PHIA Donates to White Marsh Volunteer Firefighters

Monday, January 18: The Perry Hall Improvement Association (PHIA) has donated $500 to the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company, part of the organization's ongoing effort to enhance public safety in the community.

“The PHIA is proud to support the White Marsh volunteer firefighters, who have helped ensure the safety of our community for over sixty years,” commented PHIA President David Marks. “We encourage other organizations and businesses to lend their support, since the fire company is servicing more and more families in our growing community.”

The fire company started in 1943 as a civil defense unit. It changed its name from the Cowenton Volunteer Fire Company in 1993. The company is based in a modern three-bay station that houses two modern KME 1250 GPM pumpers, a 102 foot aerial tower, a medical transport unit, an off-road brush truck, and a utility vehicle.
 
"We thank the Perry Hall Improvement Association for its support," commented PIO James Clements of WMVFC. "Recent fires in our area illustrate the importance of firefighters and other public safety personnel in this community.  We will continue to fill this critical need."

Units from WMVFC, Kingsville VFC, and BCoFD were alerted for a MVC with rollover on SB I-95 between the Harford County line and White Marsh Blvd.  Tower 209 from WMVFC was first to arrive and found an SUV which had rolled into the area of a drainage ditch along the treeline of southbound I-95.  Both the driver and his dog were ejected from the vehicle.  The crew of T209 and E55 packaged the patient and his dog for transport to ER facilities.  The driver was taken to a local hospital for evaluation by an ambulance from BCoFD and the dog was transported to an animal ER in Towson by BCoPD as this was a working dog. 

Crew- T209: OIC FF/EMT-P Paul Sullivan, Dr FF/EMT-B Shane McClean, FF Zach Adams, FF/EMT Mark Lundin

Units from White Marsh VFC  were alerted for a 10-50PI at Ebenezer Rd and Philadelphia Rd.  Tower 209 and IV203 responded and arrived to find a 3 vehicle rear-end collision in the eastbound lane of Philadelphia Rd in front of the Honeygo Run Reclamation Center.  Additional units from BCoFD were requested to assist with the numerous patients.  The injuries of those involved were minor and consisted of mostly neck and back pain.  All the patients were transported via three ambulances to Franklin Square Hospital.

Crews- T209 OIC Capt Fred Koch, Dr FF Chris Mack and FF Denise Kurtyka.  IV203 - FF/EMT Shane McClean and FF/EMT Nick Scelsi.

During the mid-afternoon units from the Baltimore County Fire Department were enroute to a reported MVC with rollover at White Marsh Blvd and Honeygo Blvd at the southwest corner of the intersection.  While enroute to that incident a separate MVC with rollover occurred at the northeast corner of the same intersection.  Units from BCoFD and White Marsh VFC were alerted for the separate incident. 

Upon arrival IV203 from WMVFC found a 2 vehicles MVC involving a sedan and an SUV.  The SUV had rolled and come to rest on its wheels.  The driver and passenger were not seriously injured and did not require transport to the hospital.

Crew - IV203 FF/EMT Shane McClean and FF/EMT Mark Lundin

Early in the morning units from White Marsh VFC, Kingsville VFC, and BCoFD Fullerton were alerted for a motor vehicle incident with rescue.  The first arriving unit, IV203 from White Marsh VFC found a white sedan sitting upright between the guardrail and hill on the side of NB I-95 at mile marker 67.6.  The driver of the vehicle was unharmed and the vehicle suffered minor front end damage. 

Crew - IV203 FF/EMT Shane McClean and FF/EMT Mark Lundin

It began in the late evening on Friday, December 18th, snow began to fall.  The snow would continue to fall until early Sunday morning, covering area roads, sidewalks, and cars.  During this time the members of White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company took time out of Thier lives and away from their families to be at the station, ensuring that no calls for emergency service went unanswered.  The members kept the station's parking lot and equipment pads free from ice and snow.  We spent time preparing for the worst, a power outage, and spent time chaining and double checking our apparatus and equipment.  We even sold one Christmas tree during the snow event (and still have a lot left).  The crews who were assigned responded to 25 emergency calls during this snow event.  We would like to extend a special thank you to the White Marsh Giant Food Store for their donation during the storm, keeping the firefighters, EMTs, and officers fed throughout the weather event. 

Special thanks goes out to the members who were able to staff the apparatus during the snow event; Zach Adams, Jack Amreihn, Matt Belan, Bill Blair, Rick Blubaugh, David Collier, Scott Davidson, Kyle Fratta, Jill Freund, Elliot Ganson, Tom Hug, Mark Lundin, Angela Mason, Shane McClean, Casey Novak, Kevin Palmer, Greg Reiter, Brendan Ryan, Nick Scelsi, Josh Wehner, Jim Whittaker, Catherine Wren, and any others I have not mentioned. 

On Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 14:21 WMVFC was alerted for a reported 10-50PI at the Big Falls Inn located at 11818 Philadelphia Rd, box area 20-17.  Upon arrival crews found a Toyota SUV lying on its side on a service road to a Baltimore County sewage pumping station.  The vehicle was occupied by a single driver who was out of the vehicle prior to the arrival of the first responding unit.  Brush 204, BCoFD EMS 6 and Medic 485 (Kingsville) handled the call.  Medic 485 transported the driver to Bayview Trauma with non-life threatening injuries due to the mechanism of injury.

Crews: Brush 204 - OIC FF Shane McClean, Driver - FF Tim Trzeicak; BCoFD EMS 6 - LT Stacy Gail; Medic 485 - Members of Kingsville. 

At 1425 E202 and M203 were dispatched to the intersection of Campbell Blvd and Franklin Square Dr for a reported motor vehicle collision.  Upon arrival units found a minor rear-end accident involving a sedan and an SUV.  M203 transported one person to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  There was no release of automotive fluids onto the roadway as a result of the collision.

Crews: E202 - OIC Capt Fred Koch, DO Tom Hug, FF Shane McClean, FF Nick Scelsi; M203 - Rob Patrylak and Jim Whittiker

A total of eight firefighters and one Washington Gas employee were injured in an apparent natural gas explosion at a shopping center in Forestville. Some were seriously burned.

Two of the firefighters are being held overnight for observation, and the other seven have been released. Five were transported to the Washington Hospital Center's burn unit, and four were transported to Prince George's Hospital.

According to Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesperson Mark Brady, the fire department received a call around 12:30 p.m. Thursday for a report of a natural gas leak. They arrived at 3426 Donnell Drive and evacuated the building. Sometime after that, the explosion occurred.

Brady reports that a flash fire burned the firefighters and gas company employee. The building was heavily damaged.

www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/uploaded_images/Donnell-explosion-775881.jpg

On Saturday, April 4, 2009, the Perry Hall Improvement Association sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt at Perry Hall Park on Honeygo Boulevard at Cross Road.  Engines 201 and 202 from White Marsh VFC signaled the start of the hunt 11:00am by blasting their air horns.  After the hunt was over kids had the opportunity to sit in the fire engines.