Annual Fundraiser Dinner

Our Annual Turkey and Ham Dinner will be served on Saturday February 25th from 4:00-7:30 pm in the Friendship Room at the fire station. The dinner is open to the public and will be served family style. The meal will consist of Turkey, Ham, Potato Filling, Corn, String Beans, and Marie's Famous Pepper Cabbage. The price per person includes the meal of all you can eat served family style. A full service bar of beverages is available at an extra cost. Bring the entire family out and support your local volunteers serving you in a different way. If you have any questions you can call 610-367-2300 ext.15.

At 1536 hours Engine 15 was dispatched on the initial assignment to assist Montgomery County Station 67 (Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue) at a building fire in the 1400 block of East Philadelphia Ave in Douglass Twp. Chief 67 arrived and reported a working fire in an out building attached to a garage. Engine 67 arrived and began a defensive attack on the outbuilding using their deck gun. Engine 15 arrived and proceeded into the adjacent driveway and pulled a preconnect. A crew under the command of Assistant 15-1 entered the garage and found a working fire extended into the roof. Chief 15 advised Command to shutdown the deck gun as the crew was interior. The interior crews attacked the fire in the roof and pulled down ceilings to get to the seat of the fire. Another crew from Engine 67 pulled a preconnect from their engine and began to attack the fire in the outbuilding. Ladder 15 arrived and the crew was sent to the roof of the garage and began to open up using power saws and hand tools. The bulk of the fire was knocked down using a combination of the interior and exterior crews and prevented the garage from total loss. After the bulk of the fire was knocked down the personnel assisted with overhaul of the garage contents and assuring no further extension. Command released the Engine and Ladder and the company was available at station at 1727 hours. On a sidenote this would be the first working fire the new Engine 15 responded to and pulled lines for fire attack. Everything worked as expected with the new Engine. Also congratulations to Ashley a Firefighter from Station 67 on her first fire attack and also to Station 15 Firefighter Allen Watts on his first interior fire. Both showed excellent composure and calmness and it shows that their training pays off.

This evening was the first of our 2012 weekly training sessions that will be held and taught by the Officer's of the Company. Three times a month there will be a training session with one week being Engine Company, one week being Truck Company, and the third week being Rescue Company. This evening the company traveled to the Walnut Woods Retirement Facility and Assistant 15 trained on the proper use of hooking to the building's standpipe system and advancing the 2-/12" and two 1-3/4" hose line high rise packs added to Engine 15. The personnel were shown the procedure for attaching the 2-1/2" feeder line and then connecting and advancing the 1-3/4" attack lines to the gated wye. The members were also shown proper hose line advancement in stairwells. After that the personnel were split into three groups and each group was given a scenario of a fire in a specific room. The teams then had to hook up the feeder line and the attack and backup lines to the standpipe and advance to the affected fire room. As the teams were performing these scenarios, several residents watched and commented on the efficiency and how they liked us being there training. We wish to thank the Walnut Woods Management and Residents for tolerating us for the several hours while we were training in their building. Next week we plan on returning to Walnut Woods and doing search and rescue operations.

At 0028 hours Ladder 15 was dispatched to assist Montgomery County Station 67 (Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue) for a possible structure fire in the 1200 block of East Philadelphia Avenue. Chief 67 arrived and reported an odor of electrical burning in the residence. Ladder 15 arrived and staged and the crew from Engine 67 was interior checking for a cause. The crews determined that the cause was several space heaters plugged into the same outlet circuit causing the odor. The heaters were shutdown and the circuit was checked. Command recalled the assignment and the company was placed available at station at 0134 hours.

At 1734 hours Engine 15 was requested by the police department for a large amount of oil on the roadway after a non-injury accident at South Reading Ave and Walker Drive in the Borough. Chief 15 arrived and reported that a vehicle had bottomed out on a raised manhole cover and tore the oil pan spreading oil in the roadway. The vehicle also had under-carriage damage and both front air bags deployed. Engine 15 arrived and personnel began spreading absorbent on the oil. Rescue 15 was requested for additional oil-dri. The oil was absorbed and the debris was cleaned up and after the towing service arrived and removed the vehicle the company was placed available at station at 1831 hours.

Engine 15 was dispatched at 1739 hours for a possible helicopter landing after a pedestrian accident in the 300 block of South Reading Avenue. Assistant 15 arrived and advised a patient in the roadway and requested Rescue 15 respond first to the scene and Station 16 dispatched for a the landing zone. Chief and Assistant 15-1 arrived and assisted in patient care until the arrival of EMS. The patient was loaded into the ambulance and the medic decided to go by ground and Station 16 was recalled. Unfortunately the female patient succumbed from her injuries and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Rescue 15 and Utility 15 remained on the scene assisting the police department with lighting while they performed their investigation. Once they were completed the police released assignment and the company was available at station at 2031 hours.

At 1621 hours Rescue 15, Engine 16 and EMS were again dispatched this time to the intersection of South Madison Street and Rhoads Ave in the Borough for an accident with injuries. Engine 16 arrived and reported a two vehicle accident and everyone self extricated. Rescue 15 arrived and assisted EMS with patient packaging. Personnel also controlled fluids with absorbent and powered down the vehicles. The rescue was released and available at station at 1703 hours.

Rescue 15 was dispatched at 0728 hours to assist Boyertown EMS with lifting in the 400 block of East Philadelphia Ave. Personnel arrived and assisted with removing the patient to the ambulance and were then released and the company was available at station at 0753 hours.

At 0101 hours Rescue 15, Engine 16 and EMS were sent to the 400 block of East Philadelphia Ave for a vehicle accident with injuries. Chief 15 arrived and reported a vehicle had struck several parked cars and the person was still in the vehicle. Engine 16 and Rescue 15 arrived and personnel powered down the vehicles and assisted with debris cleanup. The company was released and available at station at 0134 hours.