Volunteers Serving Springfield Township
Recently, Wyndmoor Hose Company #1 and Flourtown Fire Company responded to an overturned vehicle on the on-ramp to Route 309 just off Paper Mill Road. The vehicle posed a special challenge to rescuers as it featured a high-strength steel roll-cage frame. The rescue was completed after removing a portion of the vehicles roof.
Each Summer, Flourtown Fire Company goes over it’s apparatus with a fine-tooth comb, cleaning, shining and touching up the equipment on all its apparatus. This year it paid off nicely with:
Squad 6 and Engine 6 responded to a three car vehicle accident on Skippack Pike (Route 73) just past Joshua Road on Monday, September 5, 2011. The driver of a white SUV, complaining of having difficulty breathing, was extricated from the vehicle. Squad 6 popped the driver’s door and the patient was removed. All others involved in the accident were out of the vehicles. Utility 6 along with Traffic 29 handled closing down Route 73 until the accident scene could be cleared. Rescue 29 also responded and assisted Flourtown Fire Company on the scene.
Photo by Bob Wilmot, Jr.
Torrential rains, a bit of wind, tornado warnings and more rain, Hurricane Irene which moved into the Delaware Valley on August 27 and 28, 2011 had it all. Flourtown Fire Company responded to several emergency calls including several water rescues of drivers from their vehicles, electrical fires in homes and downed wires. Our neighboring fire company, Barren Hill, in Whitemarsh Township had its hands full with rescues of residents from the western side of the Wissahickon Creek along Stenton Avenue. Meanwhile Flourtown’s water rescue team which was split amongst both Squad 6 and Engine 6 were requested to conduct several searches along the banks of the Wissahickon Creek for several missing residents. It was an unprecedented storm and several members even bedded down at the firehouse for the night on Saturday night, although no one slept very much. Over 6 inches of rain swelled area streams and creek beds and causing flooding throughout Springfield Township.
(Photo by Bob Wilmot, Jr.)
Flourtown Fire Company has the unique opportunity to train of abandon vehicles behind its fire house. Here the crew does some auto extrication exercises.
