Early Saturday morning at 0602 hours, Station 5, Squad 5, EMS 59 and 19 were alerted to a motor vehicle accident involving a vehicle into a structure. Further information was received by Emergency Communications that a tractor trailer had hit an occupied structure. Chief 5A arrived on the scene and located a tractor trailer into the house with both the occupants of the structure and the truck driver trapped inside.

Chief 5 requested the assignment be upgraded to the structural collapse assignment, along with collapse teams from NDW Patuxent River and Charles County. Squad 5 arrived on scene and the crew began a rapid extrication process. Two occupants of the home were removed with the others being heavily trapped within the home and in the truck. There were live power lines on top of the truck and SMECO was requested to expedite to the scene. They secured the power to the residence and from the pole at the roadway.

Chief 5 established the "Clement's Command" and as units arrived, tasks were given along with supervisors assigned at the scene. Chief 5A held the exterior rescue group, Chief 7 held the interior rescue group, Captain 5 was the Side Charlie Safety Officer and Lieutenant 5 was the Side Alpha Safety Officer. Upon assessment of the home, DC's Collapse Response Team was also requested to respond. They were later cancelled after all patients were removed.

Shoring equipment was utilized off Squads 5, 1, 2, and 7. Once temporary shoring was put into place, a wall on the Delta side of the house was breached to access one of the trapped patients. This patient was removed from the residence and transported to awaiting EMS units from Seventh District, Mechanicsville and St. Mary's ALS.

Shortly after the third patient had been removed, crews were able to remove the truck operator through the interior of the home. After further rescue efforts continued it was determined the last occupant of the home was trapped between two load bearing walls, the truck and a furnace. Due to the nature of the entrapment of the final patient the Go Team was requested. They were responding by ground from Baltimore. After better access to the patient was gained the Go Team was cancelled.

Crews from Pax River and Charles County worked with the interior crews to shore additional walls. To access the patient, an interior non load bearing wall was removed from the house. Crews also removed furniture and other larger items in the home to continue to gain better access. The crews continued to work together to stabilize and shore the structure. At 0713 hours the final patient was removed from the residence and transported to awaiting EMS units for treatment.

In all, 5 total patients were transported to hospitals. The operator of the truck was transported to MedStar St. Mary's along with two occupants of the home. The two other occupants of the home were transported by ground by Paramedic Ambulance 598 and Paramedic Ambulance 297 to Prince George's Trauma Center. Ambulance 599 remained on scene for the personnel operating. The Maryland Department of Environment was requested to secure the home heating fuel tank and the fuel tanks on the truck after it was removed.

Crews remained on the scene while the truck was removed from the house by the tow company. No other collapsed occurred after the removal of the house. The house was posted as unsafe and all crews other than Station 5 were released from the scene. After MDE arrived and the Sheriff's Office was through with their investigation all units returned to quarters.

We would like to thank all of the crews from Leonardtown, Mechanicsville, Hollywood, Pax River, Charles County, Seventh District Rescue Squad, Mechanicsville Rescue Squad, St. Mary's ALS, along with all other personnel that responded and effectively worked together on this challenging scene. Crews also worked hand in hand with the Sheriff's Office and the State Police to ensure the safe and effective rescue of all the patients and security of the scene. We hope for a quick recovery of all the patients involved.