Today, a crew took Engine 88 to the St. Peter's Lutheran Church to teach Fire Prevention to Mrs. Helman's pre-school class.  Crews taught fire safety to the kids and then took them for a ride on Engine 88, which just happened to be the highlight of the program with the kids.

This evening, Company 88 hosted Pneumatic Lifting Bags and T-Shore training.  With crews from Londonderry, Lower Swatara, Palmyra, and the PAANG Fire Departments attending, the overall turnout was excellent, with over 35 attendees.  The training was given by Instructor John Gilkey, a Montgomery County, MD Fire-Rescue USAR Task Force 1 K9 handler.  With Instructor Gilkey's great training session which provided very informative training, came his best friend and partner, Bailey.  Bailey, a black labrador, is trained in search and rescue and is part of the MD Task Force 1 USAR team.  Bailey greeted just about everyone with her great personality and mingled with the attendees during class and even demonstrated some of her skills.  With the large turnout, it is expected that the crews saw Instructor Gilkey was teaching and figured Bailey would be right by his side.  Company 88 would like to thank all those who attended, especially Instructor Gilkey for coming through for us again and sharing his knowledge.  During the class, Company 88 was able to staff the Rescue, Truck, and both Engines.

Early this morning, Dauphin County toned out Box 54-2, 4439 Woodcrest Drive for a structure fire, bring Truck and Engine 88.  At the response of Chief 54-1(Nissley), County advised of smoke inside per the caller and fire on the roof.  Additional callers reported fire through the roof.  Engine 88(Lt. Eppinger) and Truck 88(Capt. Coble) responded with a crew of 4 on each and while enroute, a thermal column and glow could be seen from miles out.  Truck 88 arrived and was assigned to take Side Alpha as the Engine arrived and was assigned to drop the crew off and finish E54's lay to the hydrant on Steinruck Road.  Due to heavy fire through the roof, the Truck was parked and the crew was then assigned to pull a 2.5" line off E54 to back up Engine and Tanker 54's crews.  The Truck chauffer began to deploy ground ladders to windows for egress but only deployed one to the attached garage roof due to the amount of fire venting from the windows.  As the Engine chauffer completed the lay, the Engine crew began assisting with interior ops.  Shortly after the Engine and Truck crews made entry with E54's crew, E54 began wagon piping the building and interior crew withdrew as tank water was getting low and the water supply hadn't been secured yet.  As the water supply was secured, which was impressive for the rural area, as hydrant pressure was 100 psi at E54 after a 2700+ foot lay, without E88 pumping, crews re-entered to begin an aggresive interior attack.  With all units on scene being put to work while E46's crew staged as RIT, crews quickly worked with multpile attack lines to extinguish the heavy fire load.  Shortly after beginning the aggressive interior attack, with the bulk of the fire darkened down, additional ladders were deployed to windows for egress.  At 02:51, Command 54(Nissley) marked control as crews began extensive overhaul.  After extensive overhaul, crews began cleaning up as the Dauphin County and PSP FM's began an investigation.  Once all equipment was placed back onto the Truck and Engine, both units were released by Command and returned to the borough.  Great job to all crews involved.

This evening, Boat 88 was dispatched to assist Co. 54 on the 54-9 Box, the Susquehanna River in the area of Shelly Island for a water rescue.  Units were advised at response of a boat flipped over with four people in the water on the West side of the island.  As units arrived, County updated the info reporting that all subjects were out of the water and on the island.  Upon the arrival of Boat 88(Capt. Cleland) at the Tri-County Boat Club, Boat 88 was assigned by Command to standby.  Boat 88 crew was then assigned to launch the boat and respond to the incident location.  As Boat 88 arrived, an overturned jon-boat was located with a victim sitting on the boat.  Captain Cleland immediately positioned Boat 88 to extract the subject from the boat.  As the remainder of the boat crew(Capt. Coble and FF/EMT Foreman) pulled the subject into the boat, they advised that there were more victims on a small island at the head of Shelly Island.  Capt. Cleland then moved the boat toward the island where another victim was located on the shore, reporting three other victims, including a child, on the island in bad condition.  As the boat was secured, Capt Cleland assisted the victim with boarding the boat and began treating the two rescued victims for possible hypothermia due to extremely cold water and air temps as Capt Coble and FF/EMT Foreman went to the aid of the other three victims.  One other victim was placed into Boat 88 as FF/EMT Foreman took the child and the one adult victim to Boat 54, which had just arrived at the island.  Boats 88 and 54 then returned to the Tri-County Boat Club with a total of five victims, four adults and one child.  Upon arrival at the boat launch, the victims were taken to MICU 7-3 for treatment until the arrival of additional EMS units.  With no further services needed, Boat 88 returned available at 18:14 and all victims were transported to a local hospital.

This morning, Company 88 along with E59, E54, and E7-4-1 were dispatched to the 88-1 Box in the 200 block of Mattis Avenue for a structure fire.  As E88(Capt. Fink) with four and E59 marked on the air, County reported PD on scene with a working fire advising that they had removed one resident from the building.  Approximately five blocks out, E88 had a column visible and layed in from a nearby hydrant to the scene in a tight alley.  As Engine 88 was arriving, Truck 88(Capt. Whitebread), with five, responded and Capt. Whitebread requested to fill the first alarm, shortly thereafter, he requested the 2’s.  E88’s crew found a 2.5 story wood frame duplex with heavy fire throughout and immediately deployed a 2.5” attack line.  The Engine crew darkened the heavy fire load on the exterior to allow access to the interior.  As Truck 88 and the Chief(Scheetz)arrived, the Engine crew began an interior attack with the Truck crew splitting to perform Truck Co. duties and back up the Engine Co. and the Chief set up the Command.  As Engine 88-1(FF S. Menear), with five, and mutual aid units arrived, crews were given assignments as needed.  As crews continued to work the stubborn fire which had consumed the older home, they were pulled from the interior as Evac Tones were alerted due to rapidly deteriorating conditions.  Truck 88 along with L46 then began elevated master stream ops and Truck 88’s bucket crew opened the roof to make better access for to the fire.  Once the conditions improved, crews re-entered the building and continued to work hard until 10:49 when Command declared the fire under control.  With control marked, crews began extensive overhaul operations.  The building was then evacuated again due to the structural stability and crews extinguished remaining hot spots from the air with Trucks 88, 50, and 46.  Command then requested lumber from Middletown Lumber to shore the building to a safe condition so the FM’s could perform their investigation.  After completion of the overhaul ops and the investigation, Command placed the 88-1 Box in service at13:34.  Great job to all crews involved and thanks to the MVFD Auxiliary for refreshments.  Visit http://photo088.home.comcast.net/~photo088/ and www.capitalcityfirephotos.com for additional photos.

This morning, Company 88 was dispatched to box 88-4, Earl and Dave’s scrapyard, in the area of Hollandale St. and Canal St. in the boro of Royalton for an extrication. A/C Krupilis went enroute seconds after dispatch. County then advised the Chief that a brick wall had collapsed onto a vehicle, and a male was entrapped  in the vehicle unresponsive. Due to the additional information provided by the county, A/C Krupilis requested a second Rescue, bringing Rescue 59 to assist. Rescue 88 (Capt. Whitebread) with a crew of 6 then went responding. Upon A/C Krupilis arriving, he confirmed a vehicle under a section of the wall with one person inside. MICU 7-3 arrivedand requested Life Lion.  A/C Krupilis (Command 88) then requested Engine 54 to setup a landing zone for Life Lion. Rescue 88 arrived, with Capt. Whitebread taking operations. After a size-up, Capt Whitebread advised his crew, due to the condition of the remaining wall being unstable, that the crews would need to perform a rapid extrication. The Rescue crew stabilized the vehicle and began to gain entry to the patient. The patient was removed from the vehicle in just over 10 mins. The patient was the Flown to University Hospital. Rescue 59 and Engine 54 were released shortly after. Rescue 88 and A/C Krupilis remained on the scene for about 5 Hrs while the incident was investigated. A great job was done by everyone on the scene.

After a busy Saturday, with five runs, including a job and a pin, and the Chicken BBQ, the crews started out Sunday by assisting the Middletown Police Department.  This morning, Engine 88 was dispatched to the 300 block of North Union Street for a vehicle fire.  Chief 88-1(Whitebread, Sr.) and Engine 88(Lt. Fallinger) responded quickly with information of a Middletown Police unit to be on fire.  Chief 88-1 and the Engine arrived to find that while Officer "Lugs" was on a traffic stop, he noticed smoke coming from his vehicle and requested the fire department.  Luckily for the driver that was stopped by "Lugs," they were released with a verbal warning.  Upon investigation, it was found to be a burnt strobe pack and the box was quickly placed in service.  Company 88 ran one more call for the day with the Truck going to Co. 59's first due for an AFA.

This morning after crews cleaned up from the fire in Hummelstown and were cooking chickens, Company 54(Londonderry) was dispatched to the 54-6 Box in the 3800 Block of River Road for an MVA with injuries.  County advised Chief 54-1(Nissley) that it was reported to be a tractor trailer on it's side.  County then updated Chief 54-1 that it was now to be a pick-up truck on it's side.  Chief 54-1 then arrived and reported a car under the pick-up with entrapment and requested a Rescue be added to the box, bringing Rescue 88.  Rescue 88(Capt. Coble) with a crew of 7 responded immediately and arrived shortly after to find a full size pick-up on it's side with a compact car having an entrapped driver.  The Rescue crew quickly went to work stabilizing the car and truck and beginning extrication.  Crews were slightly hampered as the severely icy roadway caused very hazardous conditions until the Rescue chauffer placed absorbant on the road for traction.  The Rescue crew initially removed the driver side doors from the vehicle but due to the entrapped patient's injuries, the Rescue crew and Engine 54's crew removed the roof.  Once the roof was removed, crews began removing the patient from the vehicle with EMS "calling the shots" on the removal method.  Upon completion of extrication at 07:41, the Rescue crew assisted Company 54 personnel with clean up.  The Rescue was then placed in service and returned to the station to continue the BBQ.  Rescue 88 out for a little over an hour.

Early this morning just as crews were getting ready to wake to start the pits for the Chicken BBQ, Dauphin County alerted for Rescue-Engine 88 to Box 46-2, 105 North Walnut Street, for a structure fire.  Rescue-Engine 88(Capt. Whitebread, Jr.) responded shortly after dispatch with a crew of 6.  While enroute, Chief 46-3(Kienzle) arrived on scene and reporting a working fire and requested the full first alarm be filled bringing Truck 88.  Truck 88(Capt. Fink) with a crew of 5 responded shortly after dispatched.  Upon arrival, the Rescue-Engine chauffer looked to secure a water supply as Command requested for an engine to lay in but the only hydrant located was taken by Ladder 46.  The Rescue-Engine then staged in a nearby parking lot and the crew reported to manpower on Side A of the 2.5 story structure and was assigned to go to the roof to open up.  Just as the crews finished throwing ladders and stepped onto the roof, Command advised to hold off on opening up.  As the Rescue-Engine crew awaited for further assignment, the Truck arrived and the crew reported to manpower staging.  Command 46 then marked control at 04:17 and Company 88 units were released at 04:34.  As the Truck was going available, Command requested the Truck to re-locate to Station 46 with Engine 1-1(Palmyra).  Shortly after the Rescue-Engine backed into the station, the Engine and Chief 88-1 took in an odor investigation on the 88-3 Box.  The 88-3 box was placed in service shortly after arrival and the Truck returned from Hummelstown shortly thereafter. 

This afternoon Rescue 88 was dispatched to the 4700 Blk of East Harrisburg Pike to assist Company 54 on an accident with entrapment. Rescue 88 (Capt. Fink) and a crew of 7 were out the door within a minute. While enroute, Rescue 88 was advised by county, there was one vehicle into a house and another vehicle outside. Rescue 88 arrived, with the crew stabilizing the vehicles and taking the roof on a camaro to gain entry to a patient. Crews had the patient removed from the vehicle within 15 mins of arriving on-scene. the patient was then packaged and was air lifted to Hershey Hospital. Crews then checked for any serious structural damage before the vehicles were removed from the house. Crews were out for about 2 Hrs. Pictures courtesy of Londonderry Fire Company