Lt. Jayme Lappin, Officer in Charge of the Sanford Fire & EMS Technical Team, Extricating Patient from the Truck. Photo: Jodie Kimball
On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Sanford Fire Department responded to a report of a person injured inside a garbage truck. The initial crews responding found a man injured and trapped in the forward section of the garbage container.
Sanford Fire Assistant Chief, Brian Watkins, said “judging by the circumstances, he was sleeping or otherwise occupying a dumpster that was unloaded into the garbage truck.” The driver did not know he had picked the man up until he arrived at his next stop, House of Pizza on Main Street, when he immediately called 911.
The incident was upgraded to a technical rescue response due to the confined space and high-angle conditions involved, bringing additional department resources to the scene. EMS personnel safely entered the truck and began treatment while the Technical Rescue Team and other personnel on scene worked to establish the systems necessary to secure and remove him. Once the man was extricated from the container, he was transported to Maine Medical Trauma Center in Portland.
“At that point, he was conscious and alert,” said Watkins.
The Sanford Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team is a specialized group of firefighters trained to respond to complex rescue situations that require advanced skills, equipment and techniques beyond those used in routine emergencies. Team members receive specialized training in areas such as confined space rescue, high-angle rope rescue, trench rescue, and structural collapse rescue. The team is equipped to safely access, stabilize, and remove victims from challenging environments while minimizing risk to both the patient and rescuers.
“The actions of all personnel and the successful outcomes of this incident show the vital importance of training as well as the department’s continuous commitment to being prepared for any and all emergencies. Being a specialized low-frequency high-risk event, the investment made in creating a Technical Rescue Team has proven its worth.” Watkins said.
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