Flourtown Fire Company

Volunteers Serving Springfield Township

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Flourtown Fire Celebrates 2013 with Awards Banquet

On Saturday, November 2, 2013, Flourtown Fire Company once again gathered together with representatives of other area emergency responders, their guests and spouses to celebrate the year’s achievements, award years of service in its members and have some good food, and fun.

Banquet Video by Greg Fasold with Tribute to the late Jim Weir.

9400 Block Ridge Pike Head-On Collision

9400Ridge_102013_600x316At approximately 11PM on October 10, 2013, Flourtown Fire Company and Barren Hill Fire Company were dispatched for a two vehicle accident in the area of 9400 Ridge Pike. The head-on collision of two sedans required multiple rescue tool crews, cribbing, and multiple hose lines for the protection of the rescue crews from Rescue 29 and Squad 6. The entire roof of one of the vehicles needed to be removed to extricate the driver, the other required the door to be popped open. A helicopter was put on standby to transport a victim. Multiple ambulances were called to the scene, including Medic 5 from Philadelphia Fire Department because of the proximity to the city border. Traffic was shut down by Spring Mill, Barren Hill and Flourtown Fire Police units while the rescues and clean-up took place.

 

Flourtown Welcomes The Community for Fire Prevention Open House – Oct. 7

2013_NFPAPlease bring out the family to Flourtown Fire Company’s annual Fire Prevention Open House, Monday, October 7 from 6 – 8 PM. We’ll have food, demonstrations, and equipment tours of all we offer the community.

We also have some fire prevention tips for you, see you Monday night, we look forward to seeing you:

Cooking

  • Two out of every 5 home fires start in the kitchen.
  • Unattended cooking was a factor in 34%o of reported home cooking fires.
  • Two-thirds of home cooking fires started with ignition of food or other cooking materials.
  • Children under the age of 5 face a higher risk of non-fire burns associated with cooking than being burned in a cooking fire.

 

Heating

  • The leading factor contributing to heating fires was failure to clean, creosote from solid fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
  • Portable or fixed space heaters were involved in one-third of home heating fires and four out of five home heating deaths
  • Half of home heating fire deaths resulted from fires caused by heating equipment too close to products that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses, or bedding
  • In recent years, heating has become the 2nd leading cause of home fires, fire deaths, and injuries.

 

Smoking Materials

  • During 2007-2011 smoking materials caused an estimated 17,900 home structure fires, resulting in 580 deaths, 1,280 injuries and $509 million in direct property damage
  • Sleep was a factor in one-third of the home smoking material fire deaths
  • Possible alcohol impairment was a factor in one in five of home smoking fire deaths

 

Smoke Alarms

  • Almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms
  • Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in home fires in half
  • Hardwired alarms operated 92% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated 77% of the time

Info compiled by Flourtown Firefighter Jim Belcher via NFPA

Flourtown Reminds Residents “Turn Around Don’t Drown”

On August 13, the area was once again struck with sudden and large thunderstorms and flooding rains. The Wissahickon Creek, a major tributary that carries run off from all the surrounding communities, often rises quickly and area roads are often soon under water. Flourtown Fire Company, Squad 6, responded to a call of a motorist trapped in their vehicle on Morris Road in Fort Washington where the creek soon flooded over the roadway near Germantown Academy. The fire company reminds residents to not try to take their vehicle through any flooding are hidden currents and as little as 6 inches of moving water on a roadway can carry your car off the road and take you off your feet. TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN (The flooding taking place in Colorado, can happen anywhere.)

Below, Flourtown firefighters, trained and equipped in swift water rescue execute a rescue on Morris Road on August 13, 2013. Photos by Bob Wilmot, Jr.

Hillcrest Avenue Street Sweeper Fire

July 3, 2013 brought an unusual vehicle fire. A street sweeper’s engine compartment was on fire. On arrival Flourtown found a fire in the auxiliary engine that runs the sweeper part. Due to issues accessing the engine the Holmatro Hydraulic Spreader and hand tools were used to access. Wyndmoor Hose Co. with its Squirt 82 was dispatched to supply the Squad with water due to the hydrants were on the other side of major roads (Bethlehem Pike and Stenton Ave.) and there was concern not to shut the road down to run a line to a hydrant being a busy pre-holiday afternoon.

Photos by Jake Frye.