2010-01-16 Auto Extrication on Route 232 - Shortly after noon on Saturday, January 16, 2010, Lingohocken firefighters were dispatched along with 2 medic units to a reported auto extrication on Windy Bush Road (Rt. 232) at Street Road in Upper Makefield Twp. A report from police on scene indicated that rescue was no longer needed, and Rescue 35 proceeded in at reduced speed. After Deputy and Chief 35 conferred with EMS personnel on scene, it was determined they did want a door removed on 1 vehicle to remove 1 patient. This was done in 7 minutes, and personnel cleared the scene within 30 minutes of dispatch.

2010-01-03 Tanker 35 Assists in Overhaul at House Fire - Montgomery County - In the early morning hours of Sunday, January 3, 2010 Montgomery County units, assisted by Bucks County units including Field Trucks from Northampton and Lower Southampton, and Tankers from Warwick and Northampton battled a well-involved house fire at State Senator Stewart Greenleaf's house in Upper Moreland Township. Unfortunately, high winds and freezing conditions hampered efforts in this area that is not provided with hydrants. Unfortunately, the home and its contents were essentially a total loss. At 10:20 am, Tanker 35 took a 2 hour fireground detail cooling down the remains, pumping 2 loads, or 7000 gallons of water. Tanker 5 from Midway relieved Tanker 35 taking the next shift. As Tanker 35 was wrapping up, Pioneer Fire Co. of Jenkintown Engine 96 arrived - highly unusual to see these units together at an incident scene. Senator Greenleaf has been a longtime supporter of the area fire service.

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2009-12-25 Residential Sprinklers Save Christmas in Wrightstown Twp. - A few minutes before 1 pm on Christmas Day, several dozen firefighters from the Lingohocken and Warwick Fire Cos. were dispatched to a home in the 3100 block of Rushland Road in Wrightstown Township for a report of a fire in an attached garage of a 3-year old house. An accidental fire had ignited in some storage in the garage and began to spread. There were 2 cars in the 3-bay garage, including a Ford Escape and a Mercedes CLK 320. Normally, this incident would require deploying all of these firefighters, and perhaps more, for 1-2 hours to control and fully extinguish the fire, which would have likely spread to the storage, vehicles, and tools in the garage, and possibly to the master bedroom located directly above the garage. The home is located in an area that would require firefighters to truck water in, as there are no hydrants nearby. Damage most likely would have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the residents would have likely had to relocate for weeks while their home was being repaired.

However, thanks to the foresight of the Wrightstown Township supervisors, and the efforts of the fire marshal's office in Wrightstown, this home was equipped with residential sprinklers, including in the garage area. One sprinkler activated, fully extinguishing the fire prior to the fire department's arrival, 7 minutes after the call. Instead of 30-40 firefighters being in service for several hours, a single crew of 6 firefighters was able to check for extension (there was none) and remove the damaged items from the house. A 2 liter soda bottle that was half full and located 2 feet from the point of origin, had partially melted, but never spilled the soda. The contents of the garage suffered several thousand dollars of damage, a far cry from the damage without sprinklers. There were no injuries to the residents, nor to firefighters. The volunteer firefighters returned to celebrate the holiday with their families in under 45 minutes, and the homeowner and his family were able to finish their celebration in their home after a bit of cleanup.

Pennsylvania is the first state in the country to adopt new model codes that require sprinklers in all new townhouses that will be built after January 1, 2010, and all new residences built after January 1, 2011. Several Bucks County communities, including Wrightstown Township and Buckingham Township, already have their own ordinances in place - and these sprinklers are saving lives and property right now in these communities.

STATter911 article

Podcast chatting on residential sprinkler save with "The Crime Guys" on WPHT on 12/27/09

See The Video on How Residential Sprinklers Saved Christmas in Wrightstown Twp. (CBS)

2009-11-18 House Fire Assist Newtown - Just before midnight on November 19, 2009, Lingohocken Rescue 35 was dispatched to assist Newtown, Upper Makefield, and Yardley-Makefield apparatus at a garage/house fire on Linton Hill Rd. in Newtown Twp. The Rescue and Chief 35 responded and assisted with providing lighting, overhaul, and air bottle refilling service.

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2009-09-20 Renaissance Faire Rescue - At 1002 hours, Sunday, September 20, 2009, Lingohocken Firefighters were dispatched along with Newtown Ambulance Medic 145 to the Renaissance Faire at the Grange Fair Grounds on Penns Park Road in Wrightstown Township for a reported propane grill explosion with a burn victim. Firefighters arrived to find that an employee of one of the cooking concessions at the Faire had been burned due to a flash fire while igniting a propane grill for the concession, and was being treated by the medics. Crews from Engine 35 checked the grill to ensure it was secured, and the medics advised that the patient would be flown to a burn center. Additional personnel setup a helicopter landing zone in the parking lot of the Fair Grounds for JeffStat 2, flying from Lansdale. A number of spectators and ball players on the property were asked to stay clear of the landing zone, and all cooperated nicely. The patient was safely loaded into the helicopter and transferred to Temple University Hospital.

Here are some safety tips for using propane grills - http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=622

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2009-07-16 Quarry Rescue - At 11:39 am on Thursday, July 16, 2009 Lingohocken firefighters were dispatched to the Hanson Aggregates quarry at 852 Swamp Road in Wrightstown Township for an "auto extrication," reported victim trapped under an overturned truck. Based upon this report, a second rescue company was requested immediately, and Northampton Township Fire Co. Rescue 3 was dispatched. Lingohocken Engine 95, manned during the summer by Wrightstown Township employees that are firefighters, and Deputy Chief 35 arrived at the quarry's main gate within 5 minutes of the dispatch and were directed by Hanson personnel into "the hole" - the main quarry. They found the accident scene approximately 1/2 - 3/4 mile drive down into the quarry and about 200-250 feet below the surface of the quarry. A bulk solid truck carrying dust off of the asphalt plant down to a dump site had overturned. The trailer had separated from the tractor and the driver was trapped in the cab. The victim's body was trapped between the cab and the driver's seat, and his legs were pinned up under the dashboard, and entangled in the gear shifts and seat. He was only visible from the shoulders up. Diesel fuel was leaking from the truck's saddle tank. Fortunately, the trailer was resting on a large rock and was relatively stable. Lingohocken Engines 95 and 35, and Rescue 35 responded with 15 volunteers. Chief 35 established Command and coordinated with Newtown Police, Central Bucks Ambulance and quarry personnel.

Crews went to work with air bags, 6 hydraulic tools, sawzalls, and other rescue equipment needed to lift the vehicle and cut the cab away and disentangle him. The Central Bucks medical director (physician) was on scene leading EMS operations. As the incident progressed, additional resources were needed for manpower and equipment, and the hot day took its toll on rescuers. Newtown Fire Association Rescue 45 and Engine 55 were brought in to the scene, while Warwick Fire Co. Rescue 66 was staged at the quarry entrance for backup. Doylestown Fire Co. Canteen 19 and Central Bucks Mass Casualty Unit 2 were also requested for firefighter rehab (the MCI unit carries cooling fans). Plans A, B, and C were devised and implemented. Plan D was to bring a large front end loader from the quarry to assist in lifting the vehicle if needed, and a special medical team that can perform field amputations (a last ditch option if needed to save the patients life) were brought to the scene. Close coordination was made between medical and rescue personnel to dictate the speed of the rescue. Fortunately, Plan C worked and we didn't need to get to plan D or E. 2 hours and 6 minutes after the initial 911 call, the patient was extricated and transported by Central Bucks Ambulance to St. Mary's Medical Center Trauma Unit.

All of the rescue personnel on this incident worked very well together under exhausting, hot and dusty conditions. Thanks to all of the mutual aid companies that assisted, including Newtown, Northampton, and Warwick along with backup coverage from Upper Makefield Engine 81 and Yardley Makefield Engine 80.

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2009-05-25 Swamp Road Dwelling Fire - Just after 9:30 am, Monday morning, passing motorists reported a fire on the roof in the 400 block of Swamp Road. Initial reports of the address were believed to be in Newtown Township, and the Newtown Fire Association was dispatched. Newtown units responded from participating in the Newtown Memorial Day parade, arriving on the scene reporting heavy smoke showing, and identified the home as being in Wrightstown Township, which is covered by the Lingohocken Fire Co. Lingohocken units were dispatched to assist.

Firefighters laid supply hose to a hydrant on Twining Bridge Road in Newtown located more than 1/3 of a mile from the scene, along with using water from Lingohocken’s 3500 gallon tanker to fight the fire. Crews had to open a hole in the roof to vent heat and smoke, and remove siding and roofing materials that were on fire to extinguish the blaze. Due to the heat inside the home and need to protect the material in the home, units from the Northampton Fire Co., the Upper Makefield Fire Co., the Penndel Fire Co., the Warwick Fire Co., and the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Co. were requested to assist at the scene. Newtown Ambulance personnel set up a rehab area to monitor firefighters for heat-related conditions during the fire. PECO responded to the scene and cut power to the home. The fire was placed under control in slightly over 1 hour from dispatch. The Trevose Fire Co. canteen unit provided refreshments for the firefighters, who cleared the scene at about 12:30 pm. Thanks to the mutual aid companies for their assistance, along with Warwick Fire Co., Feasterville Fire Co., and Parkland Fire Co. who provided cover-ups during the incident.

Damage estimate is approx. $65,000. No injuries were reported to either the occupants, or to firefighters who worked the incident. The home was not equipped with a fire sprinkler system, although quick work by firefighters, and the stone walls of the farmhouse prevented the fire from spreading into the home’s contents.. The fire appears to have begun in the exterior wall, investigation was led by the Wrightstown Township Fire Marshal, Ted Middleman. Swamp Road between Worthington Mill and Twining Bridge Rds. was closed by Newtown Township police and fire police units for over 2 hours due to the fire.

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2009-05-08 Another Truck Accident With Power Surge on Swamp Road - On Friday, May 8, 2009 at 8:23 am Lingohocken firefighters were initially dispatched to electrical wires on fire on Swamp Road near Smith Road. A tractor trailer struck a pole in the 900 Block of Swamp Road in Buckingham Township causing the pole and transformer to begin to burn and an electrical surge in the area. Within moments, Bucks County Communications received a report of smoke in 2 houses a mile or two away in the 3200 Block of Mozart Road, resulting in the dispatch of Warwick Rescue and Tower 66, Doylestown Engine 79, and Midway Engine 5 to assist. Deputy 35 investigated the accident scene and confirmed that the pole was on fire, but that fire apparatus was not needed there at the time, and redirected the Lingohocken units to the house fire. Chief 35 arrived at the homes on Mozart Rd. within 4 minutes and confirmed that there was no active fire at either. Assistant 35 and Tower 66 checked one home, finding a damaged electrical panel and dishwasher, that had unfortunately just been replaced from the March power surge. Battalion 79-1 and Engine 35 confirmed that a surge suppressor at the electrical panel in the other house had done its job, but burned up doing so and with potential damage to TVs and a computer. The remaining units, along with Buckingham Township Fire Marshal FM226 checked numerous other homes in the area of Mozart Rd., Swamp Rd., and Dark Hollow Rd., finding damage to numerous appliances and surge suppressors. It appears that the affected circuit was the same one from March 17, involving Swamp Road from Creamery Road to roughly Rushland Road, including parts of Mozart Road, Dark Hollow Road, and Smith Road.

Any resident that suffered electrical damage from this incident should contact their insurance company and PECO's claims division to assist with damage repair. Further information may be obtained from Buckingham Township police/fire marshal's office.

Those residents that had whole-house surge protection, and surge protection on key appliances (TV, computer, etc.) were generally well protected against this .

2009-04-21 Building Fire in Doylestown - On Tuesday morning, April 21, 2009, Lingohocken firefighters were dispatched to assist the Plumsteadville Fire Co. with a working building fire on Airport Blvd. in the Cross Keys area of Plumstead Township. A warehouse/industrial building was on fire. At 6:47 am, Rescue 35 was sent to cover Station 20 on Route 611 North of Doylestown. Before they could arrive, at 0700 hours they were dispatched to respond on the 2nd alarm and report to the staging area at the KMart. At 6:56 am Tanker 35 was dispatched as part of the 2nd Tanker Task Force assigned to the call. They shuttle 4 loads - or approximately 14,000 gallons of water - to the scene. Almost all of the Tankers in Bucks County were either assigned to this call, or relocated to cover stations that were involved at this fire. This resulted in something not often seen - Mercer County, New Jersey Tanker 53, from the Union Fire Co. of Titusville being relocated to Station 35 to cover Buckingham, Upper Makefield, Wrightstown, and Northampton Townships from Wycombe until Tanker 35 cleared the scene. Mercer County Tanker 53 covering Station 35.

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2009-03-17 Busy St. Patrick's Morning for Lingohocken Firefighters - On Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7:05 am Lingohocken firefighters were initially dispatched to electrical wires on fire on Swamp Road near Mozart Road. A dump truck loaded with sand had shattered a pole in the 1500 Block of Swamp Road, near Creamery Road in Buckingham Township causing an electrical surge in the area. Within 3 minutes, Bucks County Communications received a report of smoke in the house a mile or two away in the 700 Block of Swamp Road, resulting in the dispatch of Warwick Engine and Tower 66, Northampton Engine 3, and Newtown Engine 55-1 to assist. Chief 35 investigated the accident scene and confirmed with the PD that fire apparatus was not needed there at the time, and redirected the Lingohocken units to the house fire. Deputy 35 confirmed that a surge suppressor at the electrical panel in the house had done its job, but burned up doing so. This call was held to Engine and Tanker 35 for smoke removal. While units were on this scene, a firefighter reported flashes had come from the outlets with a smoke odor in his house, and the same thing at two of his neighbors' homes in the 900 Block of Swamp Road. Lingohocken units checked these homes, and then were directed to 2 more homes in the 3200/3300 blocks of Mozart Road with the same conditions. In each case, no extension was noted but electrical equipment was damaged. A quick meet with the PECO supervisor in the area showed the affected circuit involved Swamp Road from Creamery Road to roughly Rushland Road, including parts of Mozart Road, Dark Hollow Road, and Smith Road. Chief and Deputy 35 did a visual check from the road of homes in these areas. Additional damage to electronic equipment was noted by residents in the 3100 block of Dark Hollow Road and the 3800 block of Smith Road. At 9:48 am, as the dump truck was being righted, it developed a fuel spill. Field 35 responded back to the scene with absorbent materials to prevent further release into the environment.

Any resident that suffered electrical damage from this incident should contact their insurance company and PECO's claims division to assist with damage repair. Further information may be obtained from Buckingham Township police/fire marshal's office.

Those residents that had whole-house surge protection, and surge protection on key appliances (TV, computer, etc.) were generally well protected against this power surge.

2009-03-05 Auto Extrication Pine Lane and Route 232 - At 5:35 pm on Thursday, March 5, 2009 Lingohocken units along with Upper Makefield Fire Co. Engine 81 were dispatched to Pineville Road and Windy Bush Road in Upper Makefield Twp. for an auto extrication. Units were on the scene within 10 minutes and found the accident on Pine La. at Windy Bush Road in Wrightstown Township. Newtown Medic 145 was on the scene with the driver trapped in an Acura. Rescue 35's crew stabilized the car and went to work with hydraulic tools to open the driver's side door allowing the patient to be removed while Engine 81 provided hazards standby. The patient was removed within 6 minutes of arrival, and units cleared the scene before 6:00 pm.

2009-01-23 First Extrication of 2009 - Around 11 am on Friday, January 23, 2009, Lingohocken units were responding to a reported gas alarm on Brownsburg Rd. West in Upper Makefield Township. As Chief 35 arrived at that location, Deputy 66 from Warwick Fire Co. was reporting an accident with entrapment and an unresponsive victim in the 900 Block of Swamp Road in Buckingham Township. Chief 35 redirected the apparatus to the Swamp Road call, and Medic 135 (Central Bucks Ambulance) and Rescue 66 from Warwick were also dispatched to assist. The gas alarm was turned over to Chief 71 from Upper Makefield, who was in the area, and UMPD (found to be set off by contractors). Rescue 35 arrived at the extrication within 7 minutes of dispatch to find a Hyundai which had hit and broken a telephone pole on the North side of Swamp Road, then wound up striking a tree and coming to rest on the lawn on the South side of Swamp Road. The Rescue Co. went in service to remove the driver's side door and remove the patient in 13 minutes from dispatch. Rescue 66 arrived to assist, and Engine 35 was assigned to set up a landing zone in an adjacent field for JeffStat 2 which was enroute. The medics, upon conferring with medical command at St. Mary's Hospital, determined the patient could be transported by ground to St. Mary's and the helicopter was recalled. Deputy 35 oversaw rescue operations, and Chief 35 oversaw the landing zone setup. Units were clear in about 40 minutes.

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2009-01-02 House Fire Assist Doylestown - At approx. 1130 on Friday, January 2, 2009, Engine 95 was dispatched to cover Doylestown Station 19. E95 responded with crew of 5, and as they arrived at Sta. 19, were redirected to the scene of the house fire on Evergreen Dr. off East State St. in New Britain to be the 2nd Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). The initial RIT was utilized for fireground operations. E95’s crew stood fast until after the fire was put under control, returning to quarters shortly before 1400 hours.

Action News Story
The Reporter Article
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