Fire news pa 7 16

VOLUME 6, NO.3

W W W .FIRENE WS .COM

Serving Fire, Rescue & EMS Heroes Since 1973 JULY 2016

Story on page 37.

-Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

Fire News Welcomes All To The Keystone Firefighter Conference See Story on page 17.

-Pennsylvania Edition-

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 3

In this issue...

Garage Fire Extends; 3 Left Homeless

On June 9, 2016, Box 46-2 dispatched Company 46, Engines 45, 47-1, Rescue 88, Tankers 47, 59, and Air 48 to a reported barn on fire.

See story page 7

A Service for Pennsylvania Firefighters and EMS Providers Founded 1973

146 South Country Road, Bellport, NY 11713 FRANK C. TROTTA, Publisher TIM EDWARDS, Executive Editor

Upper Darby 2-Alarmer On April 18, 2016, companies were dispatched for a reported dwelling fire on Ardmore Avenue.

See story page 12

DENNIS WHITTAM, Editor GARY P. JOYCE, Asst. Editor MARIE TROTTA, Vice President, Production/Sales CLIFF CHIESA, Art Director, Production Manager

Restaurant Fire in Penn Hills Revisited Penn Hills firefighters responded to a fire at the Vicino Restaurant in Penn Hills. The restaurant was a total loss.

See story page 15

Chester Diner Fire Chester units responded to a second alarm fire at the Grape Leaves Diner, at the Days Inn. See story page 20

SHACOG TRT Training On April 23, 2016, Practical Confined Space training with the Technical Rescue Team was held at the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company.

See story page 25

35th Anniversary of Bausman Firefighter, EMT LODDs Honored June 13, 1981, Jeffrey W. Jones, Bruce Ditlow and Kevin Weatherlow died attempting the rescue of a child who fell into an septic tank. See story page 34

PLUS: Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 4 Up Close & Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 36 Special Features Industry News

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Advertising Sales: BARBARA CONNOLLY, EVELYN ALOISIO Graphic Artists: LYNN SEDLER, GREG JONES CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS DAWN ALTSTATT, TED AURIG, LAUREN CARPENTER, JASON COLEMAN-COBB, JEFF GOLDBERG, N. GRISWOLD, ALEX LLOYD GROSS, CHRIS HALDEMAN, CURTIS JURY, KEN LAGER, GREG LEAMAN, ANDY MARSH SR., STEVEN MATTO, ARTIE OSNIAK, STEVE ROTH, PATRICK SHOOP, DONALD THOMA, JAYSON WAGNER, ASHLEY WALTERS, FRANK WESNOSKI, DENNIS WETHERHOLD, JR. COLUMNS KRAIG HERMAN, TIM SOLOBAY COPYRIGHT 2012, THE FIRE NEWS LLC., LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Letters to the Editor, byline articles, and columns represent the opinions of the writers and photographers and are not necessarily the views of the Fire News. We reserve the right to edit all of the above. We are not responsible for errors in advertisements beyond the cost of advertising space. Copy submitted is subject to editing for space requirements. The placing of an advertisement in this publication does not constitute endorsement. Contents are copyrighted. Editorial and advertising copy cannot be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Fire News is published monthly by Fire News LLC, with corporate offices at 146 South Country Road, Bellport, NY 11713.

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PA F I R E C O M M I S S I O N E R

From the Editor’s Desk Dennis Whittam, Editor

Do You Have a PIO? You just had a serious call that has lasted several hours.

Toward the end of the call, the dispatcher notifies the chief that the telephones are ringing off of the hook with the media asking questions. Are you ready to handle the flood of calls? Are you ready to give factual information to the public? Who speaks to the press in your department? Oh, wait a minute, screw the media; you don’t have to say anything! If you believe this, you are WRONG! If you ignore the media, the press will get information from a bystander that, typically, is incorrect ... at best. How about the bystander that tells the press it took forever for the fire department to arrive at the fire, or that they heard a person yelling for help and no one was there to help them? How about a HazMat call where the press is ignored and then assume the “facts.”

Who do you choose as a Public Information Officer to represent your department? On the surface, the answer is simple, but in reality it is quite difficult. You need a person who understands that being a PIO is a position that can make your department look good or look really bad. Remember, “anything you say, could be held against you in a court of law!”

Department PIOs should be able to express themselves clearly and be versed in the technical aspects of firefighting, which must be presented in a way that the public can comprehend. Does your PIO know how to operate and use various visual media including video recorders, audio recorders and still cameras? Can your PIO use a laptop computer for word processing and other related programs to get the word out to the public? Many departments utilize Facebook and their community’s Facebook page to let the public know what is going on. The public will become trained to check out your website and Facebook page to find out what is going on. (The use of Facebook in the fire service will be addressed in a future editorial.)

It is important to remember that PIO’s cannot speak about a situation without first going over it with the Chief of the Department. After all, the chief represents the department and will be questioned on statements that a PIO may have made without his permission. Many chiefs prefer to speak to the media themselves. In that case the PIO should prep the chief for the press. It becomes awkward when a chief says to the media, “I don’t know the answer to that question.”

As a PIO you must be several steps ahead of the media.

Having a press package prepared simplifies your job and keeps the press happy because you’re helping them with their job. If you have been chosen as your departments PIO, take a course with your state’s Office of Emergency Management or with your county’s training center. Being a PIO is a job that requires professional training. Include a scenario at your next drill, so the PIO can test his skills.

- Dennis

Time to Follow the Grant Program Rules!

by Tim Solobay Wow, hard to believe July is here, which generally means summer is half over!

Where has all the time gone this year?

Updates on companies getting either info to us on other reporting systems they are using, or getting signed up with the state-provided Emergency Reporting system have been going pretty well. We are now at over 60 percent of all companies who have notified us or gotten signed up with ER. I believe there are still around 600 departments/companies, which still haven’t contacted us. We have sent those names to both the House and Senate members so that they can help us by making contact with them.

In a month or so, we will duplicate this process and also add a letter to those companies, which still haven’t responded. As we stated in a recent article, we need everyone to at least be signed up or notify us that they are reporting using another provider by September 2016.

When you do your application for next year’s grant (as long as it gets reauthorized this month) we need you to be reporting, because the following year, September 2017, which will be for the 2017/2018 grant year, you will have needed to be reporting for the past year to be eligible for the 2017/2018 grant.

I have been telling all of you the importance of reporting and

how it has always been tied to the grants, but because of troubles with the old system, Commissioner Mann never wanted to enforce that aspect. In addition, we wanted everyone to get accustomed to the new system as we also felt it was not right to push that part of the legislation.

However, the time has come where we need to enforce the legislative requirements. We have been sharing this information for the last several months and now we are only four months from needing you to start. So, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t make us be the bad guys because of your not following the rules set forth in the guidelines of the grant program. If you still don't understand what we are asking you to do, please call Kraig Herman (717-651-2209 or e-mail krherman@pa.gov) here at the office or me at 717-651-2201. We will get you all the info you need. continued on page 35

Page 6, Fire News, July 2016

As the Pennsylvania Fire Service Turns...

Wow! I swear yesterday was Christmas and now we are officially in the summer season! Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Between my duties here at OSFC, duties in other organizations I belong to and having two sons who are growing like weeds, I wish we could slow time down!

Speaking of slowing time down, I will once again mention the requirement that is in the $30 million VFCASGP that WILL begin to be enforced starting with the 2017-2018 grant period. In order to qualify for the 2017-2018 grant, you will have had to be ACTIVELY REPORTING your incidents for at least one (1) year, which means if you have not been reporting incidents, we need to get you registered ASAP so that during the 2016-2017 grant cycle, you are actively reporting. In other words, if you have not reported to us in the past, we need you to start reporting come September 2016. Failure to report beginning September 2016 will mean your department will NOT be grant eligible. This requirement was always a part of the grant program, but was not enforced due to the issues with the previous incident reporting system. You may use whatever incident reporting program is out there, whether it is Firehouse, Fire Programs or Emergency Reporting. We just need you to be reporting your incidents to us.

In this issue of Commissioner’s Comments is a list of departments within the Commonwealth that have not reported in 2015 or 2016. If your department is on this list, please e-mail me to either let me know what reporting system you are using, plus send me your past incident data, or if your department needs an incident reporting program, OSFC can provide one to your department for FREE! The information I will need to get you on the system is as follows: • FDID #; • Department Name; • Department Address; • Department Phone Number; • Contact Name; • Contact E-mail.

We are finding out that many departments send reports to their respective county on a monthly or quarterly basis with the assumption that the county then forwards them to OSFC. Some counties do forward to us, however most do not. If you submit reports to your county, I strongly urge you to check with them to see if they are forwarding the files to us and if they are not, then PLEASE send them directly to me (krherman@pa.gov) and you will be removed from the list. The list will also be going out to senators and representatives so they can assist us in making contact so we can get you in compliance.

Last month I mentioned that Christine Williams and I went thru ER’s Train the Trainer so we can do trainings on the Emergency Reporting system. If your department would like to host training for your area, please let me know. Here are the requirements: Indoor training room/classroom High-reliability broadband Internet connection; Sufficient Wi-Fi connectivity for all expected students; Projector and/or large panel display capable of accepting a computer video/audio input (examples: VGA, HDMI, DVI); Our instructor will be bringing a laptop computer; Please let us know if you’ll need us to bring a projection device; Each student will need a computer or tablet device with Internet access in order to access their Emergency Reporting account.

In the meantime, don’t forget that every Thursday, Emergency Reporting hosts “Virtual Thursday” webinars on various topics relating to reporting. In addition, if you click on the “Support” tab and scroll down to the “Knowledge Base” area, you will find various articles to help you use the system. They also have past webinars posted, not only related to PennFIRS, but also other topics as well. I strongly urge everyone to check these out.

I mentioned this last month, but feel the need to mention it again …

I know I have told many people who have inquired, but here is a tip to help out: when you are given your initial login information, DO NOT CHANGE THIS INFORMATION! Upon logging in for the first time, immediately go to the “Administration” tab then click on “Personnel List.” Create an account for yourself and one other person to be administrators. Save the e-mail with the initial login information I sent you, print it out and place it somewhere securely so in the event you cannot remember your password, you will have the main admin account to login to so you can reset your own password and eliminate having to e-mail me to have Emergency Reporting Support Staff reset it. continued on page 24

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PSFA Bids Farewell to Shirley Johns The Pennsylvania State Fire Academy (PSFA) says a fond farewell to Shirley Johns who is retiring after 17 years of service with the Commonwealth, 15 of those here at the PSFA. Shirley handled all matters relating to certification and local-level training. Thanks Shirley, enjoy your retirement, you will be missed!

The new statewide Hazardous Materials (HM) Awareness, Operations and respective refresher courses have been released to existing instructors and will be available this fall. The new training curriculum is based on the Jones and Bartlett (J&B) HM curriculum that replaces the current Delmar HM curriculum effective January 1, 2017.

This HM curriculum will be taught by all training agencies in PA. There is no requirement (law) in the Commonwealth mandating HM Training for emergency service personnel. The requirement for training is enforced by two U.S. federal agencies, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); CFR Title 29, 1910.120; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); CFR Part 311. To be compliant with the federal regulations, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) needs to determine how responders will meet the intent of these regulations by demonstrating some level of training/competency. Once the initial training has been completed, some level of training/proof of competency is required on an annual basis. The training of personnel must be appropriate with their assigned/expected duties, but the final decision on the level of training remains with the AHJ, not the Commonwealth. Below are some commonly asked questions with answers.

Question: Have the course names and hours changed from the previous Delmar HM curriculum with new J&B HM curriculum?

Answer: NO, the names and hours of the courses (HM Awareness, HM Operations and HM Awareness and Operations Refreshers) remain the same.

Question: When should students and fire departments switch to the new Jones and Bartlett (J&B) 2nd Edition manual?

Answer: As soon as possible. The J&B 2nd Edition Hazardous Materials and Operations student manual is the reference text for all the HM courses. This manual is now required for all HM Operationslevel courses.

Question: Can the student manual referenced above be shared by establishing a lending library?

Answer: YES, manuals can be shared through a lending library by any responsible party (emergency organization, county, ETA, etc.)

Question: Will students who have taken previous Hazardous Materials courses have to repeat those same levels under the new J&B curriculum?

Answer: NO, students are not required to retake the initial Awareness or Operations course(s) and HM certificates will still be honored for pre-requisites. However, after the initial training, some level of training/proof of competency is required for the AHJ on an annual basis.

Question: Are Skill Sheets included for all levels within the Hazardous Materials Training curriculum?

Answer: YES, Skill Sheets are new and must be signed by the instructor to verify completion. Depending on the course, a different number of Skill Sheets are required. The skill sheets are kept by the students for study/testing purposes. It is recommended that the AHJ place a copy in personnel training files for documentation purposes.

Question: How old do I have to be to start each level?

Answer: Awareness level, 14 years of age or older at the start of the course. For Operations-level, 16 years of age or older at the start of the course and must be trained on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) as issued by the AHJ. Question: What are the pre-requisites for “Awareness” and “Operations”?

Answer: NONE. Personnel can attend an Operations-level course without taking Awareness as a prerequisite course, if they meet the age and have been trained in PPE and RPE for the operations-level.

Question: Is an Awareness-level or Operations-level certificate acceptable proof of meeting the pre-requisite training for attending a refresher class or national certification?

Answer: YES, providing a certificate showing proof of previous training is sufficient. For national certification, HM certificates must be issued within one year from the date of the certification application. continued on page 35

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 7

Garage Fire Extends; 3 Left Homeless

On June 9, 2016, Box 46-2 dispatched Company 46 (Hummelstown), Engines 45 (Rutherford), 47-1 (South Hanover), Rescue 88 (Middletown), Tankers 47 (South Hanover), 59 (Lower Swatara), and Air 48 (Hershey) to S. Railroad Street for a reported barn on fire.

Chief 46 went on location and reported a working fire involving a garage that extended to an unattached, two-story house. Companies led off in defensive mode using handlines, blitz fire, and a master stream from Truck 46. Firefighters battled the blaze for about 45 minutes before the fire was knocked down and overhaul operations initiated. No injuries were reported and three residents were left homeless.

- Fire News photos by Jason Coleman-Cobb

Page 8, Fire News, July 2016

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Millvale House Fire

A fire broke out early on Mother’s Day in Millvale, northeast of Pittsburgh.

The single-family home fire spread to multiple exposure buildings.

Firefighters had to battle close quarters and limited access to bring the fire under control.

- Fire News photos by Ken Lager

Palmerton 2-Alarm

Firefighters from Palmerton and surrounding communities battled ments on the upper floors of the building. A tower was placed in a two-alarm fire in a mixed occupancy on Delaware Avenue in the service to make a quick knockdown of the fire.

- Fire News photos by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr. borough. Crews encountered heavy fire conditions in the apart-

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Philadelphia 4-Alarm Destroys Legion Hall On May 30, 2016, a four-alarm fire ripped through the American Legion Post #396 in Philadelphia’s Frankford section. The fire destroyed the building, but no injuries were reported. The building was occupied at the time the fire was reported.

- Fire News photo by Alex Lloyd Gross

Hot Times in Mifflin On May 12, 2016, units from Mifflin and Snyder Counties responded to a noontime fire in a large farm out-building on Road Apple Drive in Decatur Township, Mifflin County. Due to the high ambient temperature of the day a rehab sector was established by Fame EMS. - Fire News photo by Patrick Shoop, Jr.

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 11

Busy Evening in Lancaster Township

Lancaster Township firefighters handled three simultaneous calls on May 25, 2016. The first was a building fire at Kensington Club Apartments, a furnace fire. The interior of the apartment’s furnace ignited filling the apartment with smoke. Damage was limited to the furnace. The second call was an accident on Millersville Road, with one person injured. The third call was for a two-car collision at Second Lock Road and New Danville Pike between a car and a van. Both vehicles sustained moderate damage. The driver of the car was injured but refused medical treatment.

- Fire News photos by Greg Leaman

Page 12, Fire News, July 2016

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On April 18, 2016, Companies were dispatched for a reported dwelling fire on Ardmore Avenue.

Company 26 responded from a few blocks away and was met with heavy fire in the rear of a threestory, single family dwelling. Shortly after arrival the house suffered a collapse in the rear. Upper Darby 11 struck a second alarm, as crews used exterior lines to knock down the fire.

- Fire News photos by Frank Wesnoski

Denver Bor. 3-Story 2-Alarm Early on May 28, 2016, firefighters responded to an alarm on North Second Street in Denver Borough, for a reported structure fire with three people trapped. The Denver Fire Company, along with multiple surrounding companies, responded with reports of fire showing from the roof and people stuck on a second-floor balcony. Chief 13 (Hilton) arrived and confirmed the reports of fire showing from the roof line.

All occupants exited the structure under their own power. Engine 131 stretched a line to the Charlie side of the structure as the fire ran the roof line. As crews went to work, Command 13 transmitted the second alarm as dense smoke pushed from the roof line. Ladder 11, Adamstown Fire Company along with Tower Ladder 17 of the Reamstown Fire Company vented the roof. Crews had the fire under control in about an hour after dispatch. No injuries were reported and the fire was reportedly started on a rear porch by careless smoking.

- Fire News photo by Chris Haldeman

Dormont 2-Alarmer On May 30, 2016, firefighters responded to a fire on the front porch of a house in Dormont, south of Pittsburgh, which ended up going to two alarms. Crews battled the fire at the front gas meter and front porch, and the fire eventually made its way into the attic area of the structure.

- Fire News photo by Ken Lager

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Fully Involved in New Oxford Adams County’s Hampton Volunteer Fire Department firefighters arrived to a fully involved mobile home near New Oxford on May 13, 2016.

- Fire News photo by 911 Photography

Darby Church Damaged in Overnight Blaze On March 19, 2016, the day before Palm Sunday, the Ever Abundant Life International Church on the 100 block of Ridge Avenue in Darby, suffered a fire which caused extensive damage to the church and its attached buildings. The fire eventually went to two alarms.

- Fire News photo by Lauren Carpenter

2-Alarmer in Vacant Allentown Building Allentown firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in a vacant building under construction at 24 S 8th Street on May 13, 2016. Crews arrived and found heavy smoke coming from the upper floors and heavy fire on the first floor.

- Fire News photo by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr.

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 15

Second Look:

Restaurant Fire in Penn Hills

Penn Hills firefighters responded to a fire at the Vicino Restaurant in Penn Hills.

Penn Hills Ladder 227 was damaged by the fire. The restaurant was a total loss.

- Fire News photos by Steven Matto

Page 16, Fire News, July 2016

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Long Stretch in N. Fayette

On May 22, 2016, a fire broke out in an abandoned building in North Fayette, just outside of Pittsburgh. Crews were forced to pull hundreds of feet of handline up a steep hill that served as the driveway to beat the fire.

- Fire News photo by Ken Lager

Yardley-Makefield Responds to Dumpster Fire Firefighters from the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company were recently dispatched to Local Box 80-41 for a dumpster fire at LMT Greenhouse on Stony Hill Road. Rescue 80 arrived on location and firefighters went in service with a booster line and extinguished the fire. Engine 0 arrived and its crew assisted with extinguishment. The Yardley-Makefield Fire Company Fire Marshal’s Office was also on scene. (Above): Yardley-Makefield Fire Company Firefighter Alec Ryan operating booster line backed up by Firefighter Amy Chamberlain.

- Fire News photo by Jeff Goldberg

Bensalem Apartment Blaze Firefighters responded to a fire at the Lafayette Apartments on Bristol Pike in Bensalem on May 28, 2016.

- Fire News photo by Dawn Altstatt

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Lexington Drive House Fire

On June 10, 2016, Box 30-08 dispatched Engine Companies 30 (Hampden Township), 37 (NSA Mechanicsburg), 20 (East Pennsboro Township), 28 (Mechanicsburg), Truck 30 (Hampden Township), Rescues 30 (Hampden Township), 31 (Silver Spring) and RIT 33 (New Kingstown) to Lexington Drive for a house fire. First arriving companies found a fire in the garage of a single-story ranch. A line was quickly stretched knocking down the bulk of the fire in about five minutes.

- Fire News photo by Jason Coleman-Cobb

Firefighter Injured in Fall In May, firefighters doing battle with a house fire had to deal with a serious injury to one of their own. Firefighter Nick Weaver fell from the roof and was rushed to a local hospital in serious condition. Weaver is a career firefighter with Bensalem Fire Rescue and on that day, due to it being a weekend, he was volunteering with the Nottingham Fire Company when the incident happened.

- Fire News photo by Alex Lloyd Gross

Springfield Township Car Fire On May 2, 2016, Company 44 responded to the 800 block of Baltimore Pike for a car fire.

- Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 19

Lots of Smoke, Small Fire

On June 6, 2016, Box 49-3 toned, sending Company 49 (Swatara Township), Engines 41 (Bressler), 59-1 (Lower Swatara), 44 (Lawnton), 45-1 (Rutherford), Trucks 50 (Steelton), 456 (Chambers Hill), Tanker 59 (Lower Swatara) and Air 41 (Bressler) to Spring Street for a house fire. Responding companies were advised of an explosion in the basement and the house filling with smoke. Chief 49-2 arrived at the two-story, multifamily apartment building to find nothing showing. An line was stretched to the basement where a small fire, which created heavy smoke conditions, involving utility equipment, was quickly extinguished.

- Fire News photo by Jason Coleman-Cobb

Chestnut 4-Story 3-Alarmer On June 12, 2016, BC 11 went on location at a four-story apartment building on the 4300 block of Chestnut and found smoke showing from the top floor. The fire quickly went to three alarms with fire through the roof. Deputy 1 (Bonner) had command. LT 6 used its elevated stream to knock down the bulk of the fire and crews went back in to work the interior.

- Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

Page 20, Fire News, July 2016

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Harrisburg House Fire

On May 28, 2016, Box 1-5 sent Harrisburg Squad 8, Wagon 4, Towers 1, 2, and Captain 3 to a Rolleston Street address for a house fire.

Responding companies were advised of multiple calls being received and all occupants reported out. Squad 8 arrived on location at a two-story, middle-of-the-row with a fire in the basement.

A first-alarm assignment was requested bringing Wagon 3, Rescue 69 and Air 13 to the scene. Three handlines were stretched and operate, knocking down a basement fire with some extension to the first floor. The fire was placed under control in about an hour with no injuries reported.

- Fire News photo by Jason Coleman-Cobb

Chester Diner Fire Chester units responded to a second alarm fire at the Grape Leaves Diner, which is attached to the Days Inn. The Edgemont Avenue hotel was evacuated due to smoke conditions.

- Fire News photos by Lauren Carpenter

Van Fire in Lewistown On June 6, 2016, the Lewistown Fire Department handled a working van fire on the 700 Block of Valley Street in the borough.

- Fire News photo by Patrick Shoop, Jr.

FireNews.com

Fire News, July 2016, Page 21

Bethlehem 3-Alarm Injures 2 FFs

On May 26, 2016, the Bethlehem 911 Center transmitted a box for a house fire on 1600 block of East 8th Street. Dispatched on the initial alarm were Engines 3 and 1, Ladder 1 and Truck 2. Immediately after dispatch,the box was upgraded, adding Engine 6 to the assignment. Companies arrived to heavy fire showing from the rear of a 2-½ story duplex and struck a second alarm. A third alarm was dispatched due to the size of the fire and need for a water supply. As fire vented out the rear second floor windows, two members transmitted a Mayday and were forced to jump from the second floor. One broke an ankle, the other was treated and released from the hospital later that day. Numerous firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion.

- Fire News photo by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr.

Marple Township Blaze Early on January 15, 2016, companies were dispatched for a structure fire in the area of Ravenscliff Drive. Police arrived to find a three-story end-of-the-row under construction fully involved and extending. They also advised that a large propane tank was an exposure issue. Companies put several handlines and master streams in service and made good progress. Three aerials, five engines and a heavy rescue responded.

- Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

Page 22, Fire News, July 2016

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Philadelphia MVA Philadelphia firefighters responded to a serious crash on the Roosevelt Boulevard at Bustleton Avenue in May 2016. One man was trapped and the driver of the other car was arrested for outstanding tickets and driving without a license.

- Fire News photo by Alex Lloyd Gross

Classic Car Crash in Lancaster Twp. Lancaster Township Fire Department was dispatched on May 15, 2016, for a vehicle accident standby on New Danville Pike in Lancaster Township. A resident reported a vehicle ran into his yard and struck a pole. A male driver of a customized 1959 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon was traveling south on New Danville Pike when it left the roadway, hit a utility pole causing a wooden cross member holding a transmission line to snap. After hitting the pole the Impala traveled 50 feet parallel to the road and crashed through 20 feet of wooden fence. After hitting the fence the car spun, traveled another 50 feet andcanme to rest under a tree on Turnbridge Drive in the Wedge Wood Estates Community. The driver exited the vehicle unassisted and was not injured. There were no passengers.

- Fire News photo by Greg Leaman

FireNews.com

Fire News, July 2016, Page 23

2 Vehicle MVA in Lancaster Twp.

Lancaster Township was dispatched to an accident at Marietta Avenue and River Drive. Captain Justin Brian reported a two-vehicle collision between a sedan and a pickup. The driver of the sedan was trapped inside the vehicle. and Lancaster Twp. Rescue 66 began extrication. The pickup was jammed against the drivers door, but was able to be backed away. The rear door was forced using spreaders and the B post was cut. Captain Brian completed removal of the rear door and the person was removed to EMS. One other person was injured in the sedan, as was the driver of the pickup. All were transported to the hospital.

- Fire News photo by Greg Leaman

Derry Township MVA On June 1, 2016, Highland Park, Junction and Fame EMS crews responded to Highway 22 for a single-vehicle accident into a wooded area with a person trapped. It took units about 30 minutes to extricate the passenger due to the heavy ground cover.

- Fire News photo by Patrick Shoop, Jr.

Page 24, Fire News, July 2016

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Sandy Twp. Assists Clearfield

Due to major flooding on June 2, 2016, the Sandy Township Water Rescue Team from DuBois, responded to an assist call in Clearfield.

- Fire News photo by Ashley Walters

Chester Amtrak Crash On April 3, 2016, an Amtrak train carrying over 300 passengers southbound from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, struck a backhoe working on the tracks and continued on for several hundred yards after the impact. The City of Chester struck a second alarm for Chester call backs and special-called numerous EMS units, as well as some specialized offroad equipment. The two Amtrak workers — the driver of the backhoe and a supervisor — were killed instantly. Multiple passengers were injured, and hundreds had to be evacuated from the train.

- Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

If a Tree Falls in the Woods and …

On May 28, 2016, responders rescued two people trapped by a tree fall in Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem.

- Fire News photo by Dawn Altstatt

As the Pennsylvania Fire Service Turns... continued from page 6 Some of you have asked why the NFIRSgenerated stats I put on our website are not showing the correct numbers for your department. I wish I could say I have an answer as to why there is a discrepancy, but I cannot. I am working with ER Staff to see if there is an issue when I export on a monthly basis or what the issue is. I ask you to please be patient. In the meantime, I am removing the stats from our website since, quite frankly, they are incorrect.

On the Public Education side of the house, we’ve been fairly busy over the past few weeks presenting portions of NFPA’s “Remembering When: A Fire and Prevention Program for Older Adults.” We presented the fire safety portion to Senior Centers in Columbia and Reinholds, a fall prevention portion in Quarryville (all in Lancaster County), and both messages at the 50+ Expo in Hershey.

The feedback on the program has been very positive. We are looking forward to returning to these areas later to complete the program. In one of the presentations, there were two ladies

in attendance who, just a week or two prior, were victims of a total-loss fire. They shared their experience with us and others, which drove home our messages. Their homes had working smoke alarms; they had an escape plan and were able to escape with no injury.

They were prepared and helped us instruct others the importance of becoming prepared in case of fire.

I do not recall if I mentioned this before, but there are three OSFC staff members that present this program: Christine Williams, Scott Steffen and myself. Since it was ‘new’ to us, we decided that we would each reach out to our respective counties (Scott in Lancaster, Christine in Snyder and I in York) and the Area of Aging Offices for help in spreading the word of the program. We are using these areas as the guinea pigs to see what works and what doesn’t, so that come late summer/early fall we can branch out to other areas of the Commonwealth. We have found that if you can get a list of Senior Centers from your county’s

Area of Aging, this is the best way go. If you can make that contact for us, it would be greatly appreciated. We also have the capability to set up a booth at expos or events geared towards older adults, so if you know of any such events in your area, again, please let us know.

I think I covered everything I wanted to for this month. Actually, there is something else that we should be sharing with you. By the time you read this month’s publication, OSFC and PEMA will have moved to a new address: 1310 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Telephone numbers and e-mails are still the same.

Until next time, please be safe over the summer, stay hydrated, be careful and remember: everyone comes home.

Kraig E. Herman, IAAI-CFI Public Education Specialist / NFIRS State Program Manager, Office of the State Fire Commissioner email: krherman@pa.gov

FireNews.com

Fire News, July 2016, Page 25

SHACOG TRT Training

On April 23, 2016, Practical Confined Space training with the Technical Rescue Team was held at the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company.

- Fire News photos by Ken Lager

Page 26, Fire News, July 2016

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Aspinwall VFD Foam Trailer Training

Pre-planning, equipment and personnel resource training are vital to bringing any incident to a successful outcome. On April 26, 2016, approximately 70 firefighters from Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, OHara Township and Sharpsburg were in attendance for a familiarization training session with one of 19 foam trailers from Region 13. The foam trailers are available to fire departments when large amounts of foam are needed to combat very large fires or spills involving flammable liquids. The training was coordinated by the Allegheny County Emergency Services and Aspinwall's Emergency Management Coordinator.

- Fire News photo by Andy Marsh, Sr.

YardleyMakefield Drills Yardley-Makefield Fire Company Firefighter Chris Pettinati on the nozzle backed up by Lieutenant Jason Feyko during a recent hose operations drill.

- Fire News photo by Jeff Goldberg

Lancaster Township Rescue Tool Training On May 16, 2016, The Lancaster Township Fire Department held a seminar on extrication tool operation. This competitive drill can be done with minimal equipment, and teaches how to ‘finesse’ the tools by picking up eggs, canned goods, or plastic bottled water without crushing them.

This drill is a firefighter game of Jenga, played with cribbing and tools. Members split into two groups. One team used wood cribbing to build a JENGA-style stack and took turns using their Amkus hydraulic tools to pull a block from the stack.

A tower was assembled using 4- x 4-inch cribbing, setting three pieces, and alternate direction opposite of the first level with spaces in between.

Using the tools, firefighters took turns removing and replacing the cribbing on top of the stack without knocking the stack over. They were not allowed to hold the stack in place with their hands. Strategy and tactics on selecting the pieces and removing and replacing them was up to the firefighters.

If and when the stack collapsed, the person making the stack fall was the loser.

The second group used the tools to pick up an egg. A raw egg was placed on top of a traffic cone. The goal was to pick up the egg without breaking or crushing it.

- Fire News photo by Greg Leaman

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 27

Harrisburg Raises Hanover Promotes $6k New Captain

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire recently held the Art of Firemanship days. This training conference also featured two days of auctions and raffles to raise money for The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. Their efforts raised $6,150 for the fund.

Lieutenant Brian Bastinelli and Firefighter Nick Lindsay went above and beyond in efforts to not only support the fund with a very generous donation, but to support the mission of “Firefighters helping Firefighters.� (Left to right): Lt. Brian Bastinelli of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire; FF Michael Milner, FDNY (ret.); FF Nick Lindsay, HBF; Annamarie Tucker, National Coordinator for the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund; FF Tim Lohan, Director of fund's Pennsylvania Chapter; Amy Lindsay; FF Tony Srour, FDNY (ret); and FF Kyle Bertin, HBF.

Douglas Kemmerly, a career firefighter, was promoted to the rank of Captain in July 2016. Captain Kemmerly has been with the Hanover Fire Department for nine years and will be assigned to A Shift.

- Fire News photo by Steve Roth

Page 28, Fire News, July 2016

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Whitehall Mourns the Loss of Chief Benner

Whitehall Fire Chief Robert L. Benner, who led the township's volunteer fire department for 30 years, died on March 30, 2016. He was 80.

In May 2015, the Whitehall Fire Department honored Chief Robert L Benner for his four plus decades of service at its annual open house. Chief Benner was recognized with a sign that is displayed at the entrance to the Fire Department training grounds renaming it the Robert L. Benner Fire Training Facility.

- Fire News photo by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr.

The ‘Big House’ Parades Falls Township Fire Company #1 — The Big House — Tower 30 participating in the Yardley Borough Memorial Day Parade on May 30, 2016.

- Fire News photo by Jeff Goldberg

Kinzer Hosts LCFA Convention and Parade

On June 3 and 4, 2016, the Kinzer Fire Company hosted the 96th Lancaster County Fireman’s Association Convention while celebrating their 100th Anniversary of service. On June 3 a memorial service was held at the Kinzers Mennonite Church, in Kinzers, followed by the LCFA awards.

Dwight Groff of the Kinzer Fire Company was presented the LCFA 2016 Distinguished Service Award for his many years of selfless service to the company.

Members who have passed within the last year were also memorialized. Their name was announced and a red rose was presented to a fam-

ily member or representative. Life Member awards were also presented.

On June 4, 2016 a full buffet breakfast at the company preceded the parade. There were 18 categories with no trophies — cash prizes only — based on pre-registration numbers.

After the parade, a bucket brigade competition was held. Four-man teams filled buckets of water from a port-a-tank and dumped them in a 55-gallon drum. The team filling the drum the fastest won $100.

JeffSTAT, a medical Helicopter from Jefferson Hospital flew in for a show and tell. JeffSTAT is the only medical transportation service in the region equipped with a Maquet Cardiosave balloon pump for cardiac patients. In addition, staff works with ECMO specialists at Jefferson to treat and transport the most critically ill patients requiring ECMO therapy.

- Fire News photos by Greg Leaman

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 29

YardleyMakefield Memorial Day

Yardley-Makefield Fire Company Ladder 0 and Ladder 80 participating in the Yardley Borough Memorial Day Parade on May 30, 2016.

- Fire News photo by Jeff Goldberg

Lancaster Township Vehicle Maintenance On May 9, 2016, Lancaster Township firefighters performed vehicle maintenance.

- Fire News photo by Greg Leaman

Page 30, Fire News, July 2016

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Makin’ the Hit 2nd Annual Public Safety Day 2016

Winners: 1st Place Engine Company: Lafayette Fire Company Engine 63-2 2nd Place Engine Company: Schoeneck Fire Company Engine 19-1 1st Place Rescue Squad: Denver Fire Company Rescue 13 1st Place Aerial Device: Adamstown Fire Company Truck 11 2nd Place Aerial Device: Reamstown Fire Company Truck 17 1st Place Tanker Company: Lawn Fire Company Tanker 3 1st Place Brush/Squad: Robert Fulton Fire Company Squad 89-1 1st Place Special Operations: Lancaster County Haz-Mat, Haz-Mat 2-1 1st Place Command Vehicle: Smokestown Fire Company Squad 17-5 1st Place Privately Owned: Jim Atkinson, 1941 Mack 2nd Place Privately Owned: Jim Yeingst, 1963 C Model Mack Rescue Longest Distance Award: Jim Atkinson Fastest Gear Donning: Earl Shirk, Reamstown Fire Company Best Appearing FD Antique: Lincoln Fire Company, 1926 Reo Best Appearing Pierce: Adamstown Fire Company, Truck 11 Best Appearing Sutphen: Reamstown Fire Company, Truck 17 Best Appearing KME: Denver Fire Company, Rescue 13 Best Appearing Mack: Lafayette Fire Company, Engine 63-2 Best Appearing Department: Denver Fire Company 2016 People's Choice Award: Stevens Fire Company, Tanker 17-3 Large Raffle Winners Leather Helmet: Michael Carpenter PFD: Brandon Hilton Pierce Prize Pack: Jeff Hackman.

During the last few years, with participation at conventions and fire musters being at all time low numbers or in some cases cancelled, the future of these events and the companies that host them seem to be fading away along with many other time honored traditions.

Makin’ The Hit was founded not only on fire ground photography, but on a mission to keep history and traditions thriving into the future.

This year marked our second year holding this free public event.

Our mission started last year when Lancaster County’s Fireman’s Association announced that the 2015 County convention was not being held due to no hosting emergency department. We stepped up and held our first show on the same weekend in-which the usual annual convention took place. We had a great turn out for our first year but knew we could do better.

This year, we scheduled our event to be the weekend after the Lancaster County convention which was hosted by the Kinzer Fire Company. The fire company did an amazing job with their convention and 100th anniversary celebration.

On June 12, 2016, we held our second annual event with awards, raffles and a large scale extrication demonstration held for the public.

We are very thankful for all the departments that participated this year and packed the parking lot at CK’s Grill & BBQ and Gehman’s Feed Mill. As we work on future events, we will be looking for larger venues that can provide additional space. Keep an eye out for announcements.

A huge thanks to all our sponsors and event helpers. This event would have not been possible without their assistance.

- Fire News photo by Chris Haldeman

Page 32, Fire News, July 2016

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44th Annual Fire Expo

The Lancaster County Firemen’s Association hosted their 44th annual Fire Expo 2016 Show on May 20 to 22, 2016, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show complex in Harrisburg. The show, which began as a local event 44 years ago and for many years was held under tents at a local theme park, has now evolved into one of the premier fire shows in the United States.

Last year the show drew 17,677 attendees including exhibitor representatives and their guests who displayed a variety of Fire and Emergency Service equipment and services. Last year 345 exhibitors

showed their products and services at 457 booth spaces and displayed 214 vehicles for a combined total of 671 exhibit spaces utilized.

Almost half of the Expo attendance comes from outside Pennsylvania; in recent years guests came from more than 30 states, Canada and Germany.

Fire Expo is produced by a committee of the Lancaster County Firemen’s Association.

- Fire News photos by Greg Leaman

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 33

Amen Corner, Pittsburgh Fools

On June 1, 2016, the Pittsburgh Metro FOOLS (Fraternal Order Of Leatherhead Society) and the Amen Corner teamed up to present the Firefighter/EMS Awards. Dan Barr, FOOLS President opened the ceremony and Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Lieutenant John Gardell was recognized for starting the Coats for Kids program, providing 3300 new coats to area children in need.

- Fire News photos by Ken Lager

Page 34, Fire News, July 2016

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Lancaster Township Fire Department Honors 35th Anniversary of Bausman Firefighter LODD

June 13, 1981, Bausman Firefighter Jeffrey W. Jones died in the line of duty. Firefighter Jones, along with St. Joseph’s Hospital Paramedics Bruce Ditlow and Kevin Weatherlow from Medic 6-13, gave their lives attempting the rescue of a child who fell into an abandoned septic tank on Hamilton Road in Lancaster Township. The incident gained national attention and brought forth awareness on the dangers of rescues in confined spaces. Many of our current members were not around when this incident occurred, but that doesn’t stop us from remembering the sacrifice that Jeff made for our community. We shall never forget his actions that day. We will also continue to make sure his passing serves as a tool for us to use to be better firefighters.

Rescuers entered an abandoned septic tank one by one in efforts to rescue 8-year-old Benjamin Walker. The boy was saved, but three who entered the tank, one a teenager, died, suffocated by carbon dioxide gas.

The tragedy started at about 1615 when Dr. Walker, a urologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital, discovered that his eight-year-old boy was trapped in the septic tank which is in the family’s backyard and has been unused for a number of years and called the St. Joseph’s Hospital paramedics.

The boy, who was mowing the lawn, was dumping grass clippings down a 14-inch-diameter pipe that leads to the septic tank when a grass catcher slipped out of his hands and fell into the tank. The family had commonly used the tank to dispose of grass and shrub clippings.

The boy then got a ladder, which he placed into the septic tank and then climbed down in an attempt to find the grass catcher. The boy was overcome by the gas and unable to climb out. He was then discovered by his father. The father could not fit into the tank called St. Joseph’s Hospital, which sent an ambulance to the scene. When the St. Joseph’s rescue unit first arrived, they were unaware that the septic tank was filled with the noxious gas.

Two Medics Enter Tank Joe Giordano, the chief of the Wheatland Fire Company, said when he arrived Weatherlow was ready to descend into the septic tank after his close friend.

Giordano said he insisted that Weatherlow don SCBA before entering the tank. A lifeline was also attached to the paramedic.

Because of the narrowness of the opening, rescuers entering the hole had to be lowered first, before the SCBA could be handed down to them.

After the narrow, four-foot-long passageway, the tank openecd up and was six- to eight-feet deep and large enough for a man to walk.

Weatherlow was able to attach a lifeline to the boy, who was successfully pulled from the tank and rushed to the hospitall, and then transferred to the Hershey Medical Center. He had been in the hole for about 25 minutes.

“It was a routine call, a child trapped in a sewer with no serious injuries,” said Ken Culton, a medic on the emergency squad at St. Joseph’s Hospital. “Then it became very emotional. It moved from chaos to mayhem to hysteria. At the end a lot of us were crying.”

Mr. Culton said that a fellow medic, Bruce Ditlow, 24-years old, was the first to enter the tank. “He said, ‘It’s a little stuffy in here,’ ” Mr. Culton said. “And that’s the last thing he ever said.”

A second medic, Kevin Weatherlow, 22, was above ground.

“Weatherlow and Ditlow went to high school together,” Culton said.

“Bruce had served as Kevin’s best man at his wedding. Kevin freaked out when he realized Bruce was down there unconscious.”

Weatherlow entered the tank with an air pack, tied a rope around the boy, and then apparently took off the mask to give it to his friend, said Culton. He was overcome almost instantly; rescuers found the mask a few feet from his face.

Two volunteer firefighters then crawled down the pipe to rescue the medics. Jeff Jones, 18, of the Bausman Fire Company, collapsed and later died. His comrade, Mark Rhinier, escaped.

Firefighters began pumping air into the tank, and the police and volunteers used sledgehammers to smash through the tank’s foot-thick wall.

Jones, Weatherlow and Ditlow were brought out, but they had been in the tank for as long as 45 minutes, and efforts to revive them failed.

Rescue workers said they apparently fell into areas where the carbon dioxide was more concentrated than where the child fell.

Walker was transferred to the intensive care unit of Hershey Medical Center in critical condition. After workers finally crashed through the concrete and stone wall of the septic tank and removed Ditlow and Jones from the hole shortly after 1800, medical personnel made efforts to revive them.

They were unsuccessful and both were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Bausman Firefighter Jeffrey W. Jones’ name appears on the 1981 memorial plaque at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Flowers are placed at his resting place in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Bausman next to the LTFD fire station by Chief Comfort each year.

- Fire News photos by Greg Leaman

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 35

Scott Township Public Safety Day

Scott Township hosted their annual public safety day recently, with special guest stars from the fire, police and EMS stations. It was extra special for the Glendale Volunteer Fire Department who just took delivery of their new truck.

- Fire News photos by Ken Lager

Time to Follow the Grant Program Rules! by Tim Solobay continued from p.4 We are also planning additional training workshops on how to use the system. ER also does regular webinars on the system, as well. If you would like a workshop in your area, we have two trainers and the connection with the folks from ER to help you.

You have heard me many times discuss what we are hoping to accomplish to help aid departments on what we defined as the three big issues facing the Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Service. Today I would like to update you on what I term the Number 3 issue — training delivery — and what we are working on. It will help volunteers and our career firefighters, as well. If all goes well, later this year we will start the process of taking all the training programs offered by the academy, either at the academy, through one of the ETAs, and other conditions that our local level and adjunct instructors are able to do with departments on site by utilizing the Commonwealth’s External Training System that the Department of Health uses for EMS continuing education as well as other Commonwealth agencies use for training. The system will be set up for firefighters across the Commonwealth to do fire training online. We will probably start with the theory-

only courses, then move to those with a practical application. Once you complete the online training, you would then do the practical portions of the course with an instructor either in a formal class or by having a special way for you get your practical work done for that class. It will take some doing, but I feel very strongly that we can get this in place.

Knowing that many still like and enjoy going to traditional classes, we also hope to develop a pool of funds that will enable your department to be reimbursed for regular training you take and successfully pass. We hope by creating this alternative online learning, and also getting funds to cover the costs of taking traditional training, it will encourage not only more training, but take away one of the impediments that sometimes causes folks to not want to volunteer because they cannot get their training that their department requires. This process is still evolving and of course the proper funding needs to be established. If this sounds like something you think can be helpful, please reach out to your Senator or Representative and encourage them to support the initiatives necessary to get this done.

Looking ahead, we need to figure out how

we fix Issue 1 (Funding) and Issue 2 (recruitment and retention). As always I welcome any and all ideas you may have, whether it’s solutions that you have come up with to solve issue 2, ideas for issue 1 or any other issues that while not in the top 3, still cause issues for departments and companies in PA. There have been a lot of recent issues on fire grounds and training grounds where FFs have gone down because of the heat. I would just like to remind everyone about proper hydration and preparation, especially for summer season fire calls; lots of fluid and lighter eating, especially when you know things such as a heavy training session are coming. I always try to reach out and check on firefighters through the chief when we hear of injuries to check on the individuals condition, but would rather be calling for a social event. So, again, PLEASE prepare for incidents when at all possible. Yes summer is great time for good eating and adult beverages (for those of you that are of legal age), but remember the effects on your body when doing heavy and exerting work on a fire scene or training ground.

Well, that’s it for this month. Enjoy your summer and see you next month.

Tim

PSFA Bids Farewell to Shirley Johns continued from p.6 Question: If a student fails to complete the required skills in a given course can they retest the skill(s) or must they retake the entire course?

Answer: If they attended the entire course, they can retest the skill(s) without having to retake the entire course within one year. After that one year they would repeat that course.

Question: Annual Operations-level Refresher training includes mission specific HM training. Can a fire department choose different mission specific training topics each year?

Answer: YES, Ops refresher includes a review of core requirements with an a la carte menu (options) to pick and choose mission specific training for the remainder of the course.

These mission specific options can be changed each year for refresher training. Mission specif-

ic menu option includes: Technical Decon, Mass Decon, Air Monitoring, Product Control, Victim Recovery and Rescue.

Question: What course title (wording) is on my certificate for HM Ops Refresher course since it includes mission specific options?

Answer: The Ops refresher certificate will read “Hazardous Materials Operations Refresher,” regardless of which mission-specific menu option chosen. Use the student Skill sheets to document specific training completed.

Question: Must students provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

Answer: YES, a minimum level of PPE is required by all students as issued by the AHJ/sponsoring organization; plus foot, head, hand and eye protection.

Question: What if my AHJ does not use Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), can I still attend and complete the course?

Answer: YES, if you do not use RPE (medical, public works, etc.), you can still participate in the course and participate and/or observe in the majority of the skills. However, some skills require the use of RPE. Students issued and wearing RPE must follow the facial hair policy and be clean shaven before using such equipment within the class.

The PSFA website (www.osfc.pa.gov) under State Fire Academy documents has a detailed HM Curriculum Policy (2016-01) with course outlines.

So until next month, remember, “Safety is no accident. Train to be Safe.”

Page 36, Fire News, July 2016

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Up Close & Personal

Bethlehem Captain Deven Knoll takes a break in the rehab area during a three-alarm fire on E 8th Street on May 26, 2016.

- Fire News photo by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr.

On June 3 and 4, 2016, the Kinzer Fire Company hosted the 96th Lancaster County Fireman’s Association Convention while celebrating their 100th Anniversary of service.

- Fire News photo by Greg Leaman

The Penn Township Department of Fire Rescue Services “C” Shift. (Left to right): Firefighter Mike Bankert, FF Chad Arnold, Captain Geo Miller, FF Erik Brown and FF Randy Angel.

- Fire News photo by Steve Roth

On June 12, 2016, BC 11 went on location at a four-story apartment building on the 4300 block of Chestnut. The fire quickly went to three alarms with fire through the roof.

- Fire News photo by Frank Wesnoski

Allentown firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in a vacant building under construction on May 13, 2016.

- Fire News photo by Dennis Wetherhold, Jr.

SHACOG TRT Training. On April 23, 2016, Practical Confined Space training with the Technical Rescue Team was held at the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company.

- Fire News photo by Ken Lager

Fire Chief Donald Thoma of Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department takes a few minutes after he and his sons investigated “something burning in a trailer” with neighboring company, High Park Volunteer Fire Departrment. (Left to right): Captain Dan Thoma, Firefighter Aaron Thoma and Chief Don Thoma.

- Fire News photo courtesy of Chief Donald H. Thoma

Hanover firefighters Howard Billig (left) and Steve Kaiser work atop Truck 46 at a small fire on the roof at Utz Quality Foods in May 2016.

- Fire News photo by 911 Photography

FireNews.com

Fire News, July 2016, Page 37

Cover Story

Colwyn Borough Building Fire

Late on March 8, 2016, Delaware County 911 received calls for a fire at a business on Ellis Avenue. The caller reported hearing explosions and seeing much smoke. Crews arrived to find a large auto repair facility in a two-story building with dozens of cars, trailers, and other items stored around the building. Upon arrival they had fire in several cars and heavy smoke showing in the rear. Crews

began forcing entry, knocking down the exterior fire and opening the roof. Initial water supply issues and an early collapse of part of the roof allowed the fire to gain headway and a defensive attack was initiated. Companies used six elevated master streams and several handlines to control the fire. Darby Borough, a mutual aid company, had command.

- Fire News photos by Frank Wesnoski

Page 38, Fire News, July 2016

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THE KEYSTONE FIREFIGHTER CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD JULY 15-17, 2016 AT THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION CENTER 100 Station Ave, Oaks, Pa, 19456 (Valley Forge/King of Prussia area)

We have lots in store for you again this year. Need some additional classes, we have them! Need to buy some new gear, tools, SCBA, apparatus or insurance, the vendors will be there to answer your questions. Bring your Junior/Explorers out for some fun and competition on! Test your driving skills with our apparatus rodeo! Never seen one of theFire Department racing teams from New York? Join us on Saturday to see what they are all about! And if you like antique fire apparatus we will have them for you to look at all three days.

Our training starts on Friday at 0900 with a Forcible Entry Academy by Traditions Training and Fire Ground Leadership at 1300 by Joe Pronesti and Chris Naun. The exhibit floor will be open from 1600 to 2100 with our keynote speaker, Mike Dugan at 1900.

Our activities on Saturday start at 0800 and continue until 1800 with training on Elevator Emergencies and Rescues by Tony Tricarico; Engine Company Excellence by Richard Ray; Prioritizing the FireGground by Richard Ray; Primary Search: from the front door to thru the window with Jimmy Smith; Combat Ready by Traditions Training group; Fire Ground Operations by Joe Pronesti and Chris Naun; and much more.

New for 2016 will be our Junior Firefighter/Explorer competition sponsored by VFIS from 1100-1400. Bring your juniors out to see how they fair against other departments.

From 1000 to 1400 we will have antique and modern apparatus on display outside in the parking lot. We are offering over $2100 in prize money to those who can show the judges that they came to

win!

Also during the same time span we have invited the Sleden (Long Island, New York) Slo-Pokes fire department racing team to display their Class B and C racing rigs. Hopefully we can get them to give us a little demo.

On Sunday, the exhibit hall will be open from 0900 to 1400 with activities planned for outside and inside. We will be having a chili cook off contest judged by Ray Cooney, host of television’s Firehouse Kitchen. Make your best pot of chilli and bring it on to be judged by him and his staff. The winner of the contest will receive a $100 gift certificate donated by the Fire Store.

Once again our friends from VFIS are sponsoring a fire apparatus rodeo in the parking lot. Bring one of your rigs out and see if you are the best on the course.

We hope that you can join us for the second year of the Keystone Firefighter Conference. We are sure that you will find enough to keep you busy. Fore more, please visit our website at www.keystonefirefighterconference.com

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Fire News, July 2016, Page 39