On Thursday August 27th, at approximately 1315 hours, Rescue 2218 and the Technical Rescue team were dispatched to assist Southampton District 17 on a trench rescue. Evesham Fire maintains technical rescue disciplines in rope rescue, confined space rescue and collapse rescue and also has some members trained in trench rescue. Rescue 2218 also carries a compliment of equipment to assist in such a rescue effort. Rescue 2218 responded with five firefighters and arrived along with Cherry Hill Rescue 3 who was also dispatched on the technical rescue box. 2218 and Rescue 3 began initial operations at the rescue scene which included placing ground pads, spoil pile removal, air monitoring and shoring operations to prevent further collapse of dirt onto the patient. The patient was trapped in a trench approximately 6 feet deep x 3 feet wide x 5 feet long and was buried up to his waste in dirt. 2218 and Rescue 3 were later supplemented by Waterford Township Fire's Technical Team, as well as Mercer Counties Technical Rescue team and NJ Task Force 1 with Virtua Paramedics providing patient care. Numerous local agencies including Tabernacle, Pemberton and Shamong also assisted the rescue teams while numerous EMS agencies including Absecon EMS and Cherry Hill Fire's Canteen Unit providing rehab and EMS for the responders on location. Most trench operations are labor, time and equipment intensive. This rescue proved to be just as intensive and the patient was finally freed at around 545pm, more than 5 hours after the original call to 911.
