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FRANK ROBIIISOH
NEW CUMBERLAND, PA - New Cum berland Fire Departm ent responded to th is tw o -fa m ily private d w e llin g fire on the 400 b lo ck o f M iller Ave., October 27th. The Fire Departm ent was was having th eir October Fest w hile receiving the call blo cks away. - See full story on page 4
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1st Responder Newspaper - PA
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Three Homes Ruined, ESI E q u ip m e n t
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ALAN HOFFMAN Rescue Engine 31 of the W estern S alisb ury Fire Com pany on the scene and in service at a 2nd alarm dw elling fire in Salisbury Town ship.
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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder N ews (ISSN 1525-1683) - Pennsylvania edition - Vol. 28 No. 4 - is published bi-monthly, 6 tim es a year for $24 per year by Belsito Com m unica tions, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, NY 12553. Periodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Re sponder News, 1 Ardmore Street, NY 12553. N o fi nancial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typo graphical errors except o f reprinting that part o f the ad which was
ALLENTOWN, PA - A four-alarm fire heavily consum ed three m /o/r d w elling s on Septem ber 15th, w ith the firs t alarm being s tru c k at 11:56 P.M. D ispatch reported that they were receiv ing m ultiple reports of several hom es on fire. W hen respond ing com panies arrived at 30 S. Jefferson St., th e y fo u n d they had heavy fire in the rear of these dw elling s, w h ich also in clu ded several garages. Com m and requested extra alarm s as the fire s co ntin ued to make headway. A ll the o ccup ants o f these hom es made it out safely. B esides the fire gutted homes, exposure hom es received sm oke and w ater damage. T h irty-three people were displaced by th is blaze. A s sistin g th e AFD on scene w ere Catasauqua, W oodlaw n, Emm aus, Eastern S alisb ury and G reenaw alds fire departm ents.
STILL IN SERVICE
KEN SNYDER
If you have photos you would like to see in our Still in Service feature please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com.
A llentow n E-10 in service at the second-alarm five dw elling fires, Ju ly 28th.
DALE FEEHRER
PA BUFFING
The C apital C ity Hose Co. o f R idgw ay s till o p e ra te s th is 1991 Sutphen as Engine 43 (1500/750).
E dw ardsville Ladder 127 on scene in K ingston, PA fo r a 2nd alarm house fire. Firefighters battled th is fire fo r several hours in extreme heat cond ition s.
om itted or A division of: in error. O m issions or errors m ust be brought to the attention o f the newspaper during the same month o f publication. Printed in Canada.
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1st Responder Newspaper - PA
FRANK ROBINSON
Fire Destroys IVro-Family Dwelling in New Cumberland NEW CUMBERLAND, PA - New Cum berland Fire Department responded to th is tw o -fa m ily private dw elling fire on the 400 b lo ck of M iller Ave., October 27th. The Fire D epartm ent was w as having th e ir O ctober Fest w h ile rece ivin g the call b lo cks away. The fa m ilie s w ere all o ut of the house w hen fire fig h te rs arrived. The fire appeared to have started in the rear of the dw elling. M utual A id fire departm ents responded from Defense L o g istics FD, Camp Hill, New K ingstow n, Hampdon Twp., West Shore, Fairview Twp., and Lower Allen. Firefighters remained at the scene fo r tw o hours. No injuries were reported.
KEN SNYDER
Outside sm oke condition.
Four Hundred Residents Evacuated from Fullerton Apartment Fire FULLERTON, PA - The Lehigh County 911 Center received an activated alarm for an apartment fire on October 25th at 2:54 a.m., to w hich the Whitehall Fire Depart ment responded. This large threestory com plex is called Independence Square Apartments, located at 1 Maryland Circle, con sisting o f 132 apartments. Incom ing com panies had a sm oke condition circulating throughout the m assive building
Jump to file #110624109
com ing from a second-floor storage closet fire. A s firefighters were waking up residents for rescue, the medical community was alerted for a Level 3 M ass Causality Incident. Some 400 residents were eventually evacuated from the building. They spent time in their cars, with neigh bors, or went to a Red Cross shelter
set up at Temple Bethel El 1395 Spring Flouse Rd. in South White hall Twp. The blaze went to three alarms, with six out o f the 12 affected apart ments receiving severe heat and water damage. Balcony rescues were made by ground ladders or by Fullerton's tower truck. Thankfully, there were no major injuries.
- KEN SNYDER
EMERGENCY AIRCRAFT If you have photos you would like to see in our “Emergency Aircraft”feature, please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
TERRY RITZ
Dwelling Fire in Herefnrd Twp. Goes to Two Alarms Hereford Twp., PA - On Sunday, O ctober 20th at 2:11 P.M., Hereford Fire Co., along w ith several other fire companies, was dispatched to a dw elling fire at 1887 Tollgate Rd., in the to w nsh ip . Upon arrival, th ey had a dw ellng w ith fire and sm oke show ing. A second-alarm was needed fo r additional engines and tankers fo r personnel and water. The fire was declared under co ntrol w ith in 45 m inutes. There were no in juries reported. The cause of the fire was from the owner burning trash that got out of control. A ssistin g Hereford Fire Co. was East Greenville, Pennsburg, Red Hill, Topton, Upper M ilford, M ilford, Siesholtzville, and Eastern Berks. Fire Police from the local fire com panies were also on the scene.
HEMS PHOTOGRAPHY
On Sunday, October 6th, in Ross Township, the Sweet Valley FD, along w ith G eisinger EMS, were dispatched to the intersection of State Route 118 fo r a one-car MVA w ith 1 patient unresponsive. When units arrived, 2 helicopters were dispatched to the accident. One helicopter was canceled due to one patient being deceased, and the second patient was flo w n to the closest hospital w ith a level 1 traum a unit. The crash is under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police.
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Indiana: Kenneth D. Caldwell, 63 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: June 6, 2024 Death Date: June 6,2024 Fire Department: LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: On the morning o f Thursday, June 6, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell responded to a field fire. During the response, Firefighter Caldwell used rescue equipment to cut through a fence so other firefighters could get equipment to the area o f the fire. After the fire, he returned to the station and cleaned up the equipment.
Fire Department: Los Angeles County Fire Department Initial Summary: On Friday, June 14, 2024, while fighting a construction vehicle fire, Firefighter Andrew Pontious was killed when an explosion occurred.
Vermont: Charles "Charlie" Parker, 74 Rank: Captain Incident Date: July 8, 2024 Death Date: July 8, 2024 Fire Department: Chittenden Volunteer Fire Department
He mentioned to others that he was going to stop and get
Initial Summary: On Monday, July 8, 2024, Captain
his mail on the way home. That evening, he missed a
Charles "Charlie”Parker responded to a bam fire.
work detail at the firehouse. On Friday, June 7, 2024, he failed to respond to a call. By Sunday morning, June 9, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell had not been seen or heard
After operating at the scene, he returned the tanker to the fire station. Captain Parker was found unrespon
from since Thursday. Members o f his department went
immediately performed but were unsuccessful. The
to his residence to check on him. The found him de ceased inside the home. He had collapsed and died while
cause o f death has yet to be determined.
opening his mail, just a few hours after his emergency
Missouri: Matthew Tobben, 42 Rank: Assistant Chief Incident Date: July 8, 2024 Death Date: July 8, 2024 Fire Department: Boone County Fire Protection
response to the fire incident.
West Virginia: Benny Filiaggi, 62 Rank: Chief Incident Date: June 14, 2024 Death Date: June 14, 2024 Fire Department: Montgomery Fire Department Initial Summary: On Friday, June 14, 2024, Chief Benny Filiaggi was on official paid duty working at his residence performing administrative functions for the department. He had spoken to the mayor earlier in the
sive by a fellow firefighter. Lifesaving efforts were
District
Initial Summary: On Monday morning, July 8, 2024, Assistant Chief Matthew Tobben from the Boone County Fire Protection District, and another firefighter from the City o f Columbia Fire Department were con ducting a swift water operation in North Columbia. The firefighters had rescued two individuals when the boat
morning and informed him that he did not feel well. His
overturned. Assistant Chief Tobben was thrown into the
son attempted to contact him but was unsuccessful.
water and drowned. The other firefighter and the two
Chief Filiaggi was found unresponsive in his home and was immediately transported to the local hospital where
victims originally rescued were not injured.
he was pronounced deceased from an apparent heart at tack.
California: Andrew Pontious, 52 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: June 14, 2024 Death Date: June 14, 2024
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1st Responder Newspaper - PA
WOMEN IN FIREFIGHTING If you have photos you would like to see in our Women in Firefighting feature please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
ANDY LYCHALK JR.
House Fire in Galeton Borough GALETON BOROUGH, PA - Galeton's Goodyear Hose Co. re sponded to a w ell-involved house fire on October 20th at 10:25 A.M. on Allen Alley in Galeton Borough. Upon arrival, Galeton's Engine 10-3 stretched 2 hose lines to combat the blaze. The blaze was contained in about 20 minutes. Vince Bowen, Assistant Chief, had command of the scene and the 20 Galeton firefighters. Water supply was taken from Pine Creek. The fire departments that responded to the 2nd alarm were W estfield (Station 5), Germania (Station 19), Coudersport (Station 48), Sabinsville (Station 16), and Knoxville (Sta tion 6). The house fire was caused by a wood burning stove, and the structure was com pletely destroyed. Goodyear thanks all the responding departments.
REGINA JELSKI
Limerick Fire Department's female firefighters took a group picture during training.
PA BYSTANDER
HBFC
Barn Fire in Salisbury Township SALISBURY TWP., P A -O n October 10th at 3:24 A.M., Station 33 was dispatched to assist Lancaster Station 49 (White Horse) for a barn fire on the 5000 block of Meadville Road, in Salisbury Township. First arriving units from 49 found a large, tw o-story dairy barn that was fu lly involved, and requested the 2nd alarm assignment. Engine 33-5 arrived as the second due engine, picked up the LDH from Engine 49-1 and imme diately assisted w ith fire suppression. Rescue 33 arrived and also assisted w ith fire suppression along with opening up. Engine 33-1 took the water supply assignment, hitting the dry hydrant on Red Hill Road, supplying water for the fire ground.
F atal 3rd A larm House Fire in P lym outh PLYMOUTH, PA - Just before 8:00 A.M. on Novem ber 4th, the Plymouth structure fire box was dispatched for a reported fire with multiple calls on it. While enroute, a large header could be seen from two m iles away. When crews ar rived, two houses were heavily in volved, the siding o f a third house was melting, and one o f the heav ily involved houses had confirmed entrapment. Plymouth Fire immediately called for a second-alarm, along with the Luzerne County Tanker Task Force. Shorty after that, they called for a 3rd alarm for more manpower. Crews worked as fast as they could to rescue the people entrapped in the one house. The
TO FILE #110424116
af
»
fire was raging so intensely and the structures' conditions were de teriorating so fast, that only one person was pulled from the house and taken to the hospital. Firefighters were evacuated and surround-and-drown opera tions went into affect. Once con ditions got somewhat better, firefighters used ground ladders to look inside the house with entrap ment to see if they could locate a second victim. The second victim was found deceased inside on the second-floor. The coroner and fire marshal were called into the
scene. Firefighters battled multiple safety issues for how destroyed the inside was from a collapsed roof to floors caved in on the sec ond-floor. Firefighters worked hard and carefully to remove the victim. Once the fire was out and overhaul was completed, it left two houses completely destroyed and a third house with siding dam age. The American Red Cross is helping the families who lost everything. The cause o f the fire is currently unknown and under in vestigation by the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal.
- PA BYSTANDER
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
PAGE 9
HBFC
Two-Alarm Barn Fire in West Nantmeal Twp.
KEN SNYDER
Upper Saucon's Quint 27 ladder pipe in service.
Car Fire Engulfs Whole House in Upper Saucon Twp. UPPER SAUCON TWP., PA On October 11th at 12:09 P.M., the Upper Saucon Fire Company was dispatched to a house fire at 4956 Chestnut Hill Road. Command could see smoke rising in the dis tance and immediately requested a second-alarm. The homeowner had been working on his car in the attached garage when somehow it caught on lire. Unfortunately, the owner was badly burned and his wife suffered smoke inhalation. Both were taken to the hospital. The fire spread rapidly throughout the large three-story dwelling, as getting water to the scene became an issue. Tankers were able to get a hydrant water fill site on Chestnut Hill Road, then
Jumpto fiie #110524105
proceed up a long hill to the ridge where the home was. There, they could off-load their water into a port-a-pond, later to have a second one placed into service. Pumpers would then relay water up the driveway to the firegrounds. During the early portion o f the fire, evacuation tones had to be sounded to revert to an outside at tack. The fire was under control be fore 2:00 PM. The dwelling was a total loss, and the township re quested the remains to be torn down.
WEST NANTMEAL TWP., PA - On October 18th at 9:08 P.M., Sta tion 69 was dispatched to the 100 block o f Isabella Road in West Nant meal Township for an outside inves tigation. Initial callers reported a large fire could be seen, however they couldn't see exactly what was on fire. Minutes later, the Chester County Fireboard received addi tional information that a large bam and house were on fire, upgrading the incident. Station 33 was now due on the box alarm for Engine 33-5 and Res cue 33 for the RIT assignment. While responding. Chief 69 could observe the large blaze from miles out, and requested the working fire dispatch, which added additional re sources, including Engine 33-1. First arriving units from 69 found a mas-
TO fiie #110524102
I
sive, two-and-a-half-story barn-type structure with heavy fire throughout, along with an attached two-and-ahalf-story dwelling. Chief 69 assumed the Isabella Road command and reported that the homeowners were not accounted for, advising that they may have entrap ment. Engine 33-5 arrived as the 3rd due engine, dumping its entire hose bed o f 5" LDH from Isabella Rd. to the fire scene, picking up the line from Engine 69-5. Personnel from Engine 33-5 immediately stretched multiple lines and began assisting with suppression efforts. Simultaneously, the crew from Engine 33-5 searched the residence.
and fortunately confirmed no entrap ment. While searching. Engine 335's crew successfully located and rescued a dog from the first-floor o f the structure, reuniting the dog with the homeowner. Rescue 33 arrived and established RIT on the A/B cor ner briefly, before being released and re-assigned by Command. Engine 33-1 took the fill site assignment, initially setting up at the Kurtz Fish Hatchery, pulling a draft from the pond and supplying tankers for the scene. Firefighters from four counties worked until the early morning hours extinguishing the massive blaze, with the remaining Honey Brook units clearing the scene around 4:00 A.M. the next morning.
- HBFC
ANTIQUE APPARATUS If you have photos you would like to see in our “Antique Apparatus”feature, please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
- KEN SNYDER
BUYING AND SILLING USED M i l APFABA1US
I ’
Command Fire Apparatus 1-866-238-6688 • Glenn@sellfiretrucks.com
FRANK ROBINSON
Lebanon Fire Department once ran this 1951 Seagrave 750/300. The unit is now privately owned.
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Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
DRILLS/TRAINING If you have photos you would like to see in our Drills feature, please upload them on our website www. 1stResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com .
Tapping a Hydrant
PROVIDED
One of the most basic firefighter skills is tapping a hydrant and is likely to be encountered in fire fig h te r 1 class o r departm ent equivalent. The fo cus of teach ing th is skill may be s lig h tly d if ferent depending on the instructor. For example, if the fire fig h te r is learning from a com pany officer, then the ap proach w ill be from that depart m ents standard operating procedure (SOPs) as the p o li cies o f other departm ents are fo r the m ost part irrelevant. If a firefig hte r is learning how to tap a hydrant from a firefighter 1 class, then the approach may be more “ v a n illa ” fo r lack of a better term . State fire classes have th eir curriculum (same as any departm ent SOPs) and usu ally cannot deviate from that too much if at all. Realistically, there is really is no way to take into account the nuances o f hun dreds of d ifferent departm ents anyway.
YELLOW = 8”
PROVIDED
LITTLE BIG GUYS If you have photos you would like to see in our Little Big Guys feature, please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com .
DALE FEEHRER
The Harvey's Lake Fire Company operates th is well equipped 2005 Chevy 3500 as Brush 138.
From a m unicipal instructor i.e. state fire standpoint it is best to focus on the com m onalities be tween state cu rriculum and local SOPs fu ll w ell know ing that m ost if not all divergence is procedural w hich should really not be taught and emphasized until the end of the lesson any way. That said having designed hydrant tapping d rills fo r Ex plorers I found it best to start w ith baseline term s and how a hydrant actually w orks i.e. what actually happens when the stem nut is turned at the top. This re quires tw o th in g s - a vocabu lary list and an open hydrant model that includes being able to view the below ground parts. Here are some comm on hydrant parts/tools/term s: Steamer Cap - largest of the three caps on the fro n t of the hydrant Hose Cap - the auxilia ry caps on the sides of the hydrant Stem Nut - Hex screw at the top Upper Barrel - body of the hy drant that is above ground Lower Barrel - Body of the hy drant that is below grade Valve - Located at the bottom of the hydrant that a llow s w ater
flo w when opened Dry B arrel-T he hydrant is drained after use and the shut o ff is located below grade. These hydrants are used in cold areas to avoid damage and in operation due to freezing. Wet Barrel - The barrel has w ater all the tim e. The shut off valves are located above ground. Easier to use w ith water present at all tim es. Used in warm er climates. Hydrant bag - Contains all had to o ls necessary fo r opening a hydrant and should include but not lim ited to hydrant w rench(es), rubber mallet, gated wye, adapters, spanner wrenches. Once the term s are down and all the firefighters are fam iliar w ith the parts proceed to discuss the colors of the hydrants, caps and other accessories such as flags or metal posts associated w ith hydrants. Most fire fig h te rs know that the different colors of caps and fla g s reference the size of the w ater main the hy drant is based on but remember yo ur audience; hydrant tapping is a fire fig h te r 1 s k ill so co lo r schemes on hydrants w ill be im portant inform ation to build on as the firefig hte r becomes more experienced and advances into firefig htin g operations. Colors (NFPA291) can also indi cate m unicipal versus a p ri vately owned hydrant and that can definitely have an impact on firefig htin g operations. M oving on to procedure fo r opening a hydrant a good in s tru cto r w ill fo cus on the com m onalities but reference and prepare a beginning fire fig h te r fo r the fact that local depart ment SOPs are likely to be d if ferent. Some o f the more com m on procedures w ould in clude but is not lim ited to: Open the hydrant standing be hind it so that there are no in ju rie s due to any loose caps being forced off by w ater pres sure. Clear any other fire fig h te rs fo r the same reason as presented in #1.
Open the hydrant all the way to flush it out first. Close the hydrant all the w ay to put on LDH. Open the auxilia ry cap and at tach a gated wye. Signal the pum p operator that the hydrant is ready to go. A s fa r as any su btle ties some departm ents have you w rap the hydrant w ith LDH w hile others use a gate to in itia lly flu sh the hydrant. Still others w ill o nly tap the auxiliary port closest to the fire where some w ill hook up a gated w ye to one side and a 2 1/2 inch hose to the second. Be prepared as an instru ctor to add re s s w h y th e s e d iffe re n c e s e x ist-besidesjust saying “w ell,that’ stheSOP” . Alwaysrem em berasan in s tru c to r that you w ant the fire fig h te rs in yo u r class to go back to th eir respec tive departm ents w ith new ideas. Those new ideas may end up im proving a department. Whatever the procedure it is im portant to practice the entire procedure until it is mastered because you never know when the situ atio n w ill dictate changes. Drawing on my own experience, at one fire we could n’t get the steam er cap off as the nut was stripped and so we had to tap both auxiliary ports in order to get enough w ater and through tw o separate lines. A good in s tru c to r should in clude additional firefig htin g op erations inform ation such as how weather may affect open ing a hydrant even going so far as to plant a seed that as fire fig h te rs and com m un ity resi dents to look around their own neighborhoods and shovel out hydrants if you live in an area w ith snow or possibly even re port or rem ind their departm ent to make certain hydrant inspec tio n s are done a ccordin gly if you notice one in need of main tenance. Lastly, w ould be fo r fire fig h te rs to fam iliarize them selves w ith all the hydrants in d is tric t relative to location, type and how best to tap that hy drant. - JOSEPH CEA
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S y ste m s, In c.
x 208-460-8648
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Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
DEPARTMENT PROFILE If your department has photos you would like to see in our “ Departmnt Profile”feature, please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
The C ity of Hazleton is located in the southern end of Luzerne County. It is the second m ost p op ulou s c ity in N ortheastern Pennsylvania, w ith a p o p ula tio n of a pp ro xim a tely 30,000 residents. The c ity is like any o the r city, w ith many sing le and m ultiple fa m ily dw e llin gs, com m ercial, and in d u stria l b uilding s. It is also know n fo r coal m ining and the s ilk indus try. The fire departm ent is a com bination career and v o lu n teer, operating out of three fire s ta tio n s co verin g the 5.97square-m ile city. Hazleton Fire Departm ent is com prised of 23 career fire fig h te rs under the com m and of C hief Donald Leshko and tw o dep uty fire chiefs. The vo lu ntee r rolls are at about 200 m em bers. Each v o lu n te e r com pany has th e ir own com pany chief and line o f ficers. The Southside Station, located at 525 East Broad St., is home to the C hief of D epartm ent, Tower 1, Ladder 1, Rescue 3, Pipeline 4, U tility 6, a UTV, and the departm ent's trench rescue trailer. It is the headquarters station fo r the career staff. Di am ond Fire Co. # 2 operates out o f a sta tion located at 622 North C hurch St. and is home to Engine Com pany 2. The Dia m ond Fire C om pany has ap p ro xim a tely 50 vo lu ntee r m em bers to supplem ent the career sta ff. 14th Ward Fire Com pany #5 is located at 548 East Diamond Ave. and houses Engine 5 and the departm ent's foam trailer.
ADAM ALBERTI
ADAM ALBERTI
Hazleton Engine 2 is a 2022 KME Panther pumper. It has a 2000-GPM and 750-gallon water tank. It is assigned to Diamond Fire Co. 2.
Hazleton Ladder 1 is a 2011 KME Predator 100' rear-mounted aerial,
ADAM ALBERTI
ADAM ALBERTI
Rescue 3 is a 2017 KME Panther rescue-pumper. It has a 2000-GPM pum p and 750-gallon w ater tank. It is assigned at the South Side Station. It carries the departm ent's rescue equipm ent.
Hazleton Tower 1 is a 2023 KME Panther 84' m id-m ounted ladder tower. It is assigned to the South Side station.
ADAM ALBERTI
ADAM ALBERTI
Pipeline 4 is a 2007 KME Predator pumper. It has a 1500-GPM pum p and 500-gallon w ater tank.
U tility 6 is a 2019 Ford F350 4x4 pickup tru c k used fo r tow ing the departm ent's tra ile rs and UTV.
ADAM ALBERTI
ADAM ALBERTI
Engine 5 is a 2022 KME Panther pumper. It has a 2000-GPM pump and 750-gallon w ater tank. It is assigned to the 14th Ward Fire Company.
UTV 7 is a 2019 Kioti side-by-side w ith a 60-GPM pum p and 100gallon w ater tank. The skid unit was installed by Hoover Tractor. This u nit is used fo r brush fire s and incidents in the active coal mines in the area.
The departm ent responds to a pp ro xim a tely 1,000 ca lls fo r se rvice annually. In recent years, the departm ent has up graded its in-service fleet. A ll of the apparatus were b u ilt by KME. The oldest in-service ap paratus is Pipeline 4, w hich is a 2007 KME.
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
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Holiday, 2024
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
PA BUFFING
The staff of 1st Responder Newspaper would like to extend to our valued readers and advertisers our warmest wishes for a Safe & Happy Holiday Season.
m N ewspaper
Jackson Township tanker along with Laurel Run, Trucksville and Kunkle tankers supplying water to the water ponds.
Hanover Township Waste Reduction Center Severely Damage by Fire HANOVER TWP., PA Around 3:30 P.M. on Thursday, September 12th, the Hanover Township structure fire box was dispatched to a waste management facility for a reported com mercial structure fire with multiple calls on it. When Hanover Township fire got on the road, there was a black header show ing in the air. When units ar rived, they confirmed there was a large pile o f trash and some o f the building was on fire. There was no fire hydrants nearby, so they had to call in the Luzerne County Tanker Task Force to set up a fill site and have Plymouth Engine 1 draft to units flowing water. While units waited for the tankers to arrive, all units used their tank water to get a knock on the fire the best they could. Once two water ponds were set up and filled with water, Ply mouth's engine started drafting water to the Hanover Township en gine and ladder, along with Nanticoke's ladder. While attacking the flames from the ladder tmeks, a blitzfire at tack line was set up, along with a rip and run line to hit the fire in areas the ladder trucks couldn't reach. Firefighters battled the blaze for four hours, and once the fire was mostly knocked down, they sent a bulldozer in to rip the trash apart to better soak hot spots and prevent the chance o f a rekindle. Nobody was hurt at the fire and the cause o f the fire is under inves tigation at this time. The fire dam aged the exterior and interior o f the building, and the business is said to be closed temporarily while they in vestigate the cause and make re pairs to the building.
- PA BUFFING
PA BUFFING
Waste Reduction Center Fire in Hanover Township, PA in Luzerne County.
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
Holiday, 2024
PAGE 15
Cetronia Ambulance Corps Appoints New Medical Director ALLENTOWN, PA - Cetroma Ambulance Corps is pleased to an nounce the appointment o f its newest medical di rector, Dr. Zach Matuzsan, DO. Dr. Matuzsan is replac ing longtime m ed ical director Dr. William Zajdel, DO, who served with the non-profit organiza tion for 29 years. Dr. Matuzsan began his EMS ca reer in 2007 as a volunteer EMT with the East Windsor Rescue Squad in New Jersey. Lie continued his involvement in EMS at Johns Eiopkins University and graduated with a degree in Public Eiealth Studies in 2012. Zach subsequently attended medical school at Rowan University's School o f Osteopathic Medicine and earned his Doctor o f Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) in May o f 2016. Lie completed an emergency medicine residency at Lehigh Valley Eiealth Network in June 2020 where he was active as a pre-hospital physician before fin ishing an EM S fellowship at Cooper University Elospital in June
2021. Zach returned to the Lehigh
Valley Eiealth Network after fellow ship and has been a core faculty member for the emergency m edi cine residency program where he provides EMS education for m ed ical students and residents. Lie is the fellowship director for LVHN's EM S fellowship which will w el com e its first fellow July 2024. Lie continues involvement with EMS as an Associate Medical Director for LVHN MedEvac and is medical director for multiple organizations in the Lehigh Valley region. Zach is involved in the Eastern PA EMS Council and sits on the Board o f D i rectors in addition to other regional quality assurance programs. Lie is dual board certified in Emergency Medicine and EMS/Pre-Elospital Medicine. When not working in the emer gency department or with EMS, Zach likes spending time with his wife (who he met doing EMS in college) and 4-year-old twins. Lie is an avid Philadelphia sports fan, par ticularly when it com es to the Ea gles and Phillies. “ We would like to wish Dr. Za jdel the best and thank him for the time and effort he has put into our organization. We are excited to begin a new chapter with Dr. Matuzsan offering guidance and
helping us strengthen our clinical operations,”said Robert Mateff Sr., Chief Executive Officer for Cetro nia Ambulance Corps. About Cetroma Ambulance Corps: Cetronia Ambulance Corps is a nonprofit 50lc3 organization. Serv ing our community since 1955, we proudly serve Bushkill (Northamp ton County), Lynn, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Weisenberg and Whitehall townships, as well as portions o f Lowhill, Salisbury, Greenwich and Albany Townships, and the Borough o f Coplay in East ern Pennsylvania. Our mission is to be the leader in emergency medical services, transportation, and com munity health resources. Cetronia Ambulance Corps is one o f the largest providers o f am bulance services in Eastern Penn sylvania, employing 200 full- and part-time career associates, 20 ac tive volunteers and boasting a total fleet, o f 42 vehicles, including 20 ambulances, 20 para-transit, vehi cles, a supervisor s vehicle, and a special services unit. As the re gion al leader in EMS, Cetronia Ambulance Corps fields over 52,000 calls annually, covering an emergency service area that, spans across 130 square miles, touching
PROVIDED more than 226,000 people, and a non-emergency coverage area that, encompasses five counties. Cetronia Ambulance Corps is proud to sup port. the residents o f the Greater Lehigh Valley and P ocon o M oun
tains and remains dedicated to com munity involvement., outreach, and education throughout, the Lehigh Valley region.
- KIM BLICHAR
DRILLS/TRAINING To see your Drills in the newspaper upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
J. KRIESHER
Hit and run leaves 1 in serious condition Around 9pm Sunday September 8th the Luzerne County Shickshinny fire department and ambulance were dispatched for a person laying in the roadway unresponsive. When units arrived the patient was unresponsive but breathing w ith head trauma. Lehigh Valley Medevac was dispatched to the Shick shinny ambulance building for a landing zone. Once the hel icopter landed and patient was stabilized they loaded the level 1 trauma patient into the helicopter and were taken to the closets trauma center for the highest care. The accident is currently under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Po lice and at this time the patient is in serious conditions. REGINA JELSKI
For Monday night training on September 30th, Limerick crews headed to the back lot of the Limerick Station fo r car fire evolutions. Crews practiced car fire extinguishing techniques, fillin g air cylinders, and pump operations.
PAGE 16
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
V ehicle News __
PA BYSTANDER
DALE FEEHRER
The K ingston/Forty Fort FD in Luzerne County received their brand new 2024 Pierce The Jay Twp. VFC now operates Enforcer Ascendant 100-foot m id-m ount Platform ladder truck. The 2024 Pierce truck (1500/250/20F/CAFS/Amkus) as Engine 52. w ill be replacing th e ir current ladder truck, a 2002 Am erican LaFrance/LTI 85-foot rear-m ount Platform ladder truck. The new ladder truck has a 300-gallon water tank,4 seats, rear camera and many more features.
this
2022
Ford
F-550/Pierce
FRANK ROBINSON
DALE FEEHRER
Rainbow Hose of Schuylkill Haven now operates a 2008 Pierce Dash as Rescue 63-51.
The Kane Fire D epartm ent now operates th is 2023 Sutphen Custom pum per as Engine 5 (1750/1000).
ADAM ALBERTI
FRANK ROBINSON
Allen Twp. Fire Department in Northam pton County received a 2023 Pierce Enforcer w ith 65' Snozzle boom. It is powered by a Detroit DD13 525 H.P. m otor and Allison 4000EVS transm ission. It has a 1500-GPM Waterous CSU single stage pump, 1000gallon water tank, and Husky 3 Foam system w ith 30-gallon class A foam cell.
East Sunbury Hose Co. No.1 now operates a 2023 Pierce Saber 1500/1000.
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
Holiday, 2024
PAGE 17
Island Metro
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www.nysfirechiefs.com
PAGE 18
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
Holiday, 2024
Limerick Fire Dept. Responds to Vehicle Rescue on Swamp Pike LIMERICK, PA - The fifth and last call o f the busy day for the Limerick Fire Dept on Sep tember 23rd was at 3:33 P.M., when the department was d is patched for a vehicle accident in volving three vehicles on Swamp Pike. Deputy 51 re sponded and ar rived a few minutes later, upgrading the call to a vehicle res cue after the driver o f one o f the vehi cles could not get out. Rescue 51, Ladder 51, Squad 51, Rescue 37, Fire P olice from 51 and 37, Freedom Valley EMS, and Limerick Police responded to the scene. Crews were able to ex tricate the driver about 20 m in utes after the initial dispatch. Fire Police blocked o ff Swamp Pike between Smith Rd and Fruitville Rd. Crews assisted with patient care, cleared debris and oil from the road, and waited for the tow trucks to remove the vehicles. All were made available approxi mately an hour and 30 minutes later.
- REGINA JELSKI
REGINA JELSKI
Vehicle accident with entrapment on Swamp Pike.
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Home Completely Destroyed by Fire in Ulysses Twp. ULYSSES TWP., PA- Back on July 11th, Galeton's Goodyear Hose Company responded to a w ell-involved house fire on Old Route 6 in Ulysses Tow nship (Potter County). The photo was taken at 11:23 P.M., showing the full extent of the blaze. Fire com panies from W estfield (Station 5), Ulysses (Station 47), C oudersport (Station 48), and Knoxville-Deerfield (Station 6) responded to the 2nd alarm fire. Water sup ply was taken from Duell's pond located across the road. Everyone had gotten out of the home safely, as the s tru c ture was com pletely destroyed.
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
PAGE 19
Holiday, 2024
W hat are you p u ttin g
MAY16 &17,2025
in to yo u rse lf Chaplain’s Corner Didymus McHugh There are many times that I have heard people tell me that I am the books that I read and the people that I associate with. Well, times have changed now w e have to watch what we watch from any media. So many times, we are exposed to people who want to tell us false truths (LIES). Enough o f this dou ble speak let's call a lie a lie. People lie to us and want us to believe their lies. I have heard people tell some one that they did not know how to put out a certain type o f fire. They are telling someone that they do not know how to do a certain thing, when the person that they are telling is a subject matter expert. When I was taking m y HazMat Technician class, w e were being taught the chemistry section by a nuclear physicist. Every time the physicist taught, a hand came up in the back o f the room. The per son in the back kept correcting the physicist. The instructor finally said, "if you think you know so much then you teach the chemistry. Who do you think you are?" Turns out that the person who kept cor recting him had a doctorate in chemistry and was the expert in his field. Didn't the instructor have egg on his face? When I work with addicts, the one thing that they were told was to get a new phone number and be very selective with the people that they allow to be put into the phone. They should not put in the phone people who would bring them back to their addictive life again. Who do you listen to? D o you listen to the people that bully peo ple around? I f you hang out with them long enough, you will becom e a bully. I f you are around people who are not being truthful about fi nances, you have a strong tendency to becom e just like that person. There may be people who are smart in one subject but then they becom e an expert on all subjects because they are full with their over confidence. Knowing one subject gives you no right to be a challenge to everyone on everything else in
your life. I wall admit that there are many subj ects that I do not know. The way that I handle my lack o f knowledge is to sit at the feet o f people who know more that I do. If I want to know how to grow crops, I will lis ten to a farmer. If I want to know how to repair a vehicle, I will ask an experienced mechanic and not the dentist. One o f the favorite things I loved was a friend o f mine went to a dinner party with his cousin. She was a beautiful woman and some people underestimated her. They were talking to a gentleman who was talking about challenges with a cer tain Apple product. The woman said, " why don't you give me the infor mation and I will get back to you." The man said something like "that's ok, I will talk to someone who knows about Apple." I wonder what he looked like when he found out that the woman was in charge o f the Apple think tank for that product. We all know that everything on the internet is factual and nobody is allowed to put lies on the internet, LIE. We need to be selective with the people we associate with before we become arrested with them. We need to not associate with people who launder money. We need to be selec tive with people we spend time with. We turn into people that are in our crowd. Certain people who want to ob tain certain information or skills as sociate with the elite. They sharpen their skills and attitudes by learn from people who have the knowl edge, skills and reputation, and will ingness to be taught. As soon we think we know' everything about everything, we open ourselves up for a big fall. In the Bible, Proverbs states "if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them." I will say at this time that you have been informed. You have the right and responsibility to decide for yourself but I want you to re member that you have the right to make whatever decision you want, but are you willing to pay the price for bad decisions. Pay attention to what you put into your brain. What goes into the brain does stay there and does influ ence you. Stay safe, Didymus McHugh didymus-mchugh. com
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA Show Hours: Friday 9am-5pm
• Saturday 9 am -4pm Tickets: $12 on-line until May 15 @ 5pm; $15 at the door; Children 9 & under FREE
2025 Show Highlights • Outdoor display exhibit area • Multiple live product demonstrations
• Sponsorship & partnership opportunities • Training opportunities
HOSTED BY THE LANCASTER COUNTY FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION
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Become an Exhibitor Today! Exhibitor Fee Includes
Exhibitor Fees & Additional Requests
• Exhibit space
Aerial Space 15x50
$1,900
• Complimentary electric for each exhibitor 120V/20AMP/Max 1500 watts
Vehicle Space 15x35
$1,650
(if higher voltage is needed, you may purchase for an additional fee - see listing to the right) •
8' curtained backdrop and 3' side rails for 10x10 booth spaces
• Sign with company name at your space for 10x10 booth spaces • Exhibitor and parking passes based on spaces rented - See website for details • Complimentary listing in the FIRE EXPO Guide
Booth Space 10x10 (2 or more $855 each)
$900
Increased Voltage Electric (208V/30AMP)
$85
Additional One Day Exhibitor Pass (for exhibitor personnel only)
$15
Additional One Day Vehicle Parking Pass
$10
One Day General Admission Pass (pre-sale up to 5/15 @ 5pm)
$12
One Day General Admission Pass (after 5pm on 5/15 & at the door)
$15
VisithttDs://www.lcfa.com/fire-exDo for online registration and additional information Contact: FIRE EXPO Office • expo@lcfa.com • 717-581-5469 (option 3)
630 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA 17543 n
Follow us on Facebook and share the 2025 FIRE EXPO event!
PAGE 20
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
Douglass Township (Montco) Motorcycle Accident Claims a Life GILBERTSVILLE, PA Shortly after 3:00 P.M. on August 21st, emergency services were dis patched to the intersection o f Swamp Pike and N. Werstler Rd for the report o f a motorcycle acci dent. Initial reports to 911 indicated the motorcycle operator was not wearing a helmet and unre sponsive after the accident. First arriving EMS personnel de termined the motor cycle operator was deceased. Fire police were called in from surrounding jurisdictions to assist with traffic control. The accident is under investigation by law enforcement.
- DAN MILLER
Get your personal copy of DANMILLER ’ r e s ^ ^ d ^
N ew spaper
Crews from Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue Co., Goodwill Ambulance and Douglass Twp. (Montgomery County) Police operate at the scene of a fatal motorcycle accident on August 21st.
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One Dead in Fatal House Fire in Honey Brook Twp. HONEY BROOK TWP., PA On October 18that4:58 A.M., Sta tion 33 along with Mutual Aid were dispatched to the 200 block o f Hunters Run Road in Honey Brook Township for a reported house fire. While re sponding, Chief 33 observed a large col umn from two miles out, and given the additional caller in formation, requested the working fire dis patch, bringing addi tional resources to the scene. Upon arrival. C hief 33 re ported a two-story dwelling fully involved, and established the Hunters Run Command. Engine 33-1 arrived as the first due engine, laying 5" LDH from the intersec tion o f Fox View & Hunters Run to the scene, and stretched two handlines to attack the fire. Engine 335 took the second due engine assignment, picking up the LDH at the intersection, supplying water to the fire ground. Given the rapid ad vancement o f the fire and deterio rating conditions o f the structure, crews were forced to operate de fensively. Unfortunately, one subject was found deceased at the scene. This fire is currently under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police. Our thoughts are with those af fected by this tragic incident.
- HBFC
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
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PAGE 22
Holiday, 2024
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
The O ffic ia l Book o f Andy ON THE BOOK SHELF by John Malecky
The Official B ook o f Andy By Fire Engineering Books Available from: FSP B ooks & Videos 433 Main Street, Suite 2A Hudson, M AO 1749 1-800-522-8528 Email: support@fire-policeems.com www. fire-police-ems. com Price: $39.00 This is a soft cover book, measuring 6 inches by 9 inches, with 296 pages. It is a com pila tion o f writings o f the late Fire fighter Andrew R. Fredericks o f FDNY Squad 18, who was killed at the World Trade Center on 911-01. I did not know Andrew personally, but I attended his view ing in Suffern, N ew York. One o f the reasons was because I was familiar with many o f his teachings, especially the Fire En
gineering “Bread and Butter” videos which were excellent for training and fighting interior fires. He devoted his life to training fire fighters, particularly in engine company operations, as w ell as keeping firefighters safe in fire at tack. He had an exceptional view o f solid streams versus com bina tion streams from fo g nozzles. Combination nozzles in my opin ion are a misconception o f original high pressure fog used by the navy and adapted to structural firefight ing. There are 15 chapters plus 10 “Fire N uggets”at the end o f the book. Space does not allow me to detail much o f what this book is about. I started reading textbooks on fire related subjects when I was a teenager who decided he wanted to be a firefighter. I stopped study ing them 21 years ago when I re tired. I can tell you one thing. There were and are many out standing textbooks, and this one is no less a fantastic one. Everyone on the jo b should get a copy to help you better perform your jo b and stay safe. I do not know if it's on the bibliography list for prom o tional exams, but if it is not, it should be. In A ndy’ s 40 years o f life, he brought a wealth o f infor mation to the Fire Service.
Bob Long
“ I hate it w he n I c a n ’t fig u re o u t how to opera te m y iPad and m y te c h s u p p o rt guy is n o t ava ila b le . H e’s 5 years o ld and i t ’s p a st his b e d tim e .”
NO
i turn ON RED kam -jopm
Smoke darkens three-story buildings along Hamilton St.
ALAN HOFFMAN
Structure Fire in Upper Saucon Township UPPER SAUCON TWR, PA - On October 11th around 12:15 P.M., the Upper Saucon, Lower Milford, Coopersburg, Vera Cruz, Quakertown West End (Bucks County) for RIT and Emmaus EMS were dispatched for a dwelling fire (car on fire in the garage) at 4956 Chestnut Hill Road in Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County). Soon after dispatch, responding units were advised that the occupants were evacuating the house and a female fell and was still in the house. The 2nd alarm was dispatched w ith entrapment. Once on the scene, all occupants were out of the house and Quint 27 had heavy fire coming from the garage, with fire spreading through the whole dwelling. Tankers were called in from Lehigh and Bucks Counties. Several ATVs were requested to the scene to transport firefighters due the driveway being blocked.
KEN SNYDER
A llentow n Four Alarm er S trikes Downtown B uildings ALLENTOWN, PA - On July 8th around 5:30 P.mM., the AFD was dispatched to a house fire in the vicinity o f 12th and Hamilton Streets. Responding companies re ported a large colum n o f smoke, and command regarded it as a working fire. First due Truck 2 arrived at 1138 Hamilton St. to find heavy fire in the rear o f a three-story building, along with a box truck, and a second and third floor expo sure problem at 1136 Hamilton St. Second and third alarms were transmitted. All four city current and reserve aerials were assigned and placed on the firegrounds. The residents o f the six apart-
JUMPTO FILE #081624102
aiP
ments at 1138 were searched for and evacuated safely. Downed power lines in the rear became an issue and PPL was notified im me diately. As things started to deteri orate with the interior attack, an exterior attack was established. Eventually there was a partial co l lapse in the rear o f 1138. The fire damaged a mix o f residential and commercial buildings, with the worst being 1138 and 1140 Hamil ton St. The other two buildings re ceived smoke and water damage. Six firefighters and a civilian
were transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Rehab units were kept busy with water, etc., as the temperatures were around 90-plus-degrees. Fire fighters from Cetronia, Catasauqua. West Catasauqua, Woodlawn, Greenawalds were on scene. A lso on scene were the North Penn G oodw ill Service o f Souderton with their canteen and rest room trucks. Twenty-one resi dents were displaced by the fire and one dog was rescued. Around 10:00 P.M., the bulk o f the fire had darkened down except for several hot spots.
- KEN SNYDER
1st Responder Newspaper - PA
Holiday, 2024
PAGE 23
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Holiday, 2024
1537 Responder Newspaper - PA
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