That’s what “emergency recall” procedures and cooperative agreements are for. If Philly can’t find enough guys to fix this, I would think that available workers from nearby cities could be there in a couple of hours at most to help out. Plus, there are likely Army Corps of Engineers units not too far away. A four-foot main is not the kind of thing that can be handled by the second-string crew.
Here in Memphis they just park city utility trucks blocking all access streets. Then the skilled hired contractors fix the problem and exit the scene. Then the utility crews foreman gives the local media interviews on how tough of a job it was and asks for praise for a job well done.