Car vs. Tree on Middletown Road
One Patient Flown Out

September 12, 2003 1614hrs:

Units were alerted for a gas leak inside a commercial building at the Pups N Stuff store in the St Charles Towne Plaza. Engine 33, under the command of Chief 3A Clark Embrey, arrived on scene and began investigating the odor inside the complex. As Engine 122 arrived on the scene, under the command of Chief 3B DJ Mills, and took position in the rear of the building, Engine 33's crew immediately discovered the odor was dry cleaning chemicals coming from the former Westlake Dry Cleaners store next door. E-33 forced entry from the front doors and discovered a small quantity of liquid on the floor surrounding an old heavy-duty dry cleaning machine. Chief 3A upgraded the assignment to a Haz-Mat alarm and ordered the crews on scene to setup PPV fans to ventilate the affected stores. Chief 3A requested Special Unit 9 and the Haz-Mat team from NSWC Indian Head Station 20 to respond to the scene. Crews from E-33, E-122, and E-11 checked all the stores in the complex for the presence of odor from the cleaning chemicals and found one additional store filled with fumes. Engine 33, Squad 40, and Truck 11 setup PPV fans along the front of the stores and ventilated the structure. Several puppies in the Pups N Stuff store had to be removed due to existing medical conditions and concerns on their well-being. The Haz-Mat team from NSWC arrived on scene and secured the leak coming from the washing machine. As the incident progressed, several employees from the attached stores became ill from the odor and were transported by Ambulance to Civista Medical Center in La Plata. Waldorf units cleared the scene at 1952 hours.

Responding Units: Engine 33, Engine 122, La Plata Engine 11, Accokeek Engine 241, Brandywine Squad 40, Bryans Road Truck 11, and Ambulance 399.

Haz-Mat Assignment: Indian Head Special Unit 9, Medic One, and NSWC Station 20 Haz-Mat Team.