Report from the Fire Company December 23-January 5

The Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association assisted the Springfield fire department putting out a car fire on December 28, near Bob’s Mobil at the intersection of the Baltimore Pike and Route 320. The fire was caused by a fuel spill after the car sheared off a fire hydrant. The impact sent the hydrant flying, severed the car’s fuel lines, and spread a path of broken parts. Leaking fuel made the fire hard to extinguish, and diking material was required to contain the fuel.

December 23-January 5

In this two-week period, the ambulance responded to 28 calls for medical assistance, to Swarthmore, Rutledge, Morton, Springfield, Ridley, and Nether Providence. The calls were for a variety of emergencies, including cardiac emergency, accident, overdose, hemorrhaging, seizures, hypertension, fall, fracture, lift assist, head injury, abdominal pain, and laceration. 

The fire company responded to:

• Five automatic alarms (mostly for smoke detector activation)

• Three building alarms (a dryer fire, a hot wall, and the smell of burning)

• Five hazmat alarms (including for a fuel spill and car fire — see photo)

• Four car accidents

• One alarm for smoke at the back of a property

• 13 mutual aid calls to Morton-Rutledge, Nether Providence, and Springfield