Trailer breaks in half - Rt 1 North Bound @ County Line

Saturday, September 8, 2012

At 1348 the CHC was dispatched for a tractor trailer on fire in the area of Rt. 1 NB & exit 114. E44-4 under command of 44-19(Pierson Jr.) responded within minutes followed shortly after by 44-3 & R44. While en-route Kent Center advised the location changed to Rt. 1 NB @ the county line, and advised it was not a vehicle fire, but a truck whose trailer had broken in half and stalled on the highway. E44-3 under command of 44-16(Hankins) arrived first to find a 53' box trailer fully loaded with 15lb LP cylinders had lost its structural integrity, and broke in half collapsing onto the roadway. The trailer was fully loaded with 1344 LP cylinders. The crew from 44-3 performed a walk around and found no product to be leaking and no fire. Upon arrival of 44-4 crews used the multi-gas detector to inspect inside the trailer for any further leakage, and no readings were found. When the trailer broke, several of the pallets shifted and were laying on top of each other and against the bulging sides of the trailer. DNREC and TMC were contacted due to the nature and duration of the incident. Crews remained on scene for several hours assisting DSP and DNREC while the truck was unloaded due to the nature of the contents of the trailer. Past Chief Keen oversaw operations during the off-loading process. Another truck was brought in and with the assistance of a large rotator crane wrecker, the trailers midsection was lifted back to normal position, and contents were hand loaded onto the other trailer. Offloading operations were delayed slightly due to the severe thunderstorm that went through the area. All 44 units were clear the scene once all the product was off-loaded. No propane cylinders were damaged or leaked during the incident. The scene was TOT DSP and the trucking company. All 44 units were back in quarters at 1834. OIC was 1st Asst. Chief Isaac J. Hankins, and off-loading operations by Past Chief Brooks Keen. The CHC had 35 men in service for 4 hours and 46 minutes. Units on scene: E44-4, E44-3, R-44, 44-10, several units from DNREC, DSP, DSP DOT team, DelDot/TMC, and Chambers Towing Co.

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