~ Serving Downingtown and East Caln Since 1887 ~

Eight Alert volunteers, seven from the Thorndale Fire Co. and two from the Fame Fire Co. No. 3 of West Chester completed national certification for Rescue Technician - General Requirements (Core) plus Vehicle and Machinery, Levels I and II, hosted at Alert and Thorndale during July and August.

These three courses would normally consist of over 80 hours of training.  However, the volunteers challenged the combined classroom and practical courses into a 40 hour class.  Although, the class time consisted of 40 hours, the students spent many additional hours together honing and practicing their skills in preparation for the certification testing.

Some of the main topics the students learned from Marty Hannon and Eric Smith of Bucks County Community College, were ropes and rigging's, patient packaging, large area searches, heavy equipment stabilization and extrication.

We would like to thank the West Bradford Fire Co. and the Christiana (DE) Fire Co. for standing-by for Alert Thorndale while our rescue trucks were committed to the training.  In addition, thank you to Sanner's Towing and Lyons & Hohl Excavating for allowing us to learn about your heavy equipment.

With the completion of these three Rescue Technician courses, these students can now pursue their Rescue Tech education in Water Rescue, Building Collapse, Trench Rescue, High/Low Angle Rescue and Confined Space Rescue.

Approximately 30 volunteers (firefighters, wives, husbands, kids and girl friends) helped with our Annual Chicken Bar-B-Que Dinner and Bake Sale Fund Raiser, this afternoon.  And, thanks to a another great turn-out by the public, we sold-out again for the fourth year in a row.

The dinner included a hearty half of chicken, a baked potato, corn on the cob, apple sauce, dinner roll, a drink and a dessert.  This was a great opportunity for local neighbors to socialize with each other and we even visitors join us from Texas and some soccer families from New York.

We would like to thank Sharon's Sweet Beginnings, Turkey Hill Market and Pepperigde Farm for their donations, this year.

As seven Alert and six Thorndale Fire Co. (Station 38) volunteers were getting ready to start their next classroom session of the Core Rescue Technician training at our station, a severe thunderstorm was hammering central Chester County.

Just before 7:00 PM as the students were watching the storm in the front of the engine room, they saw a bolt of lightening strike the house directly across the street from the station.  Tower 45 (Lt. Stevens) requested the a house fire assignment, adding Station 46 (Minquas Fire Co. No. 2) , for a house struck by lightening with light smoke showing from the roof.

The crew split into two teams, aided by the crew from Squad 38, with one team raising ground ladders and the tower to the roof and the other checking for extension in the attic space.  Lt. Stevens advised Engine 46-1 to lay a 5" supply line and to pull a hand line to the front of the house.  Engine 46-2 was directed to the alley in the rear.  Chief 46 (M. Miller) assumed command upon his arrival and Rescue 45 established Penna. Ave CP, on the ramp of the station with Ambulance 46-1 setting-up rehab in the engine.

After an hour, the department returned to their stations and the students started their two hour Core training class.

Photo's are courtesy of Minquas Fire Co. No. 2.

Just after 7:00 PM, Rescue 45 was dispatched to assist Station 49 (East Brandywine Fire Co.) for an auto accident with entrapment at Rt. 322 and Old Horseshoe Pike in East Brandywine Twp. 

The crew from Rescue 45 assisted the crew from Engine 49 with stabilization of both cars involved.  Then the team removed the drivers side doors of one of the cars of the accident.

Photo's are courtesy of East Brandywine Fire Co.

The Alert volunteers participated in the 100th. Anniversary, Rescue Truck Housing and Building Dedication Parade of the Temple Fire Co. today.  As the crews traveled with Brush, Engine and Rescue 45 through heavy rain as they approached Temple, the day turned-out to be good one with the rain stopping just as the parade was starting at 1:00 PM.

For the second parade in a row of the the year, all of the preparation and hard work paid-off again, as the volunteers were awarded the following prizes:

• Best Appearing and Equipped Pumper - First Place ~ Engine 45
• Best Appearing and Equipped Heavy Rescue - First Place ~ Rescue 45
• Best Appearing Apparatus on a Spartan Chassis ~ Engine 45

Congratulations to the Temple Fire Co. for their 100 years of service and good luck with your new rescue truck and building.

And, THANK YOU to the CLIFTON HEIGHTS FIRE CO. for assisting on Saturday!

The Alert Fire Co. No. 1 was very active, once again in Kerr Park and at the firehouse during the Annual Downingtown Good Neighbor Day ~ Fourth of July Celebration, today. 

Rescue 45 was on display and worked as the Command Post from 7:00 AM until the end of the event at 11:45 PM.  Also starting at 7:00 AM, crews manned a water station in front of our firehouse for the annual Run-For-Life and a team in Squad 45 provided first  aid at Manor and Downing Ave's. 

In addition, our volunteers provided emergency and fire crews throughout the day and night, during all of the events with a vehicle rescue demonstration in the middle of the afternoon.  The day ended with the annual fireworks show.

We hope that you enjoyed and had happy and safe Fourth of July!
 

A violent mid-afternoon thunderstorm raced through Chester County leaving destruction in its path.  With horizontal straight-line winds of up to 70 to 75 MPH and heavy rain, many fire and rescue companies in Chester and Delaware Counties were kept busy responding to emergencies for several hours.

As a result of this storm, the first call for the Alert volunteers was for Rescue 45 to respond to assist Station 49 (East Brandywine Fire Co.) on Rt. 282  near Dorlans Mill Rd. for tree down on a car, with two people trapped inside.  The rescue crew found it difficult responding to the scene due to the many trees and wires down on the roadways.  The rescue team along with the crew from Engine 49 stabilized both the car and the tree, then removed the doors of the car so that the victims could be extricated from the car and taken to a hospital.

The Alerts, in addition to the rescue call, respond to several automatic alarms, a reported house fire and calls for trees and wires that feel onto houses.

Photo's are courtesy of coatesvillefire.org and ebfc49.org

Karl Stevens was our latest volunteer member to graduate from the Chester County Fire Training Academy, this evening.  Karl was one of 33 members of the Spring 2010 graduating class to be certified as Firefighter I by the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy in addition to the National "Pro-Board" Firefighter I certification program.

In all, there where 13 volunteers from the Downingtown Fire Dept. who graduated this evening from Firefighter I and II, Instructor I and Pumper Driver/Operator.  The graduation ceremony was hosted at the Wagontown Fire Co., in their Social Hall.

Eleven volunteers attended the 90th. Annual Lancaster County Firemen's Assoc. Convention Parade in Bareville with Squad, Brush, Engine and Rescue 45.  The convention was hosted jointly by the Bareville and Upper Leacock Fire Companies, in honor of their 100th. Anniversaries.

The team spent many long hours working on all of the tools, equipment and trucks for the past two weeks, getting ready for the parade.  And, all of the hard work paid-off as the volunteers won the following awards:

• Squad 45 ~ Best Appearing and Equipped Special Services Unit - 3rd. Place
• Engine 45 ~ Best Appearing and Equipped Pumper, 1990-1999 - 2nd. Place
• Rescue 45 ~ Best Appearing and Equipped Rescue - 1st. Place
• Best Appearing Fire Company Outside of Lancaster County - 1st. Place
• Special Judges Award ~ Best Appearing Overall Fire Company in Uniform.

Many thanks to the host companies for doing a great job with the event and especially to the Alert Team who did another outstanding job.

Additional Alert volunteers were certified in the Emergency Boat Operations and Rescue Training Course this weekend.  The course was hosted by the Kennett Fire Co.  The training was instructed by WhiteCap Water Rescue Training (www.whitecaprescue.com) staff instructors Todd Stahl, Scott Davis and Greg Miller. In addition Alert, he following companies participated in the training;  Kennett Fire Co., Fame Fire Co. No. 3 of West Chester and the Media Fire Co. of Delaware County.



The Emergency Boat Operation and Rescue included both classroom and practical hands-on training in boat selection, recommended equipment, boat-handling, moving-water tactics, and boat-rescue techniques.  This course meets NFPA 1670 Technician Level Guidelines. 

 

The above Fire/Rescue companies continue to train as a team as they move forward with forming the Chester County Rescue Task Force.

 

All photo's are courtesy of Todd Stahl of WhiteCap.

Engine 45 was asked to stand-by at the Mont Clare Fire Co. (Montgomery County Station 55) during their 100th. Anniversary Banquet Celebration.  During the stand-by the crew of ten from Engine 45 (Lt. Stevens) and Squad 45 (Lt. Panetti) enjoyed a great dinner at the Fitzwater Inn, compliments of the MCFC.

With an hour remaining in our shift, without any calls, the team was dispatched at 10:55 PM for a tree down on vehicles in the area of Lock 60, between the Schuylkill River and Canal.  EMS was already on location and in the process transporting several people from two families to a local hospital to be check-out for injuries.

Two families were fishing on the bank of the river, when suddenly a large tree fell across two pick up trucks where the people were sitting on the tail gate.  The crews from the Engine and Squad assisted with the removal of the tree and saving the the lunker-catfish in the cooler!

Photo's are courtesy of Mark Freeman.

Shortly after 1:00 AM the DFD was dispatched for an automatic fire alarm in the 200 block of Boot Rd., in the Trestle Bridge Business Park.  Asst. Chief 46 (S. Miller) arrived first to find smoke showing from the area of the roof and upgraded the assignment to a building fire.

Tower 45 (Capt. Keen) arrived shortly after Asst Chief 46 and set-up the tower in the front of the building and the crew went to the roof to investigate where the smoke was coming from.  The crew from Engine 46-1 (Lt. Kowalcyzk), Minquas Fire Co. No. 2, advanced an attack line into the front of the building and found and industrial size clothes dryer well involved in fire with a moderate smoke condition throughout the building.  The dryer was located in the middle of the warehouse area.  The remainder of the crew from Tower 45, Engine 45 and Engine 46-2 assisted with ventilation of the large commercial building.

Photo's are courtesy of Minquas Fire Co. No. 2

This weekend, volunteers from the Alert rescue team attended the First Annual Chester County Technical Rescue Training Weekend at the West Chester Fire Training Center.  The courses offered for the weekend were  Water Rescue for the Emergency Responder, Trench Rescue I and Special Vehicle Rescue.

The Water Rescue section was instructed by WhiteCap Water Rescue Training (www.whitecaprescue.com), with 22 students that attended.  This 16 hour course included many valuable swift water rescue techniques such as planning, reviewing equipment, self-rescue and shore-based rescue.  The Instructors from WhiteCap were Todd Stahl, Alex Myers, Greg Miller and Sean McCausland.

The Special Vehicle Rescue was taught by EJR's Rescue Techs (www.rescuetechs.com) with 20 students in attendance.  This 16 hour course covered many different aspects of heavy equipment and truck rescue operations.  The instructors from Rescue Techs were Eric Rickenbach and Dave Gribble.

And, the Trench Rescue I course was taught by Martin Hannon and Todd Smith of the Bucks County Community College and Philadelphia Fire Dept.  This was a 16 hour course, as well and the students learned and practiced new techniques in the safe rescue operations in supporting the trench walls and the removal of victims.

The rescue companies that attended the weekend training were Alert, Fame No. 3 of West Chester, Kennett, Lionville, Longwood, Thorndale, Wagontown, West Bradford, West Whiteland and several Chester County Fire Training Instructors.

We would like to thank The Firestore and Belfour for providing lunch for all of the students during the weekend  and the Fame Fire Co. No. 3 for coordinating the training weekend.

Engine 45 and a crew of six volunteers were invited to attend the Annual Beaver Bash Spring Fair at the Beaver Creek Elementary School on W. Pennsylvania Ave.  The theme of the school fair, this year was "Teamwork". 

The crew explained to the kids the importance of working as a team when being a firefighter.  They also gave tours of the apparatus and the equipment, in addition to handing-out fire prevention literature.

The DFD was honored to participate in the "World Trade Center Trees Coming Home to Coatesville" event this afternoon.  Tower 45 was invited to form a memorial arch with Ladder 43 (Coatesville Fire Dept.) on South First Ave. at the entrance of the Graystone Society memorial event.

There were 17 DFD volunteers that witnessed and participated in the day-long event with the addition of several other Chester, Lancaster and Montgomery County fire companies.

In 1969, the Lukens Steel Company provided the structural steel for the World Trade Center North and South Towers.  The steel that Lukens supplied was the strongest portion of the buildings, as it provided support of the first nine floors.  The steel was shipped from the Coatesville facility to New York City by train for the construction of the towers when it was completed.

Forty-one years later twenty-eight flatbed tractor trailers from Landstar Trucking of Jacksonville, FL made the journey from the JFK Airport in New York City to Coatesville with a police escort.  The tractor trailers returned 500 tons of steel consisting of ten 50 ton sections of steel beams called "trees".  These beams were called trees due to their unique tree shape form.  The trees were donated to the Graystone Society by the Port Authority of New York.

The steel will be displayed in the upcoming National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum that will be built in the Lukens Historic District on South First Ave. in Coatesville. 

Editors Note:  Please click on the Daily Local News Link below to see a conversation with Mr. Tim Philman and some of the DFD volunteers after the arrival of the steel.  Mr. Philman was the driver of the second truck in the convoy and he stopped-by Tower 45 to get a photo of the arch and the firefighters.  Then this conversation took place.