January 17, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE Contact information

For Immediate release Chief Michael B. Mansfield

Deputy Chief Al DelDotto

Phone # 978-475-1281 x2001

x2017

At 10:35 hours Andover Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched to the Bancroft Elementary School on Bancroft Road for the report of a person who fell and was injured.

On arrival at 10:38 hours, crews found that a 56-year-old male who was removing snow from the roof of the school had fallen and could not get up due to injuries to his hip and shoulder. Due to the nature of the incident, possible injuries, and the inability to remove the patient from the roof by normal means, additional personnel were dispatched to assist with a technical rescue. (There was interior roof access but the scuttle hole was too small to be able to remove the patient once he was packaged through it).

The patient had to be immobilized on a backboard to prevent further injuries and packaged in a stokes basket for removal off the roof utilizing a combination of the aerial ladder and a 4:1 mechanical advantage rope rescue system.

The technical rescue required Andover Fire Rescue personnel to utilize rope rescue equipment and the aerial ladder to bring the patient to an awaiting stretcher for transport to the hospital.

Patient was treated at the scene by Andover Fire Rescue crews and transported to Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, Massachusetts for further evaluation and treatment of non-life threatening injuries.