Major incident at Crozer-Chester Medical Center that started with a fire at a loading dock

Fire crews were called en masse to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland shortly after 8:40 p.m. Thursday.

Numerous units would respond under any circumstances to many calls at such a key medical facility.

According to fire radio traffic:

At the 10-minute mark, a chief on the scene reported there was a fire in the electrical room in the loading dock along Upland Avenue.

Personnel were working on darkening the fire with a dry chemical until it was clear that power was secured.

Personnel were also asked to go into the main part of the hospital to determine if anything hazardous was getting in via the air flow system.

At 9 p.m., the fire chief asked for PECO to step it up. The PECO crew reportedly arrived about two minutes later.

There was also a water main problem, and flooding. It was reported that a maintenance man went into a flooded area and that a RIT fire crew was monitoring him, ready to step in to take life-saving action, if needed.

At 9:10 p.m. in the quickly moving incident, it was reported at the fire ground that the room on fire controls the intensive care unit, and that the patients in the ICU were being moved out.

Medical teams were ready to transport the ICU patients to other facilities, with the possibility of flying some out. There were 24 total patients. Nearly all of the ambulances in the county were in service for that operation.

Crozer Health CEO Tony Esposito said in a statement shortly after 10:30 p.m. that, “We experienced a small flood that resulted in a fire, but there is no longer an active fire. Critical care patients were evacuated from the facility to safe areas and we have been working with the county to ensure their safety. No injuries have been reported.”

Labor and Delivery moved all the newborns and their parents with the nurses to a different area.

The big fan of Milmont Fire Company was set up to pull hazardous air out of the emergency department.

At 10 p.m., it was reported that the fourth floor was evacuated.

Further details were not yet available.

Source: Berkshire mont