Gladwyne Firefighters spent 18 hours staffing the station on Tuesday during the severe weather that hit the region. There was 18 members standing by in the station and an additional 5-6 responding from home/work to answer all the calls for emergencies. The GFC Swift water rescue team were dispatched to multiple water rescues throughout the day, some were minor requests to assist motorists our of their vehicles in flood water and others were life saving incidents.

The most significant rescue was when our Swift Water Rescue team was dispatched to assist the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore with a rescue at Penn Road and Wynnewood Road. Upon arrival there was a vehicle floating in high flood water under the railroad bridge. The majority of the vehicle was already under water and it was easy to see that the vehicle was sinking fast. GFC Swift Water team members entered the water wearing all of their personal protective equipment to approach the vehicle which nobody knew if there was anybody in it. Additional crews started settling up back up equipment and personnel should there be a problem. Once the team reach the vehicle the observed a female trying to breath in the small area left within the car that wasn’t under water. The crew forced open the door and grabbed the female as the vehicle continued to sink. The 1st crew removed the female to safety while the 2nd crew grabbed the females husband from the vehicle and also pulled him out from under water and up onto the adjacent sidewalk and assisted him to dry ground and reunited him with his wife for both of them to be evaluated by Narberth Ambulance.

Immediately after this rescue, our team was sent to Belmont Ave to assist with removing 4 people from the flooded out Bala Motor Sports.

All of the regions emergency services were busy and did an excellent job assisting each other and the residents of their communities.

Great Job to ALL!!