This month the members of Quarryville Fire Company trained on the basic and advanced methods of vehicle rescue. On the first evening we trained at the fire station with two vehicles, focusing on stabilization and patient access.  On the second evening we traveled to Temple's Auto Salvage where they set up five vehicles in different arrangements for us to work on.  Members split up and did several different scenarios.  On two of the vehicles the senior crew members used the hydraulic rescue tools, and on the third vehicle they used all hand and manually operated tools.

The rookies concentrated on a car on it's side, stabilizing it and removing the roof and doors.

Thanks to all of the members that attended training this month.  During the month we cut up 7 cars.  Thanks also to Criswells Auto Salvage and Temple's Auto Salvage foe the cars.

With the Solanco High School Prom coming up on Saturday evening, QFD members teamed up with Solanco High School to do a mock car crash to simulate a serious car accident. 

The event began with the PA State Police giving a lecture to the students on driving habits, including dui, texting while driving and being innattentive.  Once that was done, the students proceeded outside where the "two-vehicle accident" with "four patients" was located.  Susquehanna Valley EMS Medic 7-7 and Medic 700 began patient assessment while the QFD members stabilized the vehicles and gained entry to the cars. The doors and roof were then removed and the dash lifted to show the kids what can happen during a real accident.

We hope that all of the Solanco students that attend the prom have a great time.  Just please be safe.  Do not drink and drive.  Do not ride with someone who is intoxicated.  Do not text while driving.  Look out for one another so you can return to your family safely.

Thanks to all of the people that assisted with this event, including the QFD members, Susquehanna Valley EMS, PA State Police, Stewart Criswell and Son's Auto Salvage for providing the cars and the Solanco High School students and staff.

At 6:50 am, QFD, Rawlinsville (5-8) and Willow Street (50) Volunteers were alerted for a dwelling fire at 324 Cinder Road in Providence Township.  Providence Township Ambulance 5-9-1 arrived with smoke showing.  QFD FF Kevin Kreider arrived with a one-story modular home with heavy fire showing and assumed command.

Engine 5-7-4 arrived with the crew stretching a 2" line into the residence, but they were unable to advance due to holes in the floor.  Tanker 5-7 arrrived and supplied Engine 5-7-4, while the Rescue crew went to the scene and assisted with ventilation and fire attack.  The Rescue then went to Schoolhouse Road and Hollow Road to set up a tanker fill site. 

Other units from the first alarm and the working fire dispatch arrived and assisted in attack, salvage and overhaul.  Fortunately, all occupants escaped unharmed.  Most of the home was severely damaged, but several items in the basement were salvaged through the use of tarps.

Units remained on the scene through much of the morning assisting with the investigation and performing overhaul. 

Thanks to all of the companies and members that assited at the scene, including Rawlinsville, WIllow Street, Refton, Bart Township, Robert Fulton, Lafayette, Providence EMS and PA State Police Fire Marshal Division.  Thanks also to Union Fire Company of Oxford for standing by for us and helping to get our equipment back into service.

On Sunday, Tanker 5-7 and Squad 5-7 with Asst. Chief Joel Neff, Captain Donnie Roop, CHief Engineer Wayne Brion and FF Bill Tucker traveled to Jarrettsville Maryland (Harford County Company 7) to participate in the annual Maryland State Firemen's Association Water Supply Drill.  The goal of the drill is to establish a continuous, uninterrupted water flow to an attack engine using tankers. Following some important instructions from the MSFA Training Officers, the drill started with a "dispatch for a structure fire". Jarrettsville Engine 714 responded and upon arrival initiated an attack on the "fire" by flowing 250 gallons of water per minute (gpm). As more water and manpower was needed at the "scene," additional units were dispatched in three subsequent "alarms." Engines and tankers delivered their water to the scene and then refilled from ponds located nearby. Units drafting from these ponds filled the apparatus which then drove back to the scene where it was dumped into seven holding tanks. Water was then continually fed to the attack engine which never lost water for two hours. Within 15 minutes the fire flow was raised to 750 gpm and five minutes later to 1000 gpm. Eventually a flow of over 1100 gpm was sustained for the remainder of the drill. Whiteford Engine 611 was also flowing water from their deck gun for various periods at over 1000 gpm. Approximately 175,000 gallons of water was flowed in the span of two hours.

In all, there were over 30 pieces of apparatus and 140 firefighters involved in this drill.  Thanks to the Jarrettsville FC and MSFA for hosting this drill and allowing us to participate.  This was a great training exercise and allowed those attending to see different set-ups and operations that could help to increase our water supply delivery at fire scenes.

At 3:49 pm, QFD Volunteers were dispatched to 754 Solanco Road in East Drumore Township for a vehicle fire.  Rescue 5-7 arrived to find a large payloader in a trench on fire.  The fire was quickly extinguished and the Company was available in under 45 minutes.

Congratulations to FF Tom Worrell and Danielle Butler on the birth of a baby girl, Lillian Hazel Worrell, on Wednesday May 2.  Lillian was born at 7:36 pm and weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces.  The family is back at home and everyone is doing great.

Congratulations !!!

At 10:20 am, while Tanker 5-7 was on a public assist call, Rescue 5-7 was dispatched to Dry Wells Road and Bushong Road in Eden Township for a vehicle fire.  Rescue 5-7 arrived with a Ford Probe fully involved.  The bumper line was stretched and the fire extiguished quickly.  Engine 5-7-4 also responded on the run.

The vehicle was destroyed. 

At 11:38 pm, QFD volunteers were dispatched to 5689 Street Road in the Union area of Colerain Township for a vehicle fire.  Deputy 5-7 (Ross) responded and was advised of multiple calls received, and that the fire was possibly set.  Several minutes after the response of the Rescue and Tanker, LCWC reported that the caller called back and stated that the house was now catching fire.  LCWC upgraded the response to a dwelling assignment.

Deputy 5-7 arrived with a car well involved, a second car as an exposeure but no extension into the dwelling.  With no exposure to the dwelling, the response was held to the Rescue and Tanker.

Rescue 5-7 arrived and deployed the front bumper line and made a quick knockdown of the fire.  The crew opened up the car and extinguished all fire.  The PSP Fire Marshal was called to the scene for investigation.  QFD units returned to service just after 2:10 am.

Over the course of the last week, QFD has responded on several local vehicle accidents.

On Tuesday, QFD and Susquehanna Valley EMS responded to Rt. 222 and Park Avenue in East Drumore Township for an accident with a vehicle on its side.  Luckily, there were no serious injuries.

On Thursday, units were dispatched to Rt. 222 and Main Street in Providence Township for an accident.  This call actually ended up in Strasburg Township.  Deputy 5-9 (Refton FC) responded and assumed command.  Again, there were injuries, but none life threatening.

On Friday evening, Rescue 5-7 and Engine 5-7-2 were due for an accident with reported entrapment at Rt. 272 and Friendly Drive in East Drumore Township assisting the Rawlinsville FC (5-8).  Rawlinsville FC Chief 5-8-2 (Williams) arrived with an SUV on its side with one still in the vehicle.  5-7 units used struts to stabilize the vehicle where the front windshield was cut out freeing the patient. Thanks to Tom Amico for the photos of this accident.

At 1:12 pm, Truck 5-7 was requested by Robert Fulton FC Engine 5-13-3 (Deputy Chief Hodgden) while they were responding to an Industrial Rescue at the Chester Water Authority plant on Asheville Road in Little Britain Township.  The report was a male worker that suffered a medical condition was incapacitated on scaffolding 25 feet up.

On arrival, Deputy 5-13 reported that it was actually a below grade rescue situation, with a worker on a 3' wide wooden walkway appx. 25 feet up from the bottom of an excavation on a concrete pump station that is in the progress of construction.

To get to the patient, crews had to descend a stairway, down a ladder, around the bottom of the excavation and then up another ladder to the walkway.

Truck 5-7 arrived was able to get into a position to place the ladder out and over the area in question to lift and remove the subject.  Truck 5-7's officer (J. Herr) and Lt. 5-13 (Burke), worked on securing the patient in the stokes basket and securing him to the lift-eyes on the tower bucket.  Once all safety checks were complete, the patient was lifted to the surface to awaiting EMS.

The victim was extricated within 37 minutes of the arrival of Truck 5-7.  Great teamwork between the Robert Fulton and Quarryville members allowed for a quick, safe and successful rescue.  Also, a commendation goes to the CWA for working hand in hand with the fire companies on scene.

Anyone who has pictures of this incident, we would like to see them and utilize them for future training sessions.  Please send them to firehouse@qfd57.com.