Volunteer firefighter drove more than 70 miles to aid in Dickson City hospital evacuation

Volunteer firefighter and Cardiac RN David Spalding drove from Allentown to aid in the evacuation of 77 patients at LVH on February 4.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — David Spalding has a passion for helping others. He’s a volunteer firefighter in Upper Macungie Township and works as a Cardiac RN at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest in Allentown. On February 4, he was enjoying a night off until he heard a call on the scanner in Lackawanna County.

“Firefighters always want to go on fires, but when I heard the evac tones, I knew that my fellow firefighters, the patients, and my coworkers needed all of the help they could get,” said Spalding, LVHN Cedar Crest.

That call was for the Orthopedic Institute at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City. Spalding earned his nursing degree at Penn State Scranton and still serves with the Throop and Olyphant fire departments.

“When I realized it was going to be a large-scale incident, I made the decision to get in my car and drive the hour and fifteen minutes up to my old fire house, grab my gear, and get up there,” said Spalding.

On that night, as first responders battled the flames in single-degree weather, medical staff safely removed 77 patients from the hospital and transported them to nearby facilities. When he arrived at the hospital spalding says he asked his chief where his help was needed.

“I’ve been doing this for a while, but I’ve never had a hospital fire, and to see the extent of the damage when I got there was surprising,” said Spalding.

“You’re on the roof putting the fire out, putting water on the fire. I said that is an incredible story of commitment to our communities, to our patients, to our colleagues. It’s just an amazing story,” said Bob Begliomini, Jefferson Health Lehigh Valley Region President.

Nine days after the fire, the hospital in Dickson City opened back up to patients. Jefferson Health Lehigh Valley Region President Bob Begliomini commended the work done by all of the first responders and members of the LVHN medical staff for getting patients to safety.

“Hospitals don’t ever get evacuated; that is not something we want to do ever, but we had to do it, and they had to make the decision to do it. They saw the circumstances that they had to deal with and had to make a quick decision, and it was the right decision,” said Begliomini.