ROCKAWAY, NJ October 2004 1100hrs Return to RBFD Exempts Main Photo Page
A Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) and a Hazardous Materials Drill devised and coordinated by Chief Andrew Pratt and 1st Assistant Chief Robert Hopler. The drill was planned for early Sunday morning. The first responding engine rolled up on the scene to find that a train carrying hazardous materials had collided with a car, pinning the drive inside and then rolled a school bus that contained approximately 20 children. The Incident Command System was activated and mutual aide from Rockaway Township, Denville, Dover, Picatinny Arsenal, Milton and the Office of Emergency Management arrived on scene. All departments work to contain the fires and hazardous material leak on the train while simultaneously using the JAWS of Life to extricate the driver of the automobile and the children from the bus.
Photographs courtesy of Roger Colter
Engine 411 calls in for back-up. (Past Chief Steve Mancuso)
Past Chief Brian Smith gets Ambulance 430 ready
Scene Overview with Past Chief Bill Hopler at the pumps and Past Chief Joe Giordano on ladder
Truck 413 cooling a smoking tanker. Denville's ladder rising in the background.
Chief Andrew "Boomer" Pratt and 1st Asst. Chief Bob Hopler
Engine 412 and Rescue 414 preparing the JAWS for the over-turned car
Extrication begins
Rockaway Township 541 begins extrication of the children from the bus
Train vs Bus
Trying to get the kids to cooperate on this very cold October day in a rolled over bus.
Transporting of victims
Staging of the victims with the MCI tags
Bus almost empty.
Denville FD starting to clean up
Denville ambulance transporting the last of the victims
Packing hose, don't you miss it? Picatinny HazMat in the background
Picatnny HazMat surveying the scene
Water turned off to allow the approach of the HazMat team
Access to the tanker by the HazMat team
Truck 413
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