Hot wire down on 578 during snow storm

8 Mar, 2018 | |

Hot wire down on 578 during snow storm

The Fanwood Rescue Squad had crews on standby during the entirety of the snowstorm that descended on us on Wednesday, March 7th, 2018. The storm dropped about a foot of wet, heavy snow that brought down numerous trees and power lines, some of the worst damage seen since Hurricane Sandy.

A live electrical wire came down on top of Fanwood ambulance 578 the night of March 7th, 2018, as the crew was on the way back from RWJ Rahway hospital where they had just transported an individual injured by a falling branch. The crew reports there were blue flashes and pops and suddenly the wire was on top of them. They stopped the ambulance and sat tight on Lamberts Mill Road for approx. 90 minutes for a PSE&G crew to arrive to turn off the power. Thanks to the Scotch Plains Police and Fire Depts for staying in radio contact with our crew and for doing what they could to keep the scene safe for others. The FRS crew has quite a story to tell and the PSE&G guy gave our crew chief a piece of the cable as a souvenir (photo below).