FEBRUARY 2007
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 WEEKEND OF TRAINING
 Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Despite a rather slow weekend, crews remained busy with various types of training. On Saturday,
a crew took the Tower Ladder over to station 20 (Garrettford- Drexel Hill) for a HazMat ops. refresher class.
Crews went over the various components of a HazMat Call, including identification of hazardous
 material and how to control a hazardous materials spill. The class was taught by instructors from the
 Bucks County Public Safety Training Center. All members are reminded that they must attend a
HazMat Ops. refresher class each year in order to stay active. If any members still needs the refresher
 class, we will be holding a class at the fire house on Saturday the 24th, beginning at 0800 hrs.
 Also this weekend, Capt. Mike Fiorito and Past Chief John Rankin traveled to the Kieth Valley Middle
School, in Horsham, for a class in fire ground operations at vacant structures, fire ground operations
 at tax payers, the role of the fire Chief, as well as incident command at terrorism incidents. The class was
 hosted by the Horsham Fire Co., and included such speakers as Mike Dugan, Capt. FDNY Ladder 123,
 Dan Noonan, Ret. Capt. FDNY, and Peter Hayden, Ret. Chief of Department FDNY. Chief Hayden,
who was the initial incident commander at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11th, presented a lecture
 on command at terrorist incidents and a lecture in the role of the fire Chief. Both Capt. Fiorito and
Past Chief Rankin learned a lot from the class. Members also stayed busy on Sunday installing
a new heater in the court annex of the old station.
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TOWER LADDER HEADS EAST FOR RIT
Friday, February 16, 2007

Today, just before 1500 hrs., companies 37 (Upper Darby) and 36 (Cardington- Stonehurst)
were dispatched to 216 Wembly Rd., in 37’s local, for the building fire. Crews arrived to find
smoke showing from the exterior and an active fire in the basement. UD-11 (D/C Shuster), upon
 hearing confirmation of a working incident, had the Tower Ladder dispatched as the FAST truck.
 UD-9 (Chief Cubler), as well as the first alarm companies, encountered heavy smoke in the basement,
 with zero visibility. As the crews were searching for the seat of the fire, the basement ceiling started
to collapse on them. UD-11 then called for the second alarm, bringing in company 26 (Highland Park).
 The Tower Ladder arrived and set up for RIT duties, while Engine 74-1 was sent to station 37 for the
 cover assignment. Crews were able to get a quick knock on the fire, and there was no need for RIT services.
Once command placed the fire under control, the Tower Ladder was also sent to station 37 to cover as well.
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NEW MEMBERS
Tuesday, February 13, 2007

At the Companies Monthly meeting, the members voted in two new members, and welcomed back
 another active member. The two new members are Paul Griglione, father of Junior Fire Fighter
Matt Griglione, and Jeremy Walters, who was voted in as a Junior Member. Jeremy is also the nephew
of Chief Mike Jernegan. The members also welcomed back into the active crew, Fire Fighter Tim Reagoso.
Tim is the son of Fire Fighter Dan Reagoso. The members would like to give both of our new members,
and our returning member, a warm welcome to the active fire crew.
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ANOTHER BUSY DAY AT 74
Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Today proved to be another busy day for the members, responding to a total of six calls. The day
started at 0837 hrs. when the fire alarm came in at 500 Mildred Ave., the Delaware County Times,
bringing in companies 74, 20 (Garrettford- Drexel Hill), 36 (Cardington- Stonehurst), and Quint 03
 (Clifton Heights). The cause of the fire alarm was a faulty alarm and all units went available.
The next two calls came in at 0920 hrs. when UD-12 (Capt. Dolan), responding on Engine 74-1,
was sent along with company 20 to Abbey Terrace, in company 20’s local, to assist the medics.
While Engine 74-1 was en route to Abbey Terrace, they were redirected to Brittany Dr., in our local,
 to assist the police with a ground ladder. The police had mitigated the situation before the arrival
 of the Engine, and 74-1 was recalled while en route. Then at 1415 hrs. the box alarm went out for
535 Mason Ave., Saint Andrews Middle School. This brought in Company 20, 26 (Highland Park), 37
 (Upper Darby), UD-11 (D/C McAfee), and UD-12 on Engine 74-1. Initial reports were that there was an
 oil spill in the building and that there was a possible CO leak. Units arrived and began an investigation.
Readings for CO were negative through out the building, and crews did not find an oil leak. All apparatus
went available. The final call for the day came in at 2159 hrs. for 35 Maple Terrace, in Clifton Heights,
 for the report of a gas leak inside the structure, bringing in companies 03 (Clifton Heights) and 74.
Units arrived to find a slight odor in the residence and PECO was notified. The crew from Engine 74-1
 check the exposure building with the gas meter and found negative readings, while the crew from the
 Tower Ladder stood by. 03 command then held the assignment with station 03 apparatus.
Also today, the Tower Ladder went back in service. The Tower had been placed out of service for
some time due to transmission problems. By the time that the Tower Ladder had been placed back in
service, the "Pride of the West Side" was only able to repond to one of the six calls today.
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ENGINE 74-1 GOES EAST FOR RIT
Monday, February 12, 2007

Just as the members were sitting down to enjoy their lunch, companies 37 (Upper Darby) and 36
 (Cardington Stonehurst) were sent to 240 Long Lane for a building. Crews arrived to find heavy
smoke coming from the eaves of the building. UD-11 (D/C McAfee) arrived on location and established
command, and then asked for the second alarm, bringing in company 26 (Highland Park) and Engine 74-1
for the RIT. As Engine 74-1 arrived on location, UD-11 had them go in service to check for extension and
overhaul. UD-11 then asked for ladder 20 (Garrettford- Drexel Hill) to replace them as the RIT. Crews were
 able to make a fast knock of the fire. While the companies were operating at the fire, the remainder of
companies 74 and 20 were sent to 209 Copley Rd. for a gas leak inside. Apparatus from station 20
arrived first and began investigating. Crews found nothing, and held the call to station 20 apparatus.
The company also handled three additional calls during the day, an investigation and two fire alarms,
 all in company 20’s local. The station was recalled on all of those calls.
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FOUR CALL DAY
 Sunday, February 11, 2007
 
Today again proved to be a busy day for the members, answering a total of four calls, all within
a couple of hours of each other. The first call came in at 1716 hrs. for a fire alarm at 772 Providence Rd.
 Crews arrived on location with nothing evident, and upon investigation found the cause of the alarm
 to be a faulty alarm and all units went available. While the crews were operating at the AFA, a second
call came in for the area on S. Bishop Ave. and Providence Rd. for a building fire at 1725 hrs. UD-11
(D/C Shuster) had the box alarm struck out. 74-12 (Capt. Fiorito), who was responding to the station
for the AFA, arrived on location at 408 S. bishop Ave. with smoke coming from the chimney of a one story
single family residence. Since there was a crew at the station, the Capt. had Foam Engine 74-2 make the
 response to the call on Bishop Ave. Upon investigation, the call was determined to be a fire place and all units
 were returned. Just as the Foam Engine was backing into the station, at 1731 hrs., the box alarm was hit out
 for 540 S. Oak Ave. for a building. Since Engine 20-3 (Garrettford- Drexel Hill) was using Oak Ave. to return to
 their station from the previous call, they were the first unit on location. Crews found a fire in one of the dryers
and advanced an 1 3/4" waterline into the structure. Since all of the apparatus from the previous calls were
returning to their stations, apparatus arrived on location quickly. Crews held the fire to the point of origin and
went in service with extensive ventilation. The members finally had a chance to eat their dinners and relax,
until around 2130 hrs., when the company was sent into company 20’s local for a fire alarm. The alarm was
determined to be a faulty alarm, and Engine 74-1 was recalled. A busy end to a rather slow weekend.
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BUSY DAY
 Friday, February 9, 2007
 
Today the members handled a total of five calls, ranging from an investigation to an accident
with entrapment. The day started early at 0633 hrs. with a fire alarm in Garrettfod- Drexel Hill’s
(Sta. 20) local. The cause of the alarm was a malfunction in the system and all of the apparatus
 went available. The rest of the day was quiet until 1901 hrs., when the company, along with rescues
 20 and 26 (Highland Park) were sent to Blatimore Ave. and Delmar Rd. for the accident with entrapment.
 Engine 74-1 arrived to find a one vehicle accident with one patient confined. The crew from Engine 74-1
stabilized the vehicle and pulled a precautionary 1 3/4" waterline, while the crew from rescue 20 performed
the door pop. While the crews were operating at the accident, Foam Engine 74-2 (The "Deuce"), along with
 squirt 36 (Cardington- Stonehust), was sent to the 300 blk. of Springfield Rd. for an outside gas leak. Crews
 arrived with an odor of gas in the area and had Fireboard notify PECO. Foam Engine 74-2 stood by until
the arrival of PECO. At 2128 Hrs., the company, along with co. 20, 36, and quint 03 (Clifton Heights), were
sent to 151 S. Bishop for a fire alarm. Crews investigated and found the cause of the alarm to be food on the
stove in one of the apartments. Just as the members were finally getting some rest, UD-12 (Capt. Mckinney)
 had the company dispatched for an investigation at 1009 Rhodes Ave., at 2324 hrs. The employees called the
 fire house and told the captain that "some kind of light keeps flashing", so the crew from 74-1 went to to
 check it out. It turns out that the "flashing light" was coming from the fire alarm, and that the light had
 been flashing all day. The Capt. put the alarm system in trouble and called the alarm company to send
down a technician to repair the system. The Saturday Day crew went down to 1009 Rhodes Ave. in the
 morning to check out the alarm system and found that a technician had come out and fixed the system.
 Just another day at the "Red Roof In".
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RIT DUTIES ON THE EAST END
Monday, February 5, 2007
 
Just after 1100 hrs. this morning, companies 37 (Upper Darby), 36 (Cardington-Stonehurst), and
UD-11 (D/C Johnson) were dispatched to the 7100 Blk. of Emerson Ave. for a building fire that was
 reported to be in the basement. Crews arrived on location at the original address and found
nothing evident. As crews investigated further, they found smoke coming from 7107 Emerson and discovered
a working fire in the basement. UD-11 then asked Fire Board to re-dispatch the call as a working incident,
 bringing in the Tower Ladder as the FAST truck. Crews made a fast knock on the fire, and UD-11 placed
 the fire under control before the arrival of the Tower Ladder. The crew from the Tower Ladder helped units
 on scene restore the equipment on their apparatus. Crews operated on scene for just over an hour. __________________________________________________________________________

TOWER LADDER FIRST DUE AT COMMERCIAL BUILDING FIRE IN SPRINGFIELD TWP.
 Friday, February 2, 2007

At just after 1400 hrs., the commercial building assignment was hit out for 50 Baltimore Pike
 in Springfield Twp., bringing in companies 74, 11 (Morton), 14 (Swarthmore), Ladder 20
 (Garrettford-Drexel Hill), and 43 (Holmes) for the FAST truck. Because Springfield Fire Co. (Sta. 44)
was out on another alarm, the Tower Ladder was first due. Initial reports were of a fire in a trailer with an
exposure problem to the car dealer. Crews arrived to find light smoke coming from the rear of the building.
 As crews investigated, they found a small amount of fire burning underneath of a trailer. The crew from
the Tower Ladder advanced an 1/34" waterline to knock the fire, while the other crews checked for extension
in both the trailer and the car dealer. There was no extension found. The crew from the Tower Ladder
worked well with companies that we do not normally work with. Crews were on location for just under an hour.