Around 2:45 PM this past Tuesday, the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department, Croton EMS, Croton Police and a Mutual Aid Paramedic from Cortlandt Paramedics were dispatched to southbound Route 9 for a reported serious Motor-Vehicle Collision, south of the Warren Road overpass.

35-Medic-2 (the first-arriving unit) arrived on scene and requested a launch of the Medivac and advised that FD would need to set up for a rope rescue, as he had one car down an embankment with one patient in critical condition. Car 2081 (Chief Dinkler) arrived shortly after this and established "Route 9 Command."

Engine 119, Rescue 18 and Utility 14 arrived and immediately began setting up a rope line to aid personnel down to the crash site and to assist in lowering equipment down the 50-60 foot muddy embankment. The driver had been thrown from the vehicle and was underneath it in a wet and muddy area surrounded by brush. FD and Croton PD personnel worked together to gain access to the wreck using chain saws.

Lieutenant Ferguson assumed the "Operations" section role and led the extrication process with the help of over a dozen COHFD members that were on scene. Simultaneously, Engine 118 set up a landing zone for the helicopter just south of the crash site on the highway. To assist with closing the highway, Montrose FD was dispatched along with a HELP Truck.

Once the patient was extracted from the woods and in the care of the Medivac crew, about 25 minutes after we arrived, the situation was placed under control and Montrose FD was relieved by our Utility 14. COHFD units remained on scene for five hours to assist with road closures and lighting up the scene for the Police Investigation and removal of the vehicle.

This incident once again highlights two key things...

1) For close to a year now, our members have been working more on low-angle rope rescue situations such as these. We'd like to thank the instructors at NorthEast Squad Concepts that have been instrumental in this.

2) Emergencies are a team effort, and the First Responder Team of Croton's Fire, EMS and Police personnel once again proved itself at this incident. Working together, along with the other EMS and PD personnel on scene, the coordinated effort enabled a rapid and effective rescue of the injured.

During this incident, members were on standby in Quarters, and another two incidents were answered by Croton's Bravest.