When a bariatric emergency arises anywhere in Chester County, Uwchlan Ambulance Corps in Lionville gets summoned to the emergency. Known for its specialty, the ambulance has been requested by other emergency agencies throughout Montgomery, Delaware, and Lancaster counties. Before Uwchlan is dispatched to the scene, the primary ambulance and fire company are already on location determining if the situation warrants a bariatric ambulance.

 

Inside the back of Uwchlan’s ambulance are specialized equipment able to handle a person who weighs between 300 to 1,000 pounds. For this reason, the interior is larger than an average size ambulance. The equipment consists of moving devices with winch system and a ramp capable of loading and unloading, a loading system, an inflatable mattresses, and inflatable stretcher.

 

“Our responsibility when we arrive on scene is to assist and transport,” stated John Applegate, chief of operations of Uwchlan Ambulance Corps. “We work along with the other emergency personnel to figure out the best approach to take to make the patient comfortable and keep the crew safe.”

Sergeant Jose Valera from the Iowa State Patrol says the ambulance had three occupants; a driver, an ambulance attendant, and a patient being transported.

Sergeant Valera says the ambulance lost control because of slippery conditions from the snow.

The tower includes sprinkler, hydrant and ventilation technology, a rappelling platform on the roof, and interior and exterior stairways. For safety, heat sensors in the burn room trigger sprinkler systems if the practice fire gets too hot. Cutting props in the room add to the training.  

Construction costs are estimated at $300,000 for the 1,500-square-foot structure.

Regulations mandate the devices be replaced every 15 years, and Georgetown’s SCBAs are coming up on that age. They’re tested annually and the existing ones are still good, but with the expiration dates looming within the next few years, the town will need 32 new ones.  

The price tag on 32 new packs from ISP - the department’s vendor - would be $311,456.

So Mitchell met with the fire chiefs in Groveland and Newburyport, and the three chiefs agreed to go in together on request for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. Putting in for a regional grant request tends to increase the odds of getting the grant, and the towns would all have air packs to share if needed. And it would provide packs to 100 firefighters between the three communities.

The truck has called the city home for nearly 90 years. Now the fire department has ensured it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.  

The department bought the vehicle, which still reads “Edgerton Fire Department” in chipped white paint, for $5,000 at an auction last month. The truck needs restoration work to be functional again, but it’s in fairly good condition considering its age, Russ said.