A group of Newtown Square firefighters recently found themselves returning to school.  These visitations were not for academics, but instead these three visits with fire apparatus were for responses to fire dispatches.

 

The first response of this trio of calls to the Marple Newtown High School was a medical assist request by Riddle Hospital paramedic personnel. The boiler room location of the medical emergency resulted in this call for assistance. The stairs, while more than adequate for normal use, became a challenge when used for patient care transport.

 

This first hand familiarity with this lower level of the interior of the High School was beneficial in the second of the collection of dispatches to the Media Line Road campus on Monday, February 22.  This dispatch occurred during a simultaneous fire dispatch to Media. This call also validated the wisdom in the automatic response of the Broomall Fire Company during this morning, rush hour fire dispatch to the High School.  During this joint fire company response, Newtown Square apparatus was released from their Media response. They then diverted to the local emergency.

 

The investigation of the fire alarm activation found smoke in the same boiler , the site of the first of this series of school emergency calls.   Arriving fire apparatus was once more pleased at the site of an evacuated school building.  As Chief Doug Simpson stated following this call, the greatest concern of all emergency providers is always the safety of the occupants.

 

An investigation of the structure found the source of the traceable source of smoke was in the boiler room area.  The specific focus was the in the area providing access to the electrical room.   Contractor employees working on the renovation of the High School occupied this part of the service area. They also were looking for the source of alarm activation.

 

A Broomall hose line was advanced into the basement service area by a crew from Broomall as firefighters looked for the source of fumes that activated the fire alerting system was located. The exhaust fumes were found to be coming from a small diesel-powered excavating machine that was working in the below-grade area of the school loading dock was the source.

 

The machine operator was advised by fire officials to cease their operation until they could provide a method of a proper ventilation.

 

Chief Doug Simpson and Deputy Chief Mike Kenny have jointly commented on the ongoing cooperation demonstrated by school official.  “They are always visible to arriving apparatus and their brief, but informative description of their findings is an appreciated, time-saving help.”

 

The third dispatch to the High School occurred at approximately 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 27.  A collection of diesel fumes that was collecting because of weather condition influences spawned this call. This discovery was made by the response crew of the Newtown Square Fire Company’s Rescue Unit. A check of the schools interior was done as an additional safety precaution.