Two of the San Bernardino County Fire Department’s Heavy Technical Rescue Units based in Fontana were called in to free a woman trapped in debris from the collapse of a business building’s second story on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. A contractor and another employee also received minor injuries in the incident.

Nearly 30 firefighters took just over an hour to clear debris and shore up the second story in order to remove the victim safely. The victim, a 50-year-old woman, was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where she was treated for moderate injuries.

The collapse occurred at BAB Steering Hydraulics in Fontana, a business that fabricates hydraulic steering mechanisms for large vehicles, including fire trucks. In 2003, the firm helped restore a New York City Fire Department truck that had been damaged in the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Fire investigators said the probable cause of the collapse was the weight of some hydraulic parts stored in a second-story loft. They said the heavy parts likely caused an I-beam and wood flooring to collapse into a “V” shape at the center of the floor.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is investigating the incident.  

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