2 BUCKS CO. FIRE NEWS
BUCKS COUNTY FIRE NEWS
March 2009
A PUBLICATION OF THE BUCKS COUNTY FIRE CHIEFS’ & FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION
WWW.buckscandff.com
7 BUCKS CO. FIRE NEWS
The next meeting of the Chiefs’ & FireFirefighters’ Association will be held at Station 4, Trevose, on March 16, 2009.
7 PM Food
7:45 PM Meeting Start
The April Meeting will be held at Station 46, New Hope, on April 20th.
Highlights from the February Meeting.
Membership has grown to 607 members.
PA Tax credit forms were available.
A discussion focused on recruiting new members and the program presented last month. A survey will be sent to all county companies about their willingness to financially support this county wide effort.
Questions were raised about the 21 page application for the Accountability System that was sent to county companies from the Hazmat Coordinator. No one could answer them.
Station 45, Newtown - I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the parade is on June 13, 2009 and deadlines are coming up for the Ad book (April 1, 2009) and registration for the parade (May 1, 2009). For more specific information please refer to the link on our website (located in the middle of the page) at newtownfire.com. Any questions or concerns please email me back at
Thank you,
Carl Forsyth
Deputy 45
Parade Chairman
Glitch – Any PA Volunteer Firefighter filing a PA Schedule OC-1 Volunteer Responder Recruitment and Retention Tax Credit Application CANNOT file a joint return. A Legislative oversight will either drive up the number of tax returns filed or make it too expensive for some to claim the exemption because of the costs involved in filing two returns.
From the NFPA. 2007 Stats.
Property damage
1. An estimated $14,639,000,000 in property damage occurred as a result of fire in 2007, a highly significant
increase of 29.5 percent from last year. This total figure includes the California Fire Storm 2007
with an estimated property damage of $1,800,000,000. Excluding the California Fire Storm, total property
loss still increased a significant 13.5 percent.
2. $10,638,000,000 of property damage occurred in structure fires, excluding structures associated with the
California Fire Storm.
3. $7,546,000,000 of property loss occurred in residential properties, an increase of 8 percent.
Residential Sprinkler Tidbits.
Closets less that 24 sq/ft and bathrooms less that 55 sq/ft do not requires a sprinkler head.
State Fire Commissioner -Over the course of a year our office receives several inquires related to
expenditures of Fireman's Relief Funds. In most cases we have to refer you
to DCED for those answers. In an effort to help all of you DCED has developed a web-based program that allows you to check for yourself. If
after using the site you still have questions you should still contact DCED. There is a toll free number contained within the link. This is a very useful tool and I would ask you to utilize it when needed.
http://www.dced.state.pa.us/vfra/
The Cradle of Liberty Antique Fire Apparatus Assn. is having a bus trip to the Museum of the Firemen’s Assn. of the State of New York in Hudson NY on Sunday, May 3, 2009. The cost is $55. Per person and includes a sandwich, beverage and deluxe motor coach fare.
Pick-up points:
6:45 AM Hagey, Souderton
8:30 Cornwells Heights Park & Ride, I95 North near Street Rd.
Contact Bill Anderson 610-521-3516 before April 5th. The museum link is available at www.clafaa.org
Station 59, Silverdale, ordered a 2009 KME Predator Panther, 6 man cab, 1000 gallons of water, 1500 gpm pump, 1200' LDH, 2 - 200' 1 3/4 attack line, 1 - 250' 3" attack line, 425 HP C9 Cat, Allison Transmission.
Station 71, Upper Makefield, has ordered an International 7600/4-Guys tanker, 1500/3000, Cummins ISM, 485HP, automatic, delivery in June/July of 2009. It will become Tanker 71, and the present tanker will become Tanker 81.
The Bucks County Hazmat team has ordered a 2-door Pierce Saber, 24’ aluminum body with the front section being a 8’ walk-in command center, and the rear 16” being a non walk-in rescue style with rollup doors. Powered by a Cummins ISL, 425HP, automatic, 25KW Onan pto generator, and a Will-Burt light tower. This will be a custom communications/service vehicle.
Station 12, Newportville, have ordered a HME/Ferrara engine, 1500/1000, Cummins ISL, 400HP, Code 3 lighting up high, LEDs down low, 12v Scene Lighting on Brow and back of Cab, Led Scene lighting on sides of cab, Bumper Crosslays, PrePiped Deck gun, high side compartments on drivers side, pumper style on officers side.
Station 23, Dublin, has ordered a 2009 KME Predator MFD w/12” raised roof, seating for 8 (2 fold up jump seats in the back), Cummins ISL, 425HP, ROM rollup doors, walk-around rescue body, 25KW Onan pto generator, Hannay air reel, 2 Hannay electric reels, and a Will-Burt Night Scan light tower.
Station 48, Delaware Valley, has ordered a 2009 KME Predator MFD on a Challenger body, 1500/1000, seating for 6, Cummins ISL, 425HP, ROM rollup doors, and a 10KW Harrison hydraulic generator.
Station 36, Richlandtown, have ordered a KME Predator LFD 16” Raised Roof Chassis, Cummins ISM 500 HP engine, Hale 2000 GPM with CAFS, 750 Water/30 gallon Foam, and a Onan 15KW generator.
Station 3, Northampton, has been awarded a Safer Grant of $433,520 to hire 4 week-day, daytime firefighters.
$224,889 Haycock
Good Driving Practices.
1. Aim high in steering. Looking high means looking into the distance, where the vehicle is going to be in the next 15 seconds.
2. Get the big picture. Scan the mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds and know what is happening, or about to happen, around you.
3. Keep your eyes moving. Avoid focusing on one object for more than a couple of seconds.
4. Leave yourself an out. Try to surround yourself with as much space as possible.
5. Make sure they see you. Use of headlights – day and night – and eye contact are critical.
Pierce has signed an exclusive agreement with Detroit Diesel to use their new DD13 6 cylinder, 12.8 liter, inline engine. The deal is a reversal for Detroit, which announced a year ago that it planned to get out of the fire truck market by 2010.
Professionalism – following all adopted County radio procedures and terminologies.
Fire Prevention - Alcohol intoxication may increase the risk of starting a fire by impairing one's judgment and coordination. A smoker, under the influence of alcohol, is more susceptible to falling asleep and dropping a lit cigarette on upholstery or clothing. The effect of alcohol may cause a failure to notice the smell of smoke or hear a smoke alarm, and escaping from a fire can be hampered by the loss of motor coordination and mental clarity, even when warning signs are heeded. It is possible to minimize fire risk by increasing the awareness of those who drink and those who are surrounded by regular drinkers. Understand the dangers and don't become a fire statistic!
If you wish to have some news placed on the Web Site contact Ed Copper at or
Station 63, Haycock, has received a Safer Grant for Recruiting & Retention. The goal that we have of course is recruitment and retention. We will first of all use funds to support the
firefightersneeded.com program that we are pursuing with the Bucks County Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Association. The other things that we have included for recruitment are a "camp" over the summer to expose both adults and youths to
the varied functions we perform to gain their interest. We plan on doing this at least once this summer for a one week period. Along with this, we plan to put on a community awareness program that includes fire prevention, along with
various visual and audio presentations to garner some
interest to get people thinking about fire awareness and
further down the road, involvement in working within the framework of our company as a participating member.
On the retention side, we are going to create a
retirement account for each responding member. They will get a specified contribution to that account for each drill attended, each call attended, and for each block of time for accredited training that they attend. Certainly noon will get rich, but it is a big step in recognizing the volunteers
for how much they put on the line every day.
We are planning a meeting in the next few weeks to add
more ideas to add to the idea of recruitment in this
program. If anyone you know has any ideas, please feel welcome to email them to us.
One other thing we are currently pursuing is CDL licenses for all of our operators of fire apparatus that is of CDL gross vehicle weight.
Thanks to everyone who supported our effort to help Ed Kehs, our firefighter who was seriously injured in the deer/vehicle accident.
Chief Harry Grim
PA Fire Officials have organized the Residential Sprinkler Coalition to fight the Home Builders Assn. over Residential Sprinkler Requirements in the new building code.
The implied position of the Home Builders is the current rate of fire fatalities and injuries is acceptable.
The Home Builders and the building code have developed standards to allow light weight materials (glued together I-beams, fabricated trusses, etc.). Occupants and firefighters often face sudden early collapse of these structures when they are exposed to fire. The Home Builders don’t care. These structures have become known as “disposable”.
See February PA Fireman Magazine for details.
Sample Resolution
Whereas, analysis of fire injuries and fatalities conclusively show that the majority of such incidents occur in residential properties and;
Whereas, every major fire safety conference in the last 90 years has called for improvement in the area of residential fire safety and;
Whereas, the United States Fire Administration (2008) has stated “The USFA fully supports all efforts to reduce the tragic toll of fire losses in this nation including the proposed changes to the International Residential Code that would require automatic sprinklers in all new residential construction;” and
Whereas, the Fire and Life Safety Section of the International Association of FIRE Chiefs (2008) resolved, “No other action can possibility be more responsible for saving citizen and firefighters lives and personal property than adding residential sprinkler protection to our homes, and
Whereas, American Burning Recommissioned (1999) recommended “No tactic or strategy should detract from the requirement for sprinklers” and “smoke alarms should always be the locality’s second option, and
Whereas, efforts are underway to block the requirement for residential sprinklers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, The (Your organization name) feels that the fire fatality and injury rates in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are unacceptable; AND
Whereas, every major fire safety organization recognizes that the installation of automatic sprinklers will have a definitive long-term effect on reducing such losses.
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, The (your organization name) supports the requirement for the installation of residential sprinklers and opposes any attempt to block said mandate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Resolved this ___ day of ____________, 2009
Signed by both the Fire Chief and the President
e-mail your letters/Resolution of support to or to PFESI, 223 State St., Harrisburg, Pa. 17101
Every County Company is encouraged to adopt a resolution in support of the residential sprinkler requirement.
Less than three years after the NFPA announcement of the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, 38 states have passed the legislation applying the fire-safe standard to all cigarette sales. The second-biggest cigarette manufacturer, R. J. Reynolds, has announced that all of its cigarettes in the United States will meet the standard by the end of 2009.
In a few years, after the laws of all of the states have been changed and taken effect, we expect to see both a significant drop in fire deaths and a measurable decline in property losses. Smoking-related fires are still the number-one cause of fire fatalities in the United States, accounting for between 700 and 900 of the 3,000 or more fire deaths every year.
The Centre Region Council of Governments (State College Area)) will require installation of residential sprinklers and carbon monoxide detectors in new homes as of January 1, 2011 -- even if the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not pass a statewide law on the matter. If you're going to build with lightweight materials, you have to do something so homes aren't collapsing around everyone." "The smart, cost-effective way is to put in sprinklers."
Warrington. Shortly after eating dinner on Thursday, February 26, 2009, the residents at 1318 Palomino Drive, Warrington, PA noticed a strange odor inside the dwelling that was irritating their eyes. Thinking that it was a natural gas leak, they contacted PECO. The PECO serviceman arrived and, while investigating the source of the odor, found a smoke condition on the second floor of the dwelling. The PECO serviceman advised the occupants to evacuate the building and once outside called 911. At approximately 6:45 p.m., the Warrington, Warwick, Hartsville, and Horsham Fire Companies, along with the Warrington Police Department and Ambulance were dispatched for a dwelling fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found that a fire in the second floor bedroom had been extinguished by a single residential fire sprinkler. Firefighters quickly spread tarps over the first floor contents to limit the extent of water damage. The homeowner and her two young children, who were home at the time of the fire, escaped uninjured.
The four year old son was reading a book to his two year old sister in the room of origin prior to dinner. While reading the book, the little boy took the lamp off of the dresser and removed the shade to use it as a "hat". When called downstairs for dinner by their mother, the little boy and girl left everything, including the lamp with an exposed light bulb, on the bed. The fire started accidentally when the hot light bulb ignited the bedding materials. The single sprinkler head, which discharged approximately 200 gallons of water, limited the fire damage to the bed sheets, blankets and mattress.
Station 16, Cornwells, has a 1988 Saulsbury/Simon Duplex 20’ Rescue for sale. 250 PTO, 300 tank, 4 cylinder 6000 PSI Cascade, Hurt Hydraulic System. A/C Nick Pasqualone 267-816-6419
Chief Dodson’s “The Art of Reading Smoke” seminar was attended by 218 firefighters on March 5th. It was an outstanding presentation. Special tanks to the Bucks County Community College, Fairless Hills Fire Co., Chief Dave Worthington & Chief Jay McCay for their efforts. If you would like to review the program go to www.firefighterclosecall.com
Station 32, Levittown Fire Co. No. 1 is hosting a “GIANT” Flea Market on Saturday, March 21, 2009 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Colonial Hall, Falls-Tullytown Road, Tables sold out, Food available