MARCH 2009 archive
Early
Morning Accident
March 22, 2009
County dispatched our company around 0200 for an accident with injuries with one laying on the road. Chief 54(Shellenhamer) arrived and began patient care. Chief 1(Nissley) arrived and assumed command confirming one patient laying in the woods next to the vehicle. Engine 54 arrived and provided lighting and secured the vehicle. Londonderry EMS transported the patient to Hershey. Crews assisted Dailey's with removing the vehicle and the box was placed in service.
Command: Deputy Chief Nissley
Units: Engine 54, Utility 54, Ambulance
54-1, Company 54 Fire Police, South Central EMS, PSP and Dailey's
Towing
Brush
Fire
March 24, 2009
County dispatched Box 54-2 around 14:00 hrs for a brush fire on Schoolhouse Road between Roundtop Road and Southfield. Engine 54-1 went enroute (Chief Shellenhamer) with 5 and county advised of a fire in the woods involving about an acre. Engine 54-1 arrived to find a large area of woods burning and impinging on storage trailers. Command requested an additional brush to respond. Crews from engine 1 quickly deployed a 200' Foam line with 2 additional 300' forestry lines in different directions to try and contain the perimeter of the fire. With the fire quickly spreading command requested additional brush units and Rescues for manpower. Crews finally got control of the perimeter and started to work on the numerous hot spots located in the burn area. Crews cut in a fire line around the perimeter and took care of any remaining fire and returned around 4 1/2 hours later with about 5 acres burned.
Command: Chief 54 Shellenhamer
Units: Engine 54: Engine 54-1, Tanker
54, Utility 54, Co. 54 Fire Police
Mutual Aid: Attacks 47, 48, Leb County
3, Brush 47, Tanker 59, Rescue 48, Rescue 88, Special unit 88,
Traffic 48, Leb County Rehab 180
Brush
Fire
March 25, 2009
County dispatched Box 54-7 around 18:30 for a brush fire on Hoffer Road. Engine 54-1(Chief 1 Nissley) went enroute with 5 and county advised of a controlled burn that was out of control and quickly spreading through a field. Engine 54-1 topped the "Big M" hill with a good column of smoke and requested an additional brush unit, bringing in Leb. County Attack 3(Lawn). Eng 1 arrived to find about 3/4 of an acre burning in a field spreading towards a tree line. Crews advanced 2 1" booster lines and a vest pack along with brush rakes to contain the perimeter. With no other units responding command added Lancaster county Engine 7-4-2(Elizabethtown) to the box for manpower. Crews quickly got control of the fire and command held the assignment to company 54 units. Crews doused the area with foam and cleared the box.
Command: Deputy Chief Nissley
Units: Engine 54-1, Tanker 54, Co. 54
Fire Police
Mutual Aid: LanCo engine 7-4-2, Tanker
7-11(Rheems) and LebCo Attack 3(Lawn)
2 Alarm
Structure Fire
March 25, 2009
As crews were cleaning up from the brush fire county dispatched the company around 20:30 to Craig's Custom Motorcycles for a reported vehicle on fire inside the structure caused by welding. Engine 54(Chief 1 Nissley) went enroute with 6. Engine 54 arrived to find a Ford Mustang well involved inside the structure on a lift with extension into the walls and ceiling. Crews pulled dual 1 3/4" CAF lines and started to attack the fire. Command quickly upgraded to the first alarm and had Engine 88 reverse lay to Route 230 to establish a rural water supply. Tanker 54 arrived and dropped their port-a-tank and load for engine 88. Engine 54-1 went to the dry hydrant on Colebrook Road (Route 341) to set up a fill site for tankers. Truck 7-4 arrived and set up on side D behind Engine 54 and went to the roof. FF Fink assumed Operations and advised fire on side B exterior at the eaves and the fire was running in the cock loft area of the ceiling. There was also an exposure problem on side A with a large 150'x40' building that was located about 10' from the fire building with the siding starting to melt. With this info command struck the second alarm bringing in additional resources. Truck 46(port-a-tank truck) and Engine 46 arrived on side C, set up and trenched the roof. Crews worked hard to finally gain control of the fire that was in the cock loft area of the structure. Control was marked at 22:30. This was the first test for our new CAFS equipped KME engine. We had four 1 3/4" lines pulled with heavy fire in the garage bay where the car was with an extended overhaul. We used a total of 2228 gallons of water and 7 gallons of foam. We also had one firefighter that had a minor arm injury that was transported to University Hospital and released. Company 54 would like to thank all of our Mutual Aid Companies for your assistance!
Command: Deputy Chief Nissley
Units: Engine 54, Engine 54-1, Tanker
54, Utility 54, Ambulance 54-1 and Co. 54 Fire Police
Mutual Aid: Engine 88(Middletown),
Engine, Rescue, Tanker 59(Lower Swatara), Engine, Truck
46(Hummelstown), Tanker 47(South Hanover) Engine 48-1, Traffic 48,
Air 48(Hershey), Engine 7-4-1, Truck 7-4(Elizabethtown), Tanker
7-1(Bainbridge), 7-11(Rheems), 2-12(Mastersonville),
2(Campbelltown), 3(Lawn), South Central EMS and PSP Fire Marshal.
Third
Working Brush Fire
March 27, 2009
County Dispatched company 54 around 13:00hrs for the reported brush fire on Alwine Road. Engine 54-1(Captain 1 Dupler) went enroute with 5 and arrived on scene of the third working brush fire this week. Crews pulled two booster lines and FF Ice for the third time this week expertly deployed a 300' forestry bag laying 200' of hose to cut off the head of the fire. Tanker 54 arrived and supplied water to Eng-1. The fire burned about 1/2 an acre and crews were out about hour.
Command: Captain 54-1
Dupler
Units: Engine 54-1, Tanker 54, Utility
54 and Co. 54 Fire Police
Another
Busy Day
March 28, 2009
While Engine 54 was at Lower Swatara Fire Dept. for a CAF class, and the Utility was at the South Hanover Fire Company for fire police training, County dispatched the 54-3 box at 09:07 for a electrical pole on fire in the area of Craig's Custom Motorcycles. Engine 54-1 (FF Ice) went enroute with 3 and arrived to find a pole that had burned through and was hanging by the wires.
While operating at this call, County dispatched box 54-1 at 09:50 for the Utility to respond for wires down on Geyers Church road.
As crews were just leaving the firehouse to go home from these calls, County dispatched box 81-2 at 13:10 for an accident with entrapment on 283 east bound between Toll House Road and 743. Engine 54(Chief 1 Nissley) went enroute and County advised of one male patient unconscious still inside of the vehicle. Engine 54-1(Lieut. 1 Smith) went enroute with 5. Engine 1 and the Engine arrived to find one vehicle into a tree with firefighters from company 35(Linglestown) on scene assisting with patient care. The patient was quickly extricated and CPR was started. Ambulance 54-1 transported to University Hospital. Unfortunately the driver succumbed to his injuries. Company 54 would like to offer their condolences to the patients family.
This has been one of the busiest weeks on record for Company 54, we have handled 3 working brush fires with a total of about 7 acres involved, a 2 alarm commercial building fire, a fatal accident, multiple location electrical hazards, numerous other calls for mutual aid assists to other fire companies and still had our weekly bingo, monthly meeting, multiple training classes and are still in the process of finishing up our building addition. All by our very dedicated 100% VOLUNTEER staff!