Wildland Urban Interface Assignments

May 8^th – The members started the day off going out to and supporting the Boy Scouts at  their Sixth Annual Car with the Rescue Engine.  Just past the noon hour, the company was alerted to respond with the Tender to the Country Lakes section of Pemberton Township to assist the New Jersey Forest Fire Service with a forest fire they were battling.  The crew returned to quarters and picked up T1716 (Mitchell) for the assignment.  While enroute, orders for the Tender were given to divert to Red Feather Trail to refill NJFFS units that were working in the woods at that location.  Not more then an hour later, the Wildland Urban Interface Strike Team "Alpha" was being alerted to respond and provide protection to structures in the area of the forest fire.  This brought E1713 (B.Pratt) to the assignment with a crew of four.  Once the engine company arrived at the staging area and checked in they were immediately deployed to Upton Station Road to protect a dwelling at that location.  With the head of the fire headed in their direction, the crew setup along with Forestry Units also out at that location, the crews worked in unison to protect the structure and keep the dwelling from suffering any damage from the fire.  Once complete with the assignment, the engine company returned to staging and was soon released after being on the assignment for approximately five and a half hours.  It should be noted that while the Tender and Engine were out of town on the Wildland Urban Interface assignments, the Rescue Engine remained in quarters with a full crew covering calls for service in Southampton Township, which amounted to four by the end of the night. (Additional pictures on Facebook)

Another Day, Another Rescue

May 4^th – While the duty crew was still in house, the Rescue Assignment was dispatched to the Burrs Mill Estates development for a vehicle overturned.  Chief 1720 (Young) and E1723 (Hampton Lakes) arrived to confirm the report, finding an SUV resting on the driver side with the driver trapped.  Once on scene, Chief 1710 (S.Pratt) assumed Rescue Operations and advised RE1712 (D'Amico) to go into service with the Paratech Rescue Struts to stabilize the vehicle and prepare to remove the roof to gain patient access and allow for patient removal.  Once stabilized, the crew removed the rear hatch of the SUV to allow for the needed access to flap and remove the roof from the vehicle to complete the extrication.  The patient was turned over to awaiting BLS 1783 (Hampton Lakes) along with Medic 33 for patient care and transport to Virtua Mount Holly.  E1713 (B.Pratt) and U1718 (Harrison) were also on scene providing manpower. (Additional pictures on Facebook)

Solar Panels in Southampton

News Articles
News Channel 6-WPVI (click here)
Sustainable Business (click here)
PSEG Press Release (click here)
PSEG Press Release to Local Community (click here)

Sixth Annual Boy Scouts Car Show

May 3^rd – Boy Scout Troop 31 will host their Sixth Annual Boy Scouts Car Show on Saturday, May 8, 2010 (rain date is May 15).  The event will be held on the grounds of the Southampton Municipal Complex at RT 206 and Retreat Road.

The Vincent Fire Company will have Rescue Engine 1712 on display and will also be available to answer questions and provide fire prevention materials.

Please stop out to see us and support Boy Scout Troop 31! 

For more information on Troop 31 visit www.bsatroop31nj.org

Vehicle into a Tree with One Trapped

April 28^th – The rescue assignment was dispatched to the intersection of New Freedom and Red Lion Roads around 22:45hrs for a vehicle into a tree.  BLS 1791 (Vincentown) arrived and confirmed the report with one trapped and added aero medical to the assignment.  Chief 1710 (S.Pratt) arrived and assumed Command for the incident, RE1712 (D'Amico) arrived with 5 and functioned as the rescue company, followed closely by E1713 (B.Pratt) who complimented the crew already working.  Due to the nature of the accident and the severe extent of damage to the vehicle, significant stabilization was required on the driver side.  Crews worked to remove the third door on the passenger side to provide access to the patient who had been partially repositioned to behind the passenger seat from the force of the accident.  A door removal was not necessary on the driver side due to the tree removing the side of the truck from the hood back to the third door.  Crews completed the rescue by cutting away metal from under the dash in addition to spreading an assortment of debris away from the seat, opening enough of a void to remove the patient's feet.  BLS 1783 (Hampton Lakes) and Medic 33 (Virtua) provided patient care and transported the patient to the Landing Zone at the Red Lion Airport, which was handled by E1723 (Hampton Lakes).  The rescue was completed 22 minutes after the initial 911 call reporting the incident to Central Communications, with the quick work by the crews, the patient was on his way to making it to Cooper Trauma within the Golden Hour!  Chief 1900 (Bozoski) as well as E4311 (Tabernacle) and Q4314 (Tabernacle) picked up the run and provided assistance due to being on the street when the incident was dispatched.  The company remained on scene, providing lighting for the NJSP throughout their investigation and returned to quarters by 02:00hrs. (Additional pictures on Facebook)

Vehicle into a Tree with One Trapped

April 25^th – Just before the 20:00hrs mark, the company along with BLS were being alerted to the 300 block of Chairville Road for a vehicle into a tree.  With some staffing still in quarters from a previous run, RE1712 (Randall) was quickly on the road within the two minute mark with five volunteers.  While enroute, Chief 1710 (S.Pratt) and the Rescue Engine were advised by Central Communications that the incident was being upgraded to a rescue due to a second caller reporting the patient’s feet to be pinned in the vehicle.  The Chief arrived simultaneously with Chief 1900 (Bozoski), confirming the report with a vehicle into a tree with heavy front end damage and one patient trapped.  The crew from the Rescue Engine split up on arrival, initiating rescue operations in addition to providing fire suppression protection due to a smoke condition from the vehicle.  In addition, E1713 (D’Amico) and U1718 (B.Pratt) responded and provided manpower for the rescue operations.  Not being able to manipulate the brake pedal due to its proximity to the patient, in addition to the compromised floor boards and dash panel promptly escalated the complexity of the ongoing rescue operations. With what some might call “standard tactics” for this type of operation failing, it was agreed that the best course of action was cutting the gas pedal in an effort to provide the additional space needed to be able to extricate the patient from the vehicle.  BLS 1783 (Hampton Lakes) and Medic 33 (Virtua) provided patient care for the duration and transported the patient by ground to Cooper Trauma Center in Camden, due to aero medical being grounded by the weather.  The crews were on scene just under the sixty minute mark for this incident.  (Additional pictures on Facebook)

Minor Afternoon Accident

April 25^th – After concluding a morning full of training, the volunteers were on the street in the early afternoon for the report of a vehicle off the roadway along Smithville Road.  Chief 1710 (S.Pratt) and RE1712 (Randall) arrived to find one into a drainage ditch, with the driver being the only occupant.  With what seemed to be limited to minor injuries, the patient was packaged and transported by BLS 1783 as a precaution to Virtua Mount Holly to get checked out.  The crew secured the vehicle and returned to quarters.

Company Trains in Ocean County

April 25^th – A bunch of members travelled down to Ocean County Fire Academy this morning for some live burn training.  The topic for the drill was engine company operations.  We covered stretching different types of hoselines and nozzles.  Due to the building being equipped with gas training props, it allowed us to conduct many scenarios.  Each member got a chance to hone their skills in each of the three rooms.  By 11:30 we had 30 burns complete and were heading back to quarters for lunch.  (Additional pictures on Facebook)

Morning EMS run and RIT assignment

April 11^th – Just prior to 08:00hrs, members were sent to Ridge Road to assist Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad with a cardiac arrest patient.  The Chief (S.Pratt) and Captain (B.Pratt) arrived and assisted with CPR and loading the patient into the ambulance.  RE1712 arrived and provided a driver for the ambulance to allow the EMS crew to continue working.

Shortly after returning to quarters, the company was alerted to respond to the number block of Tabernacle Road for the RIT assignment in Medford Lakes.  RIT 1712 (S.Pratt) immediately responded with a crew of 5.  Units on scene were working a fire in the wall that extended into the attic.  The company threw ground ladders, ventilated horizontally and secured the utilities.  The crew was back in quarters before 9:30hrs.

4 Injured in Mid-Day Rescue

April 1^st – As the noon hour was ending, the company was alerted to RT 70 and Holly Blvd in the Hampton Lakes section for an accident with injuries.  As RE1712 (D'Amico) was signing onto the run with 5 volunteers, EM17 (Friddell) arrived on location and reported a 30' box truck to have struck a 4-door passenger vehicle head-on, with 2 patients trapped, with that information he requested the assignment upgraded to a rescue.  E1723 (Hampton Lakes) arrived shortly behind EM17 and started setting up for the rescue operations.  RE1712 arrived as crews on scene were finishing stabilizing the vehicle and immediately went into service working to remove both doors and the B-post from the driver side to provide access to the driver side, and the same actions for the passenger side as well.  While the rescue operation was ongoing, other members of the crews on scene were working to contain fluids from the truck involved in the incident which had ruptured its saddle tanks.  Once the rescue was complete, the patients were turned over to awaiting BLS and ALS for treatment and transport.  One patient was transported by aeromedical (Southstar) , the other by ground, both to Cooper Trauma.  E4311 (Tabernacle) handled the Landing Zone for the incident at the Red Lion Circle. The two occupants of the truck were taken by ground to Memorial (Mount Holly) for minor injuries. The County Health Department also had a representative on scene to deal with mitigation of the diesel spill. (Additional pictures on Facebook)