Friendship Hook & Ladder Company No. 1

August 13, 2007 - Tonight, members from Companies 15, 16 (Keystone), and 17 (Liberty) participated in a joint training session held at Station 16. Officers from Company 16 did a tour of their water rescue unit and boat, practiced tossing throw bags, and discussed various water rescue procedures. The purpose of these joint sessions is to allow the members from the three companies to interact and stay on the same page with their training. Tonight was fun, yet informative, and everybody had a good time learning about basic water rescue procedures. Look back to see future training sessions between the three companies! And thank you to Company 16 for hosting the training session!

June 11, 2007 - Tonight, Bucks County Community College sponsored a 3-hour course that was held at Station 15 called Attack and Back-up Lines. Instructor Brian Mickley came down and taught members about hoseline advancement, placement, and the purposes of having an attack and a back-up line in room and contents fires. Members practiced at becoming efficient with deploying and advancing hoselines. Thanks to Brian and Bucks County for offering this course and helping our members at practicing these essential skills!

May 20, 2007 - Today, members from Stations 15, 16 (Keystone), 17 (Liberty), and Montgomery County 67 (Gilbertsville) participated in the practical day for Pump Operations I. Each station brought an engine to a local pond to practice pulling drafts and sending water thorough various lengths and diameters of hose, and also to master stream devices. The class was taught through Bucks County by Eric Rickenbach. Thanks to Eric and to everyone that participated in the class for making the day fun while we learned about pumping!

April 28-29, 2007 - This weekend, 1st Assistant Chief Glenn Trate (15-11), 2nd Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-12), and Firefighters Ashley Neubauer, Brian Sierocinski, Corey Heimbach, and Jeff Carl attended a training course at Berks County Fire Training Center called Mid-Rise Firefighting. Topics during this class included firefighting operations in mid-rise buildings (4-10 stories), standpipe systems, sprinkler systems, building construction, and elevator operations. The class consisted of classroom and practical evolutions with live fire on the second day. Engine 15 was brought to the training center on the day of the live burns for water supply. All the members that attended gained more experience and knowledge about firefighting tactics and strategies for mid-rise buildings to better protect our community. The class was very labor intensive and other members at the station were encouraged to to attend in the future.

March 31-April 1, 2006 - This weekend Second Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-12) and firefighters Ashley Neubauer and Brian Sierocinski participated in a High-Rise Firefighting class held at the Berks County Fire Training Center. Topics during this class included firefighting operations in high-rise buildings (6+ stories), standpipe systems, sprinkler systems, and elevator operations. The class consisted of 25 firefighters from Berks and Lancaster Counties. The second day included skill demonstrations in live-fire environments. Overall, the class was very interesting, extremely labor-intensive, and one that would be recommended to firefighters to take in the future.

March 12, 2006 - Tonight was a joint training session between Stations 15, 16 (Keystone), and 17 (Liberty). The three companies met at a local warehouse in Boyertown and practiced RIT evolutions. The first thing we all did was gather inside the warehouse and discuss similarities and differences between our SCBA's, because Station 17 uses MSA and we use Scott. Then we split up into 5 groups, 4 for the RIT evolution, and the fifth was juniors. The juniors went with 17-10 (Wary) to go over SCBA's, and the other 4 groups participated in the RIT evolution inside the warehouse. We used a 170-pound dummy and buried it underneath lots of "debris," and the groups donned SCBA and went inside to rescue the dummy as if it were a downed firefighter. We performed the evolution twice, and it was successful both times. Everybody gained more knowledge about RIT skills and had an enjoyable time doing so. The tri-company training sessions will be quite regular throughout the year, as an attempt to build a stronger bond between the three companies. Look to our training page in the future to see more news about our training!

February 26, 2006 - Tonight, personnel practiced with ropes and rope accessories. The group split into two, with one group constructing a block-and-tackle system and a 3:1 mechanical advantage system, and the other group practicing basic knots and hoisting tools. The training session was very informative and we all gained a basic knowledge of different aspects of rope and high-angle rescue.

February 12, 2007 - Tonight, personnel from Companies 15, 16 (Keystone), and 17 (Liberty) participated in a course called Bomb Threats and Improvised Devices. The class was hosted by Bucks County, and was instructed by Forrest Wieder. The 4-hour course was focused on identifying different types of bombs and improvised devices, and emergency response for terrorism incidents and bomb threats. Thanks to Bucks County and Forrest for coming down to our station to teach the class!

August 29, 2006 - Tonight, Companies 15 and 16 (Keystone) held a joint practice at Station 15 and went over different vehicle rescue operations. We practiced stabilization with different resources, and also trained with hand tools, power tools, and hydraulic rescue tools. The training session went smoothly, and everyone had a good time refreshing vehicle rescue tactics.

August 14 , 2006 - Tonight for training, the company practiced some more with the new rescue struts. We used a donated pick-up truck to practice setting up the struts, so we will feel more comfortable using them at an emergency call. The group attending split into four crews, and set them up on the truck when it was on its wheels, on its side, and also on its roof. The training session was very informative, and everyone seemed to have a good time learning how to use the struts.

July 31, 2006 - Due to the extreme heat and humidity, Company 17 (Liberty) invited Company 15 to their station for water battles, just to cool off and have fun. How the battles worked, was that two hose teams set up facing each other, and the object was to use 1 3/4" hoselines to push a balloon across a rope, and obviously whoever pushed it to the opposite pole first wins the battle. The companies faced off and displayed equal skills with the hoselines, but the real point of the training was to have fun and become closer with one of our fellow companies. Everyone had a great time, and it was a fun way to stay cool in the heat. Thanks to the Lib's for inviting us over to have the water battles!

May 21, 2006 - This weekend was the last practical evolution of the series of training classes for the Vehicle Rescue Technician certification process held at Station 17. The class consisted of members from companies 15, 16 (Keystone), and 17 (Liberty), and was instructed by Eric Rickenbach. The day started off with members practicing with various power and hydraulic tools on over a dozen donated vehicles. The class then broke for lunch, while the instructors and other helpers set up the "scene" for the final scenario. While the members discussed their plans for the scenario, Chief Chuck Neubauer (15-10) "dispatched" the accident using Boyertown Channel 2, and the members actually responded to the scene. The initial report was that a child riding his bike was hit by a car. Engine 17-3 arrived on location to find a 4-vehicle pile-up into a telephone pole with "live wires" down, and a bicycle in the middle. After an hour and a half, members extricated 7 victims, and also dealt with a drum of hazardous materials found in the brown Bronco. The scene was made to be a worst-case scenario, and also to be challenging to the members. Everyone worked together well and did a great job. Thanks to Eric Rickenbach and his assistants for instructing and helping out with the class. Thanks also to Rescue 14 (Bally) for assisting with the practical evolutions and to Rescue 34 (Ruscombmanor) for standing-by for any actual emergencies in the area.

March 25-26, 2006 - This weekend, six members took the Structural Fire Rescue class held at the Berks County Fire Training Center, instructed by Carl Seltzer and Tony Romano. Second Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-12), Third Assistant Chief Mike Thomas (15-13), and firefighters Jason Carlile, Lance McNear, Ashley Neubauer, and Phil Nunan participated in the class, along with approximately twenty other firefighters from around the county. The purpose of the class was to

educate the firefighters about victims of structure fires, and how to remove them using various techniques, while also considering the firefighters' own safety and incorporating RIT skills. Though the 16-hour class was very labor-intensive, it contained a lot of useful information. Some of the evolutions included in the class were victim carries and drags, victim extrication via ladders, a refresher on knots, and advanced search techniques. Thanks to the Carl Seltzer, Tony Romano, and their assistants for presenting us with lots of useful information that we can take to the fireground if ever needed.

February 27, 2006 - On Monday, February 27, the Hooks participated in an air consumption drill for our weekly training. The training was led by 3rd Assistant Chief Mike Thomas (15-13) and Foreman Jarid Miller (15-14). During the training, the firefighters wore full turnout gear and SCBA and performed various tasks. Crews climbed Ladder 15's main onto a roof, climbed down several groundladders, walked a hundred yards, crawled down basement steps, performed a search in a basement and crawled up basement steps. These evolutions helped the firefighters determine the amount of work they could do using an air back and the amount of air that they consumed while doing the work.

January 30, 2006 - On Monday, January 30, firefighters from the Hooks participated in a repelling practice at our weekly training session. The crews were shown the proper techniques for setting up for repelling as well as how to properly repel. The training was very informative and the firefighters in attendance learned alot.

January 28, 2006 - On Saturday, January 28, the Friendship Hook & Ladder Company participated in an Elevator and Escalator Emergencies class. The class was a conclusion to a 16 hour class that focused mainly on elevator and some escalator rescues. The class started as 8 hours of lecture in the firehouse and ended with 8 hours of practical training and exercises. Firefighters traveled to several businesses in the Borough and used the elevators. The firefighters learned the proper techniques to opening a door with a key, poling a door with a poling tool and controlling the elevator from the top of the car. The class was an excellent one and everyone learned alot and had a great time. Special thanks to instructors Mike Armstrong and Eric Smith for teaching the class. A very special thanks to Chestnut Knoll, Walnut Woods, the National Penn Bank and Campbell Fittings for allowing us to use their elevators.

December 5, 2005 - On Monday, December 5, 2005, firefighters from the Hooks, Keystones (Station 16) and Libs (Station 17) participated in a joint training session at the Boyertown Senior High School. The firefighters utilized the school's computer labs to complete the required National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. NIMS is a system created by the Bush administration after 9/11 to eliminate the incident management gap between all emergency responders at the scene of any emergency event. The training is required by the national government for all emergency responders.

The three companies used the computers to take an on-line test to become NIMS compliant after studying and learing the NIMS. We would like to thank the school district for allowing us to use the computer labs as well as Mrs. Holley for being there to watch over our operations.

November 28, 2005 - On Monday, November 28, Company 15 and 2 firefighters from Company 16 (Keystone) participated in a RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) training scenerio. The firefighters traveled to a local business which contained a stacking shelve warehouse in which the training took place. A firefighter was "downed" in the warehouse with a mock shelf collapsed on top of him. Crews then worked together to find the firefighter, gain access to the firefighter and remove the firefighter. The crews used power tools, hydraulic tools, hand tools and any other tool to gain access to the victim. They then freed the victim from the collapse and secured him into a Stokes basket. The crews carried the firefighter out of the building to safety.

This type of training has been frequent in the company and this allows the firefighters and officers to become more familiar and proficient in the operations of the RIT. Our company will continue to practice these types of exercises so that we may become more proficient than we already are.

November 7, 2005 - On Monday, November 7, 2005, firefighters from the Hooks, Keystones (Station 16) and Libs (Station 17) participated in a joint training session at an acquired structure. A house was donated to the three fire companies by the Fairview Cemetary. Crews of firefighters participated in several evolutions, including wall breeching, overhauling, escape through walls, hoseline advancement, ladder practice and ventilation. A crew from the Hooks led by 1st Assistant Chief Ray Carl participated in several evolutions in preparation for their upcoming Firefighter 1 certification at the end of this month. This structure gave us a great opportunity to practice evolutions that we normally would not be able to do.

We would like to thank the Fairview Cemetary for donating the structure. We look forward to using it in the future.

October 10, 2005 - On Monday, October 10, Companie 15, 16 (Keystone) & 17 (Liberty) held a joint practice at the Liberty Fire Co. The three companies joined forces to train with each other's equipment. Crews were showed the tools and equipment that each company uses. Crews from Company 15 worked with Engine 17-2 and its CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System). Crews from Company 16 & 17 worked with Ladder 15 on its tools and main ladder. Crews also climbed the main to get used to its controls.

The practice was a very good one, with all companies learning alot of each other's equipment. These joint trainings will be held in the future and will allow all the companies to become familiar with each other, their equipment and the way that they work. We would like to thank the Libery Fire Company for allowing us to train at their firehouse and for all companies for participating in the training. We look forward to training with you in the future.

Thanks to Fire Police Lieutenant Randy Minninger for taking photos of the joint training.

September 26, 2005 - On Monday, September 26, firefighters from the Hooks participated in a wall-breeching practice. Firefighters were instructred on the proper techniques and tools to use in the process of breeching a wall. 3rd Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-13), Foreman Mike Thomas (15-14) and firefighter Jarid Miller led the evolutions by showing how to find studs, breech the walls and other details on breaking though a wall. Firefighters then participated in hands-on evolutions in breaking the wall and crawling through the walls to escape danger in the wall-breeching simulator.

Wall breeching is used in an emergency situation when your path out of a room is blocked and you have to break through a wall to get out of that danger. There are several keys points to remember in breaking though the wall, including stud spacing, wires in the wall, check to see if the floor is there on the other side and ways to fit through the studs. All these points were brought up and shown to the firefighters who did a great job in the evolutions. Great job to all the firefighters that attended the practice and participated in the evolutions.

July 18, 2005 - On Monday, July 18, 2005, firefighters from the Hooks and Keystones (Station 16) participated in a joint practice. Both companies were on location at Station 16 for a vehicle rescue practice. Over 20 firefighters from both companies were instructed by 3rd Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-13) and Foreman Mike Thomas (15-14) on the proper techniques and actions that must be taken at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Bingaman and Thomas instructed the companies on the roles of both the Engine Company and the Rescue Company and the tasks that must be performed. These takes include, but are not limited to, scene safety, stabilization, powering down of the vehicle, fire supression stand-by, patient care and patient extrication. After brief demonstrations, the firefighters worked together to practice the tasks, which culminated in the removal of the roof, the doors and a full dash displacement using hydraulic and other rescue tools.

Each month, both companies practice with each other in order to better our skills so that we may work together as a single department at the scene of an emergency. These joint practices also allow each company to practice skills and techniques that they normally would not do individually.

June 20, 2005 - On Monday, June 20, firefighters from the Hooks participated in a pneumatic tools refresher at our station. Firefighters Phil Nunan and Jarid Miller instructed the class on the pneumatic tools, their proper set up and how to properly use them. Phil and Jarid showed the firefighters in attendance how to use the cut-off tool, air wrench, air chisel and other pneumatic tools. They also showed them the proper set up and maintenance of the tools.

These types of refreshers are very important in that they keep our skills fresh and ready in the event that we would have to use them.

June 11 & 12, 2005 - On Saturday & Sunday, June 11 & 12, firefighters from the Friendship Hook & Ladder Fire Company attended the Truck Company Operations class held at the Berks County Fire Training Center. Foreman Mike Thomas (15-14), firefighters Ashley Neubauer and Alyssa Heimbach attended this 16 hour class taught by instructors Kevin Kulp and Jeff Reinert. The class focused mainly on ground ladders as well as ventilation work. The class also focused on all the other aspects of work that the Truck Company does. The "final test" involved an up-and-over drill. The drill consisted of the class of 8 to ladder from one side of the old burn building to the other, going over the building itself. The class is a very labor intensive class and taught the firefighters the various aspects of the Truck Company. Special thanks to firefighters Ashley Neubauer, Alyssa Heimbach, Ryan Morcrette (Company 14) and Jason Wood (Montco. Company 37) for taking pictures of this class.

May 16, 2005 - On Monday, May 16, firefighters from companies 15 & 16 (Keystone) participated in the joint training of our new SCBA upgrades. The two companies recently purchased upgrades to our existing Scott Air Paks. Donny Royal from Mid Atlantic Fire and Air, who did the upgrades, came to Station 16 to show both companies how the upgrades work and what they can do for us.

The upgrades consisted of several items. The first item was a heads-up display on our face-mounted regulator. The heads-up display consists of a series of LEDs on the regulator, which shows the air level in the tank. This is an upgrade that we did not have that will allow each firefighter to know exactly how full their tank is. Another upgrade are the various connection points we now have to supply air into the pak. The face-mounted regulator disconnects so you can add air by skipping the pack. There is also a universal RIT connection in the back of the pack that is the exact same for every manufacturer of air packs. This connection will allow the RIT team to give air to a downed or trapped firefighter without sacrificing the face seal or pack integrity. The final upgrade was a RIT Kit. This kit contains an air bottle with two times the air in the regular SCBA. The kit also contains air hoses that connect to the new upgrades on the packs. This will be helpful in RIT work.

Both companies will now practice with these new upgrades until we become proficient in their use. Thank you to Donny Royal for doing the upgrades and for showing us how they all work. Thanks to firefighter Jeff Carl for taking pictures of the training.


Firefighter Alyssa Heimbach practices bailing out of a window onto a ladder in the Firefighter Survival class.	Firefighter Ashley Neubauer practices bailing out of a window using a rope.

May 12, 2005 - On Thursday, May 12, Firefighters Alyssa Heimbach and Ashley Neubauer participated in their last of 4 classes on Firefighter Survival held at the Berks County Fire Training Center. The class focused on tactics and skills used by firefighters to save themselves in the event that they should have to save themselves. Skills including Wall Breaching, Buddy Breathing, Bailing out of windows and several other skills were taught and performed at the training center.

The 16 hour class was taught by Instructors Ray Carl (15-11), Ron Wentzel, Carl Seltzer and John Schach. The class is a great class that teaches firefighters how to take care of themselves in the event that something may go wrong while working at a structure fire.

Special thanks to Firefighter Ashley Neubauer for the write-up for the class and Firefighter Kerry Delong from Company 40 (Shoemakersville).


Hook's 1st Assistant Chief Ray Carl (15-11) shows firefighters from Station 22 (Barto) the proper way to ventilate a roof.	Crews from the Hooks, Barto and Bally prepare for their joint training.

April 25, 2005 - On Monday, April 25, personnel from the Hooks participated in a joint practice with Companies 14 (Bally) and 22 (Barto). Barto acquired a house due for demolition in the near future and invited us to attend the joint practice. The 3 fire companies participated in a large number of activities tonight including roof work, search and rescue, thermal imaging practice and ventilation practice. The large group was broken up into smaller groups and each group got to practice each evolution. We would like to thank Company 22 for inviting us to the house. We had a great time learning and interacting with each other. We look forward to attending more training sessions in the near future.

April 17, 2005 - On Sunday, April 17, 4 firefighters from the Hooks attended the last of 4 Advanced Firefighting classes held at the Berks County Fire Training Center. The class is being held as a refresher and review course for the upcoming Firefighter 2 certification testing being held at the training center at the end of April.

The class is a very good class and focuses on advanced firefighting tactics and techniques and also serves as a great review course for the Firefighter 2 certification process.

April 3, 2005 - On Sunday, April 3, 4 firefighters from the Hooks attended the 2nd of 4 Advanced Firefighting classes held at the Berks County Fire Training Center. The class is being held as a refresher and review course for the upcoming Firefighter 2 certification testing being held at the training center at the end of April.

3rd Assistant Chief Ryan Bingaman (15-13), Foreman Mike Thomas (15-14), firefighters Phil Nunan and James Thomas attended this class and will be participating in the certification testing. This weeks class consisted of a few hours of classroom work and then practical evolutions involving propane fires. Firefighters participated in 3 different evolutions. The first evolution involved the fire of a 20 lb. propane cylinder where a crew of 2 isolated the fire and shut down the tank to extinguish it. The second evolution consisted of a crew of 8 isolating the fire on a 500 gallon tank and shutting down the valve to the tank. The last evolution consisted of a crew of 10 isolating the fire on a "propane tree" and shutting down the valve.

The class is a very good class and focuses on advanced firefighting tactics and techniques and also serves as a great review course for the Firefighter 2 certification process.


Crews practice making fire lines to be used to stop a fire during a wildland firefighting practical evolution.	Firefighters from several companies take time to get a group picture during the PA-130 Wildland Firefighting Class.

March 19&20, 2005 - On Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20, firefighters Ashley Neubauer and Alyssa Heimbach participated in the PA-130 Wildland Firefighting class held at Company 19 (Earl Twp.). Roughly 30 personnel from several companies also participated in the 16 hour class held both in the classroom as well as in the field doing practical exercises.

On Saturday, firefighters were in the classroom discussing how Incident Command pertains to wildland firefighting, personal protective equipment, firefighting gear, fire behavior as well as many other topics. The firefighters also took three tests to test their skills and knowledge on the topics discussed.

On Sunday, crews learned how to use Indian Tanks (containers of water carried on the back), how to sharpen and inspect tools and participated in practical exercises held in the field. Crews constructed fire lines, practiced air drop procedures and practice how to control spot fires all in a wildland setting.

The class was a very good class and was also very informative. A special thanks to Ashley Neubauer for doing a write up the class for this website as well as taking some of the photos. Also, thanks to firefighters John Hudock (Station 20) and Corey Heimbach (Station 16) for also taking photos. Final thanks to Earl Twp. for opening the class up to anyone to attend and for hosting the class.


Members from the Hooks stand with their tools and equipment that they chose to explain how they could be used to ventilate a building.	1st Assistant Chief Ray Carl (15-11) shows firefighters Brad Freiman and Scott Grube the proper use of a Drywall Hook.

February 21, 2005 - On Monday, February 21, personnel from the Hooks participated in a brief Ventilation Practice. Members were asked to grab any tools/equipment that could and would be used in the ventilation process at a fire. The members then explained how the item could be used and where it was located on the truck it came from. Crews were also shown, using illustrations, the proper way to vent a roof at a fire. The practice was a very good one and showed everyone that there is no limit to the way one can ventilate a building.


2nd Assistant Chief Glenn Trate (15-12) completes a adult CPR evolution while Lucy Taylor looks on.	Firefighter Christian Allmendinger practices infant CPR on an infant CPR dummy.

January 17, 2005 - On Monday, January 17, personnel from the Hooks participated in CPR and First Aid recertifications. The tests were administered by certified American Red Cross instructor Foreman Mike Thomas (15-14) and his assistant Lucy Taylor. The personnel took a written test as well as a CPR practical on rescue dummies. The recertification is required annually to keep the personnel fresh and oriented in the tasks of CPR and First Aid.


Firefighters find "fire" while searching using the Thermal Imaging Camera.	Firefighters pack up the large-area search bags as others wait to enter the warehouse to begin searching.

January 10, 2005 - On Monday, January 10, firefighters from the Friendship Hook & Ladder Fire Company and the Keystone Steam Fire Engine Company (Station 16) had a joint training session. The training session was held at a local warehouse and consisted of large area search and Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) training. There were also a SCBA donning and doffing evolutions. 1st Assistant Chief Ray Carl (15-11) led the TIC practice in a large warehouse, where crews had to navigate through the dark using both the Thermal Imager as well as the large-area search bags that the company has. The firefighters were in search of victims as well as "fake fire". The practice was a good way to not only learn more about the TIC, but also to help both companies work well together. Fire Chief Chuck Neubauer (15-10) held SCBA evolutions in another area of the warehouse. Firefighters donned and doffed their SCBAs in complete darkness and also donned them after finding several "problems" with them. These evolutions showed the need to know your pack and how to work with it in the dark and when problems arise.

Every month, there is a scheduled training session with both companies participating. The effort is to enable the two companies to work together as one Department.