MAY 2006 ARCHIVES
Several Minor Calls Make Monday Busy
05-22-2006- Yesterday’s steady influx of calls continued into today keeping the daytime volunteers busy. Shortly after 08:00 hours 26 Ladder responded to the Dingman Delaware Middle School for the fire alarm activation. While responding the school called the Communications Center reporting a false alarm. 26 Ladder arrived at the school and confirmed a dirty smoke detector as the cause of the alarm and returned to service. Shortly after returning from the school, Ambulance 269 was requested to Hemlock Farms for a medical emergency but was subsequently cancelled when Ambulance 297 responded. At 14:48 hours 26 Ladder was once again responding to the Dingman Delaware Middle School for the fire alarm activation. Just like the one earlier, the school staff reporting a false alarm. Crews arrived on scene to investigate only to find the same smoke detector causing the problem. The school’s custodial were making arrangements to have their alarm company make the necessary repairs. At 15:22 hours Ambulance 269 handled a medical emergency in Conashaugh Lakes. The remainder of night was quiet.
Breakfast Sunday Keeps Members Busy
05-21-2006- Eighteen members volunteered their time this morning to cook, serve, and clean at our monthly all you can eat breakfast. The crowd was steady throughout the morning. Our next breakfast is June 11th beginning at 08:30. Just as crews finished up cleaning up the kitchen, Ambulance 269 was requested for a medical emergency in Gold Key Lake. The crew responded in less than a minute and arrived on scene a few minutes later to find a patient refusing transport to the hospital. An assessment was performed and a refusal of services release was obtained. At 16:14 hours the EMS crew was once again on the road for a child that fell from a wire swing that went from residence to the child’s tree house. Crews arrived and again performed an assessment and obtained a refusal of services release from the parent. At 19:44 hours the EMS crew was requested to assist Pa. State Police with a medical situation in the Sunrise Lake development. Ambulance 269 transported one patient to a local hospital. The firefighters finally had a chance to show their skills at 21:52 hours when the Department was dispatched to a possible structure fire in Lake Adventure. Twenty volunteers manning all structural apparatus and Ambulance 268 responded. Units arrived to find a heavy odor of electrical components burning within the travel trailer. Crews searched the trailer with the thermal imaging camera and found wiring to an outlet burning within a bedroom wall. Crews secured the power to the trailer and removed the wall around the burning wiring to check for extension. Crews operated on scene for just under 50 minutes. Thanks to the Blooming Grove Fire Co. and the Hemlock Farms Fire & Rescue Co. for standing by while we investigated the fire.
Mid Afternoon Structure Fire
05-19-2006- Dingman Township’s Engine was dispatched at 15:10 hours along with Milford Fire Department to a reported structure fire on Weber Road. Milford’s Captain arrived on scene to find a working house trailer fire and requested additional resources from Station 26. Personnel assisted with fire extinguishment, water supply, and EMS support. Ten volunteers from Dingman Township manned 26 Engine, Tanker, and Ambulance 268. Station 26 units were in service 2.5 hours.
Fatal Crash Tests Volunteers
05-13-2006- The personnel at Dingman Township were alerted at 15:44 hours to a motor vehicle accident reported to be head on with serious injuries and entrapment on Log Tavern Rd. west of Bluestone Ridge (top of Case’s Hill). While units began responding the Pike County Communications Center started to receive additional calls reporting the one of the vehicles was now on fire. While responding Chief Mikulak requested a medical helicopter to be placed on stand-by. Upon arrival on scene Chief Mikulak found a head on crash and between a small sedan and a fully involved SUV. Assessment found that the occupants from the SUV were able to escape prior to the fire. The driver of the small sedan wasn’t as fortunate and was entrapped in his vehicle. Witnesses reported that the sedan was originally right next to the burning SUV but a passerby in a pick up truck was able to move the vehicle away from the flames by using a chain and pulling it. As 26 Engine, Rescue, Ambulances 268 & 269 arrived on the scene; the crews went to work with extinguishment, extrication, and patient care duties. After a quick assessment of the entrapped driver, the medical helicopter (MedEvac) was requested to fly and land at the Dingman Township Firehouse. The extrication crew popped the driver’s side doors, removed the roof, and rolled the dash board to remove the driver. Crews completed the extrication, fire extinguishment, and patient removal in less than 15 minutes upon arriving on scene. Two patients were transported to a local hospital by Ambulance 268. The third patient was flown to Community Medical Center in Scranton where he succumbed to his injuries. The Pa. State Police at Blooming Grove are investigating the accident. Crews remained on scene for 90 minutes while performing traffic control duties while the investigation took place.
Personnel Train in Marshall’s Creek
05-13&14-2006- Four members took Marshall’s Creek’s Assistant Fire Chief and State Fire Instructor Gene Berry up on his offer to attend a structure burn class in an abandoned five story hotel/resort. The crew spent the weekend practicing their skills in fire extinguishment, overhaul, and ventilation. The building allowed for nearly 50 training fires over the weekend. The Ladder Truck assisted with the Structure Fire Rescue class in another portion of the resort on Saturday and on Sunday assisted with Truck Co. operations on the rear of the hotel during the last training fire of the day. Thanks to Assistant Chief Berry for allowing us the opportunity to attend. A special “gracias” to EMT Shirley Hall from Hemlock Farms for acting as our photographer for the class.
26 Ladder and Crew Handle 3 Public Service Calls
05-09&11-2006- Crews on 26 Ladder performed a few public service calls the last couple days. Six volunteers took a ride with 26 Ladder to Milford Borough on Tuesday, May 9th to hang a banner for the Pike County Humane Society’s annual fund raiser. On Thursday, May 11th the Ladder Truck was on the street again, this time to Gold Key Lake to handle two public service requests. The first was on Lancaster Rd. for the reported cat stuck in a tree. Crews met with the reporting party who pointed out the tree that the cat has called home for the last two days. Upon assessment it was found that the feline took up staying at the penthouse section of the tree almost 50 feet up. The crew was able to position 26 Ladder and use the aerial device to make the rescue. Once the aerial was in place, Lt. Chris Smyth ascended the ladder to make the rescue. It took Lt. Smyth a few attempts to coax the little kitty to him before making the successful grab. After the cat was on the ground and in the custody of the owner’s neighbor, the crew headed over to East Lake Dr. to assist with placing a lanyard on the flag pole. The 20 foot flagpole was located in the backyard of the residence causing it to be inaccessible for the Ladder Truck. Lt. Smyth came to the rescue once again, with his expert flag pole climbing skills (Who knew?). With a little assistance from Firefighter/Paramedic Lou Guyre, Lt. Smyth reached to was able to successfully accomplish threading the lanyard and returned to earth without incident.
Busy Sunday For The Volunteers
05-07-2006- Dingman Township’s Volunteers were kept busy answering multiple calls throughout the day. During the early morning hours answered a two EMS calls. One call was in Pocono Woodlands and for the second call the crew took a ride out to Lackawaxen Township. Both the Fire and EMS side of Station 26 was dispatched to at 15:26 hours for a reported motorcyclist down on Wild Meadow Dr. near Falcon Pl. Units on scene to find the motorcyclist lying on the ground near the bike. After a quick assessment by EMS personnel the operator refused any treatment and the scene was turned over to the Pa. State Police at Blooming Grove. Crews returned to station at 16:06 hours only to be dispatched 40 minutes later to a report of a brush fire cause by an electrical line falling on Arbutus La. in Pocono Woodlands. Crews arrived on scene to find a small brush fire that appeared to have originated near the base of a utility pole. Residents in the area reported hearing a popping noise followed by a power outage prior to noticing the brush fire. An assessment of the scene found no wires lying on the ground near the area of the brush fire. The crew from 26 Brush quickly extinguished the fire without incident. The investigation after the fire found the cause to be a squirrel that had electrocuted itself on the primary utility line causing the power outage. The squirrel then fell from the top of the pole causing the brush fire. Met Ed utilities were notified to inspect the pole involved and turn the power back on. Crews operated for 45 minutes. An additional 2 EMS calls were handled inside the township in the evening. Total calls for the day were 2 fire calls and 6 EMS calls.
Brush Fire Chars Nearly 12 Acres
05-01-2006- Dingman Township Fire Units were dispatched at 16:34 hours to a smoke investigation on Sunrise Dr. in Sunrise Lake. Upon responding Assistant Chief O’Brien advised the Comm. Center that he saw a large column of smoke while still in Gold Key Lake. Upon arrival on the scene, Assistant Chief O’Brien reported that he had a large brush fire on Sunrise Dr. opposite the beach area and requested Pa. Dept. of Forestry, Hemlock Farms Fire & Rescue’s Brush Truck and ATV, Delaware Fire Company’s Brush Truck, and Blooming Grove Fire Company’s Brush Truck to assist. Milford Fire Dept. was also requested to respond an engine to stand-by at Dingman Township’s Firehouse. As units began to attack the fire, the wind coming off of Sunrise Lake increased causing the fire to spread quickly into an unpopulated area. Milford’s engine was requested to move up to the scene to assist with manpower. A Pa. Dept. of Forestry Helicopter was also called in to provide water drops to stop the spread of the fast moving fire. The helicopter made nearly a dozen water drops on the fire to help the ground crews gain the upper hand. Nearly forty fire personnel from the 6 agencies operated for 2.5 hours before declaring the fire under control. Units worked for an additional 2 hours performing overhaul on the 10-12 acres that burned. No injuries were reported on the scene. Dingman Township operated 26 Brush, ATV, Tanker, Engine, and Ambulance 268 with 17 personnel. The Bushkill Fire Co. provided an engine for stand-by duty at Station 26.