Wednesday morning proved to be busy for area firefighters as an accident with entrapment call in Lower Oxford Township was immediately followed by a building fire with explosion in Upper Oxford Township. Both calls were in the fire district of the Union Fire Company of Oxford, with West Grove units called to assist.

Just before 10:00 am units were called to Route 10 / Limestone Road for an accident with entrapment involving multiple vehicles including tractor trailers. Oxford units requested WGFC to assist on the rescue, joining with units from Medic 94 and Cochranville to support our mutual aid partners. Engine 22-1 and an ambulance from the WGFC were on scene. Ambulance 22-2 transported a patient to Lancaster. And WGFC assisted in traffic control on area roads.

As units were returning from the first call, at 10:41am the Chester County 911 Center alerted units to a building fire with a reported explosion and injuries on Route 896 just above the US 1 Bypass. As units were in the area, response was quick with West Grove's Engine 22-1 assisting Oxford's Engine 21-4 with fire suppression with smoke and fire in the large commercial building on arrival. Also on the assist was Ladder 22 which assisted with ventilation, and Squad 22 set up a tanker fill site near the intersection of Old Baltimore Pike and 896. WGFC also provide a tanker for the water supply, fire police at the scene, and 22 EMS units assisted with injuries and patient evaluations. Units were on scene for several hours, with one serious injury transported to Christiana Hospital.

These emergency calls speak to the high volume of emergencies being handled by area emergency service organizations, who often must be ready for simultaneous and sequential emergencies. Also demonstrated is the close working relationships between first responders from fire and EMS organizations across the greater Southern Chester County area.