Silver Spring Garage Fire Cont...

I thought I would make a second post here to fill in a few more blanks about the garage fire and to post a video of the fire. The date and location was already reported in the last post so I will skip that part on move on to responding apparatus. The 31-02 box brought companies 33 (New Kingston), 31 (Silver Springs), 27 (Citizens Mechanicsburg), Truck 28 (Washies, Mechanicsburg), 25 (Monroe Twp.), Engine 23 (Upper Allen for R.I.T.) and Air 45 (Carlisle, for obvious reasons). Numerouse pieces arrived fairly quickly with the first in engine and tanker from New Kingston arriving back to back. Two handlines were quickly deployed and the fire was knowcked down rather quickly with no injuries to firefighters. I didn't speak to anyone abbout the incident so I do not have a dollar estimate or cause. According to the local news paper the occupant started the car and went back inside to return and find the garage burning.

In the video you will hear the sound of a 220 pond propane tank venting and burning you will also notice the intensity of the flames in that area (1/2 corner), yeah I don't use alphabets for areas because I know I am right and the modern fire service is wrong.

A question was posed about the incident on my last post. It is one I do not want to get into on the net but would be glad to in person. It does show the difference in the world we live in when it comes to the fire service and the different areas. NOW BEFORE ANYONE STARTS I AM NOT MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING OR PICKING ON ANYONE, I AM JUST SHOWING HOW DIFFERENT AREAS WORK. This call required the response of at least 10 rigs from seven different departments and maybe as many as 50 firefighters. If you put the same fire in Harrisburg you would have gotten four rigs with nine firefighters, a lieutenant and either or a Battalion Chief or Captain. Now we are lucky enough to have hydrants every few hundred feet and people paid at station to respond right away. At different parts through out the county the response of apparatus may have been different. My guess is in DC you would have gotten many more rigs than in Harrisburg and probably more men than on this call.

Do I have a point? Not really but if there is one it is that the public should hold their criticism unless they are educated enough or part of the solution. Often I hear why do they run so many fire trucks? The answer is because you need to ask that question instead of stepping up and volunteering to be part of the solution. I do this for a living and love every second of it (I hate the politics part, but that is another post), but all these people are doing this for free, often with not even a thank you.

And nothing brought about me getting on my soap box, sometimes I just feel like climbing up on it and starting. Besides now that the end of the year, beginning of the year battle for me at work is over I am still in full combat mode. Now to take a month or two off and then prepare for the same battle at the end of this year.

A New Post, And A Fire, Not A Shippensburg Fire But A Fire...

Wow! it really has been a long time since my last post. I want to thank the few of you that posted supportive comments on my last post and that went out and signed our petition, I guess there is about seven of you that remember the brotherhood. That is so very sad. Soon I will make a new post on what has happened in the last 25 days in Harrisburg. Lets just say it has been a crazy and busy time period.

An incident that occurred yesterday morning (12-30-10) prompted me to make a post today as I planned nothing more for today except for hockey, football and beer. Did I say beer?, I meant good old Porter beer and winter ale. After getting home a little late from work yesterday morning I was making breakfast when at 9:16 a.m. Cumberland County 911 toned out area companies for a reported garage fire at 160 Texaco Road in Silver Springs Township, Cumberland County. With Texaco Road being just behind the house I though I would get the camera out dust it off and see if it still worked. Looking out the back window at the header gave me all the incentive I needed and off I went. I arrived the same time as the incident commander and ahead of the fire apparatus. The photos go on a time line in order and as you can see the garage was well involved upon my arrival. It was a one and a half story block and frame two car unattached garage with one car inside. In photo two you can see when the springs left loose that held the door up allowing it to come down. This is just one of many dangers a firefighter faces on these types of calls along with flammable liquids, floor pits, pesticides and other items stored in the building. Photo three shows the lines man on the first in engine stretching an attack line to extinguish the blaze. I must say he did a very good job in deploying the line. In the last two photos he and his partner begin attacking the fire.

Within the next few days I will make another post on this fire with a few more photos and some video. And hopefully next week I will post about what has been going on in the city recently. With the show of support we received from this site compared to my photography site I do not know if or when this one will be back to regular postings.

For now I hope everyone out there had a safe and joyous Christmas and an equally safe and Happy New Year.

First Annual Cumberland County Firemen's Convention Held In Shippensburg

On September 20, 1928 the first annual convention of the Cumberland County Volunteer Firemen’s Association was held in Shippensburg. The first convention featured a slightly different format that it does today in the fact that this was a one day convention. The Vigilant’s appeared for the first time in their new uniforms and at 2 p.m. ceremonies kicked off with a dedication of the new municipal building that houses the company and other borough offices. Directly following the dedication the new American Lafrance city service truck was officially turned over to the company. At 4 p.m. firemen from all over the valley paraded through town, it was estimated that more than 400 firemen were in the parade. Firemen then visited the Cumberland Valley Hose Company for a meal. The town declare the day a holiday and the schools and teacher's college were only open a half day so that all could enjoy the festivities. Later that evening the firemen convened in the new parlor at the Municipal building to conduct business and elect new officers for the coming year.

Work Starts On County Fire School

After ten years of discussions and planning on Saturday August 21, 1971 work began on the new Cumberland County fire school. Members of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 542 donated their time and Silver Spring Construction Company of Mechanicsburg donated the heavy equipment to grade four of the more than seven acres at the site of the new facility. Kimboy Inc., Harrisburg donated the use of a lowboy to move the bull dozer to and from the site.

The center was sponsored by the Cumberland County Volunteer Firemen's Association. County Fire Marshall Earl Moser stated that the facility should be completed in five years.

First CCVFA Celebration Held

On August 16 1928 Cumberland County firemen traveled to Mechanicsburg for their first ever celebration. A large firemen's parade was held as part of the six day Centennial celebration of the community. The parade was said to be a mile long featuring over 1,500 firemen from 18 companies in line and was to be one of the finest the valley had ever seen. The Cumberland Valley Hose Company received the second best appearing fire company and was well represented with 47 men. Only Cumberland County fire companies were eligible for awards.

I should note that this first ever celebration should not be confused with the organizations first ever convention held later that year in Shippensburg, that will be another post for a future year. Also sorry for the lack of photos, missing post and same year post lately. I have been off for the last month but most of it has been spent out of town. It is a large process to get these ready and uploaded a month in advance so the appear as if I was at home. It is also not easy in the summer months when working incidents are few and far between.

CCVFA Meets For The First Time In Shippensburg

On August 11, 1927 the Cumberland County Volunteer Firemen’s Association met in Shippensburg for the first time. The meeting was held in the Cumberland Valley Hose Company's parlor. Over 100 members from the 16 companies making up the organization attended the meeting. Near the end of the meeting the Shippensburg companies were sent to a working barn fire (posted last year) and many of the visiting firemen rushed to the scene to watch the Shippensburg's bravest in action.

Memorial Dedicated To Fallen Emergency Responders

On Sunday May 24, 1998 emergency services personnel, family members and the public dedicated a memorial to fallen Cumberland County emergency responders at the Cumberland County Emergency Services training academy. The monument contains the names of eight police officers, two fire policemen and nine firefighters. One Shippensburg firefighter, W. Mervin Fogelsanger who died February 17, 1969 while battling a fire in downtown Shippensburg is on the plaque.

Citizen's Fire Co., Lemoyne

The only major incidents to occur on this date were in 1859 and 1975, they were posted the last two years. Last year on days when I had nothing from Shippensburg to post I started to post a brief history and photographs from Cumberland County fire departments. The idea was to start with the lowest numbers and work my way through the county before starting Franklin County departments. In the past I posted the three New Cumberland Fire companies so brings me to Cumberland County Co. 11, Lemoyne.

Citizen's Fire Co. No. 1 Lemoyne

On June 19, 1905, a meeting was held in the Witman Building at Third and Rossmoyne Streets for the purpose of organizing a fire company for the Borough of Lemoyne. The temporary chairman was William C. Bowman. Meetings were held once a week. Speakers were obtained from surrounding companies, and election of permanent officers took place.

On July 6, 1906, the Borough Council officially recognized the new company. The first by-laws and a constitution were drawn up and approved on July 17, 1906. The first hose was purchased on July 31 of the same year, at 70 cents per foot. Five-hundred feet hose and one nozzle was purchased.

The first hose carriage was purchased in 1907 and placed in the stable of Dr. John Bowman. The fire apparatus was moved frequently from garage to stable. The company purchased a tract of land on Hummel Avenue and a temporary wooden structure was built for $36.00. The second hose cart was received in 1910, and the former one was dismantled.

In 1911 a the land with the temporary fire station was sold for $1,300 and another lot bought on Herman Avenue, now occupied by the fire house. The contract for the construction of the permanent fire house was awarded to W.E. Bushey for $3,375 on March 17, 1914. On September 5 of that year the fire apparatus was moved to the new building. The first photograph shows this building as it was originally built and before modifications were made.

On November 19, 1919 the residents of Lemoyne voted to loan the company $7,000 to purchase their first motor driven fire truck. In 1923 a fire alarm system was installed, with individual corner boxes. In 1938 a new Hahn pumper was purchased and the first motorized pumper was sent out to be remodeled.

In 1939 a hose tower was constructed in the rear of the building. This can be seen in the three recent photographs of the present building. In 1940 the apparatus was turned over to the borough. In 1951 an emergency unit was purchased (second photo, second from the right) bringing the fleet to three rigs. A new building an addition was constructed to on the west side of the present building in 1952 and 53. The second photograph shows the new addition well (note the difference in the brick on the two story portion of the building). In 1954 a Peter Pirsch engine was purchased (second photo, far right) and in 1955 another emergency unit was purchased, which was used as a police patrol wagon (second photo, second from the left). This brought the companies fleet to five all of which are pictured on photo #2.

Over the years the company purchased and sold additional fire apparatus. In 1976 the fire station was again remodeled, the last three photograph show the building as it appears today and after the remodeling.

In 1997 talks were started with the Wormleysburg Fire Company to form a new organization. On January 1, 1998 a new organization was formed between the two companies and is known as the West Shore Bureau of Fire. The company now operates with the number 13 and the apparatus is ran from two stations. The old Citizens building now houses an engine, squad, air and utility truck. In the recent past I have read articles in the local new papers stating that the company is interested in constructing a new building.

Information for this article was obtained from a 1975 and 1979 CCVFA convention book. Remember clicking on the photographs will make them get larger.

New Cumberland Fire Department

The only major incident to occur on this day was in 2004 and that was posted last year. Today is the last installment of the New Cumberland Fire companies before moving on to another community.

Most of the rich history of the New Cumberland Fire Department has already been told on this site when I featured the Elkwood and Citizen’s companies.

In 1966 the Citizens’ Hose Company No. 1 and the Elkwood Fire Company No. 2 merged to form the New Cumberland Fire Company. The transition was not an easy one, with pride and competition having prevailed between the to companies for so many years, but is was accomplished. At the time of the merger the companies continued to operate out of their respective fire stations for some time.

In 1972 a junior organization was formed starting out with nine junior members. In 1973 a CF Mack pumper was purchased for $39,000 and a new Dodge Horton ambulance was added to the fleet. In March of 1976 all the apparatus cabs were repainted with white roofs. I n 1978 the New Cumberland ambulance association became a part of the New Cumberland Fire Department.

In 1980 a new fire station was constructed at 319 Fourth Street and completed at a cost of $400,000. The building was dedicated on October 18, 1980 completing the merger of the two fire companies as one.

In 1982 new squad truck and Pierce Arrow pumper was added to the fleet. In 1990 a Seagrave ladder truck was purchased from New York City and refurbished. In 1992 the 1973 Mack was refurbished with an E-One glider kit. Numerous other small rigs and ambulances have also been purchased over the years. The company’s newest rig is a 2005 Pierce ladder truck.

Citizen Hose Company #1, New Cumberland

A couple of weeks ago I started posting on Cumberland County fire companies starting at the west shore when I had no major incidents to report. Today’s post features the Citizen’s Hose Company of New Cumberland.

In 1895 fire destroyed the home and business of Jacob Eisenberger at 5TH and Markets Streets. Newspaper accounts referred to the fire as a major conflagration witch totally destroyed the structures and threatened to spread to adjacent buildings.

Following the fire Mr. H. A. Lenhart, borough Burgess, called a meeting of interested townspeople to organize the Citizen’s Hose Company No. 1, at which time G.W.H. Wilson was elected the first fire chief and Mr. Lenhart the first president.

No fire station existed at the time and it would be another 12 years before the first one was occupied. In 1896 council purchased 500 feet of 2-½ inch hose followed by a hose reel the same month. All the fire equipment was housed in a shed located at the back of the schoolhouse at Fifth and Bridge Streets.

On July 28, 1906 council purchased a lot at the corner of 4Th and Locust Streets for $333.34. On July 29, 1907 the company dedicated the new house with a three-day celebration and parade featuring over 400 firemen in the line of march. The total cost of the project was $2,831.34.

In 1907 the company purchased a hose wagon for $325.00 and a horse for $225.00. The horse was named “Smoke” and it was reported that he loved to eat tobacco and run to fires.

In 1915 the company received their first motorized rig, a Brockway combination chemical and hose truck. In 1923 an American LaFrance 600-gpm triple combination pumper was purchased for $12,250.00.

In 1927 an addition to the firehouse was started and it was dedicated July 4, 1928. The cost of the project was $13,000. The company continued to upgrade its apparatus with the addition of a 700-gpm American LaFrance pumper in 1938 and an emergency unit in 1940. The unit was equipped with six large searchlights and equipped to be used as an ambulance in case of an emergency. Over the years the company had other apparatus including a 1950 White Squad truck, a 1954 GMC General pumper, a 1960 Ford pumper and an International rescue truck.

In 1966 the Citizen’s Hose Company No. 1 and the Elkwood Fire Company No. 2 merged to form the New Cumberland Fire Department. The transition was not an easy one, what with pride and competition having prevailed between the two companies for so many years, but it was accomplished.

The histories of Cumberland County fire departments are meant to be short, the are not intended to provide an in depth view of the companies. Next time I will feature the New Cumberland Fire Department. This is the place that I say if anyone has any additions or corrections please pass them along, but why bother no one has added anything in almost two years.

Elkwood Fire Company No. 2, New Cumberland

I am going to start something new today. In the past when I did not have a major incident for the date I profiled a piece of apparatus from the Shippensburg Fire Department. Since I do not have all the rigs done that is not always an easy thing to do. Over the years I have been photographing past and present fire stations in Cumberland and Franklin Counties along with a database on each. Starting today I will begin on the West Shore with the lowest numbered company (New Cumberland, the first three post will all tie in together) and work my way to Shippensburg providing a BREIF history of the company’s with photographs of their firehouses. I will not spend much if any time on their apparatus, if I live long enough and the site remains up after I finish the two counties I will return to them with apparatus over the years. I will return to Shippensburg apparatus from time to time.

The Elkwood Fire Company No. 1 was organized August 1922. At the time Elkwood was a portion of Lower Allen Township and bordered New Cumberland. The citizens of Elkwood felt the need for fire protection and called a meeting in the Elkwood School House. In the meeting an organization was formed and officers were elected. In January 1923 a new Reo engine was ordered and on June 7 of that year the rig was delivered. The Reo was housed in a nearby stable until a permanent building could be erected.

In the spring of 1923 a lot was purchased for $200 and paid for by assessment of $2.00 upon the membership of the company. The building was immediately started and on January 1924 the company held their first meeting in the new firehouse (the third photo is of the original building).

In 1931 Elkwood became a part of New Cumberland Borough and the Elkwood Fire Company #1 changed their charted to reflect as the Elkwood Fire Company #2.

In August 1939 the company received their second piece of apparatus a 1939 Ward LaFrance (the rig and a brief history of the fire can be seen at this link http://shippensburgfiredepartment.blogspot.com/2008/01/elkwood-fire-company-gutted-by-fire.html). On January 25, 1940 the unthinkable happened when the firehouse burnt to the ground destroying the 1923 Reo (photo four is the firehouse with the 1939 Ward during the fire). Chief Arnold estimated the loss at more than $20,000. Plans were started to rebuild and in the late summer of 1940 the cornerstone was laid. On December 7, 1940 the building was formally dedicated (photos five and six show the building at different time).

In 1950 the Elkwood fire station was enlarged with the addition of a social room at a cost of $22,000. And then in July 1956 the company purchased a 500 gpm GMC pumper built by Oren for $11,773.50. In 1966 the company again upgraded it’s apparatus with the purchase of a 750 gpm Hahn engine.

In September 1966 the Citizen’s Hose Co. #1 and the Elkwood Fire Company #2 merged to become the New Cumberland Fire Department. I have never confirmed it but it is written that this was the first time that two volunteer fire companies merged into one in the state of Pennsylvania.
Photos 7,8,9 and 10 show the Elkwood building as it appears today. The next installment will feature the Citizens Hose Company #1 of New Cumberland. If anyone has any corrections or additions to the brief history I would love to hear them.

Shippensburg EMS Places New Ambulance In Service

The only major incident to occur on this date in the Shippensburg area was in 2000, that call was posted last year.

On Saturday November 15, 2008 Shippensburg EMS housed a new ambulance. The unit is the first new ambulance purchased by the organization since they separated from the Cumberland Valley Hose Company and also the first to sport the company’s new colors of silver, red and blue.

The ambulance was purchased through VCI, Berlin New Jersey and is a 2008 GMC 4500 custom Horton. The unit was placed into service on January 22, 2009 shortly after noon and is designated Ambulance 473. Later that day the unit ran it’s first call in Shippensburg Township.

I would have been nice to post better photos of the unit but this winter has not cooperated. I will post additional photo of the inside and outside sometime in the future. Also the other image was recently purchased by me (it is the first actual photograph I have found of the unit), I thought this would be a good time to post it. It was the first ambulance Shippensburg operated, a 1931 Studebaker. The unit was featured on this site on November 7, 2008 if you follow this link http://shippensburgfiredepartment.blogspot.com/2008/11/cumberland-valleys-1931-studebaker.html it will explain why this photo was taken in Mechanicsburg.

Cry Of Fire In Shippensburg

On February 5, 1856 in the evening hours the cry of “Fire” was heard in town. Firemen soon learned the location was the dwelling house of Samuel Harris, Shippensburg. Firemen quickly raced to the scene pulling the button engine and Alert engine behind them. The fire was discovered in a ceiling and floor in an occupied two-story house. The second floor and roof were partly destroyed and the building suffered heavy water damage before the fire was controlled. A damage estimate was not available. The Vigilant and Alert Fire companies answered the alarm.


UPDATE

Cumberland County LODD

On Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 1:45 a.m. an out of county ambulance was involved in an auto accident on Interstate 81, mile marker 59 in Hampden Township. As a result an addistional BLS unit was dispatched to the location, bringing a unit from Silver Springs EMS Co. 72 to the scene. After picking up there patient the Silver Spring unit was involved in an accident on Interstate 81, the rig left the road and traveled sum 1,000 feet before crashing into a ditch. The driver EMT Barry Nagle, 66 died. It is believed that Barry suffered a heart attack leading to the accident. His partner EMT George Weimer was transported to Hershey Med Center where he is expected to be hospitalized for days.

Funeral services will be held Saturday February 7 at the Malpezzi Funeral Home, Mechanicsburg. A viewing will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday.

Centerville Plans Fire Company

The following information appeared in The News Chronicle on this date November 28, 1933. The information was taken from a larger article to consolidate the information. As a result of Penn Township deciding to build an 80,000-gallon reservoir behind the consolidated school building a group of citizens decided to organize a fire department.

Harold Stum and Rine Scott took over the responsibilities of getting the fire company under way. Up to the week before this was written 16 members had already joined the company. Plans were underway to canvas the area to secure 100 members for the company at a 25-cent membership charge and 100 members at a $1.00 membership charge.

Encouragement was given when John A. Smith of Centerville announced he would donate a Studebaker automobile to be converted into a fire truck. It had already been planned to rebuild the body of the truck to carry a portable pump.

Fire Damages Home And Barn In North Newton Twp

On November 22, 2006 at 7:01 p.m. Cumberland County 911 dispatched firefighters to 23 Stamy Road, North Newton Township for a barn fire. An electrical failure in a light switch wire caused a fire that destroyed a barn and damaged a house. Firefighters from eight companies operated at the scene for almost four and a half hours. Damages were estimated at $330,000. The Cumberland Valley Hose and West End Fire and Rescue companies assisted at the scene.

It is not often I get to be the first at something, but this time I think I beat everyone to the punch. This is the new Camp Hill truck 14. I had to go to Industrial Motors yesterday and it was in their shop. Not the best of weather for apparatus shooting but I thought I would take a few anyways. The new truck is a 2007 Spartan/Crimson, 100 foot rear mount tower ladder with a 2,000 gallon-per-minute pump and a 300 gallon tank. If I remember correctly this rig was a demonstrator before being purchased by Camp Hill. I do not know anything else about it but I am sure Dale Myers can fill us in since he sold the rig.

Stable And Contents Destroyed

On November 8, 1876 at 2:00 a.m. while the town’s people slept, the shout of fire was heard. Firemen soon learned the location was on East Main Street in the alley east of Penn Street for a stable fire. An arson fire destroyed a large frame stable and its contents. A damage estimate was not available. The Vigilant and Cumberland Valley Fire companies extinguished the blaze.

In the same Shippensburg News that this article came from was this short article of interest printed here exactly as it was in the paper.

--The firemen of Carlisle must be something of agriculturist, for we learn from the Mirror that unless they speedily “obtain more hoes their efficiency will be destroyed,” &c.

The Mirror was a Carlisle newspaper. I was actually thinking the same thing as the rest of you and never once did agriculturist cross my mind. Besides hoes are more fun than horses.

New Cumberland County Rigs...

Nothing important happened on this date in the Shippensburg area. With that being said, when I started the site I mentioned that it would not just be Shippensburg Fire but include Cumberland and Franklin Counties also. So for today I thought I would put up a couple new rigs in Cumberland County. I wanted to include the new Engine 45 (Friensdhip/Empire), Engine 123 (Upper Allen) and Chief 52's but I just never got around to photographing them yet.

The top photograph is from Monroe Twp. Co. 25, they recently placed into service a 2009 Dodge Charger, this car is very sharp looking and even more impressive with it's light package. The other rig Upper Frankford Twp. Co. 48's new rescue engine. The rig is a 2008 KME Predator, 6 man cab rescue engine. It is equipped with a 1750 GPM pump, 980 gallons of water a 20 gallon foam tank and a 9000 watt light tower. This past Saturday the company housed the rig.

Let me know what you think of doing this from time to time when there is no Shippensburg history to post.

Newburg FD Tankers Ends Up In Ditch

On September 15, 1958 while en route to a grass fire at the Guy Hammond farm the Newburg Hopewell tanker being driven by Mel Swope left the road and went into a four foot ditch along the Mill road between Newburg and Newville. No one was injured and the tanker was not damaged. The firemen were able to remove the tanker from the ditch with their LaFrance engine and a wrecker.