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All photos courtesy of Wyckoff (NJ) FD

By Mike Ciampo

Shortly before noon on Wednesday August 8, 2018, the Wyckoff Fire Department (WFD) was dispatched for a vehicle into a house with reports of people still trapped in the car. On arrival, the Wyckoff Police Department confirmed a vehicle was almost entirely into the structure and was checking on victims. The PD entered the building and removed the elderly driver and remaining occupants from the structure as the fire department arrived. The Wyckoff Ambulance Corps transported the driver to the local hospital for evaluation.

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The WFD stretched a precautionary hoseline and completed a secondary search of the immediate area beneath and around the vehicle inside the home as well as the second floor of the house. Due to the debris and furniture tossed around the living room, the secondary search was done cautiously. Units remained on scene removing building debris inside and on the outside of the structure to assist the tow operator in removing the vehicle from the home. They also provided some temporary shoring to the damaged structure as well as sealing the home with some plywood and plastic for security and the threat of incoming rain storms. The town building inspector declared the home uninhabitable.

Lessons Reinforced

• When a vehicle strikes a structure, a complete size-up of the structure can determine if any gas or electrical service into the building in compromised. Companies should always control the utilities to decrease the hazards on scene.
• A hoseline should be stretched in case the vehicle begins to burn; this is especially true when the vehicle enters the structure. The vehicle’s catalytic converter is extremely hot as well as other vehicle parts which, when resting on a sofa, furniture, or debris, could ignite.
• Units should always be wary of a secondary collapse while operating. Movements around the vehicle of firefighters and debris must constantly be monitored to ensure firefighter safety.
• Firefighters must remain hydrated in hot and humid weather, rotating members may be necessary in prolonged operations.

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MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 32-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladders and Ventilation chapters for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and the Bread and Butter Portable Ladders DVD and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos on www.FireEngineering.com.