Yesterday was a somewhat busy day for Lansdowne Volunteers, logging seven calls, Larry wasn’t around today. It started just about 3AM with a dispatch for an accident with injuries at 67 Fairview Avenue. Chief 19(Young) arrived and reported a vehicle vs. a pole at Fairview and Wycombe. The Chief advised of two with head injuries and requested Medic 16-7 added to the call. Rescue 19 was advised the driver’s door needed to be popped. The Rescue crew quickly popped the driver’s door and both patients were transported to HUP. Just after 8AM the Truck was dispatched to Taylor Avenue in Upper Darby for the house fire. Engine 20-1(Drexel Hill) was on location reporting a working fire. Units from 20 made quick work of the fire. Truck 19 arrived in front of the fire building, and before being placed in service, was directed by Upper Darby 11 to relocate to Station 20 for the cover. While at 20 the Truck responded with Engine 74-2(Primos Secane) to the Drexelbrook Apartments for an odor of gas coming from a sewer. The Truck was quickly returned to service after investigating. Later in the afternoon the Company had another accident on Fairview Avenue. This time at the other end, Lansdowne and Fairview. Again it was a single vehicle vs. a pole. The crew from Rescue 19 controlled the fluids on the highway, while Ambulance 19 and Medic 105 negotiated a refusal. Then a little after 9PM the Rescue was dispatched as the RIT to Sharon Hill for a building fire. Crews from Sharon Hill found a brush fire and the Rescue was quickly recalled. To close out the day just before 11PM the Truck responded to Clifton Heights for smoke in the building. The Truck was recalled shortly after arrival.

Tonight as members were wrapping up the first night of Hazmat Operations class the Company was dispatched to the Gladstone Towers Apartments for a transformer fire. Engine and Chief 19(Young) arrived and found a problem with a PECO transformer. Crews began to investigate and had smoke in a 6 story apartment building and now power in two buildings. Numerous calls were being received by fire communications reporting subjects unable to exit their apartments and smoke inside. The building assignment was requested bringing Companies 03(Clifton Heights), 20(Drexel Hill), Tower 05(Glenolden), and 09(Sharon Hill) as the RIT. Crews began massive evacuations of the two buildings, with numerous elderly and subjects needing assistance to evacuate inside. Crews also began searching to find the source of the smoke. Rescue 16(Yeadon) and and EMS box were also requested to the scene to assist with evacuations. Crews were able to determine an underground power line going to an emergency generator overheated and began to burn causing the smoke condition. There were also high CO readings on the 3rd floor of one building. Crews managed to evacutate numerous residents and began ventilation of the buildings. Displaced residents were transported to the 20th Century club via SEPTA buses and provided shelter by the Red Cross. Thanks to our cover Companies, Engine 06-1(Collingdale 1), Truck 63(Green Ridge) and Ambulance 56-7(Manoa) for the cover and assisting at the 20th Century Club. Companies were on location for over 3 hours before returning to service.

This morning just before noon the Company was alerted to cover Green Ridge. With it being an even Wednesday in an even numbered month the Truck was due on the assignment. Truck 19 responded and spent the next 3 hours at Green Ridge along with Engine 12-2(Eddystone) and Engine 65-2(Garden City), while Green Ridge and surronding companies operated at a house fire in Aston. Shortly after the truck arrived the engine companies responded to a brush fire on Pennell Road. A little later all units were dispatched to Concord and Duttons Mill for an accident. Units found a minor accident and the companies were returned. After assisting Green Ridge with restoring their apparatus, the Truck was back in Lansdowne around 5.

Today just before 10 AM the Company was dispatched along with 16(Yeadon), 24(East Lansdowne), and Quint 3(Clifton Heights) to 609 Penn Street in Yeadon for the house fire. Medic 16-7 arrived and reported a fire on the second floor of a three story twin. Enige 24-2, Truck 19 and Engine 16-1 all arrived at pretty much the same time and found fire showing from the second floor. Engine 16 dropped a supply line, while the crew from 24-2 went in service for fire attack. Truck 19’s crew went to the porch roof to ventilate the second floor, then continued to the the roof to ventilate the third floor and open the roof. Crews had fire running the walls and very cluttered conditions inside. A second alarm was requested bringing the remainder of Company 3, Company 4(Darby 1), Quint 6(Collingdale 1), Company 22(Millbourne) and RIT 9(Sharon Hill). Company 8(Prospect Park) was also requested for a second RIT. Also responding were numerous EMS units and Canteen 47(Chester Township). Crews managed to control the fire in about 90 minutes, with all units clearing in about 4 hours. Special thanks to the cover companies Engine 20-2(Drexel Hill), Truck 63(Green Ridge) and Rescue 44(Springfield).

After a somewhat slow week, Thursday rolled around and so did some calls. I all started just before 11:30 in the morning, when the Truck was dispatched to East Lansdowne for a residential rescue. Units from East Lansdowne were on location with a subject stuck on the roof. Turns out the insurance adjuster’s ladder fell and he was stuck in the rain in the middle of a the roof on a three story single. The Truck arrived and the adjuster was quickly brought down to terra firma. Once on the ground the adjuster stated "that was quite embarassing." Just before 4 the Company was dispatched to Owen and Baltimore for a crash. The Rescue handled fluids on the highway, and the ambulance transported one from a two vehicle crash. Just before 6 the building assignment was dispatched to 155 Berkley. Units arrived to find a malfunctioning heater and were quickly returned to service. Drill tonight was with Montgomery County Fire Academy and the 7th District companies, for ground ladders. Members went over some basic ground ladder terminology as well as proper ground ladder handling. Some new members had the joy of raising the 50’ "Banger Ladder". Just after drill ended the Company was dispatched to the Penn Wood High School for the fire alarm. Crews found a pull station activated by intruders and were back in service in about 15 minutes.

Thursday continued to be a busy one for Lansdowne Volunteers. Just about 2:15 in the afternoon the company was alerted to cover the East end of Upper Darby from the station. UDFD had a working fire on South 69th Street. Just as Upper Darby units were clearing their fire, units were alerted to a gas leak on Littlecroft Road in the Township. Truck 19 was also due on the assignment and quickly responded. Crews had an active leak inside the house and the Truck was held along with UDFD units. Later in the evening the Rescue was dispatched, for the RIT, to 29 Mirmont Circle in Darby Boro for a house fire with possible entrapment. Units from Darby arrived and confirmed a working fire in a middle of the row dwelling, with possible entrapment. The Rescue arrived 3rd and was put to work for ventilation and was also sent to the roof. Eventually the crew was assigned RIT duties in the rear. The Truck was specail called by Chief 4 for additional manpower. While the Truck crew made it’s way to the fire building Chief Engineer Arnold Moore, the Truck’s operator stood-by with the apparatus. Cheif Engineer Moore then witnessed a fire police officer fall to the ground. Arnold immediatly requested EMS units to his location. It was quickly determined the fire police officer was in cardiac arrest. Arnold immediatly began CPR in an effort to revive the downed man. EMS units quickly arrived and were able to resuscitate the fire police officer. He was then transported to Fitz hospital where he was listed in stable condition. If not for the quick actions of Chief Engineer Moore the subject may not have made it. After clearing the Darby fire and while returning to station Fire Board advised of a CO alarm on the unit block of West Essex. The Engine, Truck and Rescue responded and found a heater malfunction, with CO readings above 20 inside. Crews ventilated the house and were back in service by 0030 hours Friday.

Photo by Brian Feeney

March has been a somewhat slow month compared to the first two months of 2008. But that all began to change last night. Just before 9pm the Truck was alerted for a fire alarm at Manor Care in Yeadon. Crews found a malfunctioning alarm and all units were recalled. Then just about 9:30 the Company was dispatched in place of 24(East Lansdowne) to Pembroke and Church for fluids on the highway after a car crash. The Rescue responded and threw oil dry on the fluids left after the crash and was quickly back in service. Then early Thursday morning, just before half past midnight the Rescue was dispatched for the RIT assignment to Collingdale for a house fire with entrapment. The Rescue arrived and set up on the front lawn. The crew stood-by for about 2.5 hours before being released. Crews from Collingdale 2(42) and Collingale PD managed to rescue 2 elderly females from the house.

Last night and again today members paid final respects to Lieutenant Nick Picozzi of the Lower Chichester Fire Company(39). A group of members made the trip down 95 last night for the viewing. Today the Engine and Pipeline returned with 8 members to attend the funeral. The members joined hundreds of firefighters from the tri-state area and beyond to give a final tribute to Lt. Picozzi who died in the line of duty last week. Later tonight the Truck was special called to Upper Darby for a building fire. Many UDFD units were commmitted on a building fire in the Drexel Hill section, so the Truck was requested by the on duty deputy(UD 11) to respond to the 6900 block of Clinton. Once on location the Truck Crew began to check for the sourse of smoke in several row dwellings. The sourse was determined to be burning paper and cardboard under a car parked in the garage. UDFD units extinguished the fire, and the Truck provided ventilation. The company was back in service in about a half hour.

This morning just after 9:30 the Company was alerted for the cover assignment to Station 63(Green Ridge). The Pipeline responded with a crew of four. While responding to the cover it was determined that units from Green Ridge were operating at a fire in Upper Chichester where a member of the Lower Chichester Fire Company had been trapped. The trapped member was removed from the building, but later succombed to his injuries at Crozier Hospital.(See the below story) The Pipeline covered at Green Ridge till about 6pm, before being relieved by an engine from Springfield(Company 44). On the original cover with the Pipeline was Ladder 2 (Norwood). They were later joined by Rescue 15(Radnor). While on the cover the Pipeline and Ladder 2, along with Medic 104-7(Riddle Hospital EMS) responded to an auto accident on Concord Road. Units found a two vehicle accident with one injury. Units controlled the hazards and were available in about 15 minutes.

This morning units from Upper Chichester and the surrounding area were dispatched to a house fire on Moser Road in Upper Chichester Township. While operating on scene Lieutenant Nick Picozzi of the Lower Chichester Fire Company (39) became trapped in the basement. Crews immediately began a search and did locate Picozzi and removed him from the basement. Unfortunately Picozzi succumbed to his injuries at Crozier Hospital. Picozzi leaves behind a wife and two children. While attempting to remove the downed firefighter three other firefighters were injured. Those injured were: Chris Durbano of Station 39 and Ken Dawson and Thomas Morgan of the Green Ridge Fire Company (63). Durbano and Morgan were treated and released from Crozier, while Dawson remains hospitalized for his injuries. The officers and members of the Lansdowne Fire Company wish to offer our condolences to the family of Nick Picozzi and the members of the Lower Chichester Fire Company. We also wish the injured firefighters a speedy recovery