is an overarching goal for BC3's fire and hazmat program.“(We want) to try to get more training available out there to everyone,” Smith said.BC3 provides up-to-date training in a variety of areas, such as changing “fire dynamics.” Traditionally, home furniture was made of cotton and wood. A room could take 20 minutes or more to flashover.Most modern materials are synthetic. A room today can go up in three minutes.At BC3, firefighters learn how to identify areas where survivors may be.“We show the air flows and how closing a door can save (an area),” Smith said.Many elements can contribute to a fire, but Smith has two basic pieces of fire prevention advice: check smoke detectors regularly and always sleep with the bedroom door closed.“That closed door will protect you for quite a while,” Smith said.Citizens should immediately call 911 when reporting any emergency.McLafferty and May know it may be tempting to try to dig someone out of a trench collapse.But untrained citizens should not get involved: The trench isn't safe until professionals have made sure it's stable. If the Earth has a wound, McLafferty says, it will keeping trying to heal itself.“Stay out of the hole,” McLafferty said. “We don't want to make anything worse.”“Things can be replaced,” Smith said. “People can't.”
