Saturday, September 24, 2011 With most departments in the county attending the Orange County Firefighter's Parade in Salisbury Mills, E-582 set out on stand by at 1130. E-582 was to stand by for Salisbury Mills while also answering calls in our own district. With the parade set to step off at 1400, most units were at line up when a motor vehicle collision was dispatched at 1348 on Rt 208 and Moffat Road in the Washingtonville fire district. E-582 was on the road in a matter of seconds and arrived to find a van into a tree with 4 subjects inside. The crew on E-582 worked to stabilize the vehicle and put the combination Hurst tool into operation. Due to limited manpower as well as many units being out at the parade a request was made for a Rescue from Goshen to respond. R-581 from Washingtonville also responded and once our Rescue arrived the crew from E-582 also set up the Griphoist system for stabilization. 4 patients were removed from the vehicle and turned over to EMS. The EMS crews requested 2 helicopters to transport the patients and Congers FD from Rockland County (covering for South Blooming Grove) set up the LZ near the accident scene.
Monday, September 12, 2011 At 1330 hours Orange County 911 dispatched Washingtonville with 1 engine automatic response to the scene of a house fire on Orrs Mills Road in Salisbury Mills. Due to some confusion on the initial alarm, Cornwall Fire Dept. was dispatched first. Washingtonville Car 4 (Hearn) who was in the area arrived with Cornwall units to find a 2 story home with heavy fire venting from the first floor. E-582 staffed with 5 was on the street in under 3 minutes. E-582 arrived on scene with Salisbury Mills units just as Cornwall was advancing on the fire. With 2 engines on scene already E-582's crew went to work as a truck company on the 2nd floor. The crew preformed a primary search and opened up checking for extension. E-582 was released from the scene in just over one hour, but remained on stand-by for Salisbury Mills until shortly after 1600.
Irene Flooding
Sunday, September 4, 2011 Local filmmaker and new member Brian Hodge recently finished a short film depicting the first 24 hours of Washingtonville's flooding last weekend seen through the eyes of first responders. The video is just a small fraction of the day's events but is a unique and inside look at what crew's faced and accomplished.
Saturday, September 3, 2011 After taking in 2 runs in the early afternoon hours, OC 911 dispatched Rescue 581 on automatic response to Chester for the reported kitchen fire on Whitetail Run as the FAST team. Rescue 581 hit the road quickly with 6 men along with Car 1 (VanRiper) and Chester command arrived on scene to find a 2 story private dwelling with fire and smoke showing in the rear and transmitted the 2nd alarm. Rescue 581 arrived shortly behind the first due engine and positioned the apparatus on side 1/2. 581’s officer quickly did a 360 of the house as the crew positioned its gear on Side 1. 581’s officer advised that fire was on side 3 first floor and that there was moderate smoke showing on the 2nd floor and from the roofline. Though the designated FAST team, the crew of 6 was broken down to handle essential truck company duties with Chester units running with short manpower. 581’s crew assisted with the stretching of the 2nd line off the 2nd due engine, threw multiple ground ladders and went to the floor above and fire room to open up. The fire was contained to the kitchen with extension into the duct work on the 2nd floor and Side 3 exterior via exhaust vent. Within 2 hours 581 was released and returned to service.
Friday, September 2, 2011 As flood waters recede, the busy days at Washingtonville FD continue. Shortly after 8AM, Rescue 581 was dispatched as a 2nd FAST team for the 3rd alarm commercial building fire in Florida. Rescue 581 arrived on scene of a vitamin factory with fire on the 3rd floor in and behind industrial ovens. Crews positioned on Side A and were held by command for the duration of extensive overhaul. The day continued with 3 automatic alarms, a CO run and a hazardous materials incident at the Washingtonville Middle School.
Monday, August 29, 2011 After an eventful first 24 hours, tired crews were back on the run early Monday morning out of the new station at Taft school. A FAST team call to Chester for the building fire started the early morning prior to the list of pumpouts to be addressed. Throughout much of the day crews from Washingtonville and numerous mutual aid companies from Wayne County NY (Rochester area) began tackling the nearly 60 addresses with multiple feet of water. Despite receding waters, multiple reported water rescue calls were dropped by fire control during the day. Around 1:30PM OC 911 received frantic reports of 4 boys in a swollen stream with the caller unable to locate for over a half hour in the area of Hulsetown Road and Farmingdale. Rescue 581, Engine 582, Truck 579 took the run along with Car 3 (Skelly). Units arrived to a frantic mother on the Farmingdale Road bridge advising that her husband had gone near the stream to locate the boys and was also missing. 581’s crew again grabbed rope bags and throw bags and setup beneath the bridge, scanning the shorelines for any sign of them. Engine 582 arrived upstream in the area of Rose Anne Drive where PD was trying to confirm they had found them. Crews searched for another 15 minutes for the adult male subject before placing the situation under control with all individuals located and safe. A few hours later both units responded to the area of Tuthill Road and State Route 208 for a reported SUV overturned in the water with 3 subjects trapped. Engine 582 and Rescue 581 along with Sheriff and State Police units arrived on scene to find a jeep into the trees in a strong current off the road way and members deployed to investigate. No subjects were found within the vehicle once entry was forced and after several minutes units were advised the vehicle on scene was from an earlier incident taken in by Campbell Hall the previous day. Field Comm remained in service throughout Monday night, but 24/7 standbys were finally terminated as the run volume decreased. Tuesday crews awoke to numerous transformer fires, gas leaks in the building and automatic alarms. A massive fuel oil spill located at State Farm on East Main was stretched on due to a strong build up of vapors in the office and a large spill containment operation was initiated and later turned over to a private environmental company. Mutual aid units tackled and worked tirelessly to whittle down the pumpout list by early afternoon before their time downstate was ended by the state fire office. By 4 PM tireless work by members throughout Monday and Tuesday had the station back online and ready to be reoccupied. Units made the move amid a reported explosion in Salisbury Mills and transformer box fires in Brookside Manor. The day ended with crews assisting other crew members who had property damages at their own homes. Wednesday saw more automatic alarms and the pump out list brought down to zero. No hard run numbers have yet to be calculated but electronically tracked has the 3 day total at 133. We would like to thank all the mutual aid companies for their assistance, the Red Cross for putting us up at the shelter, Washingtonville School District, generous members of the community for their food and thanks and support and Wayne Hall and the entire T & M II GO staff for providing amazing meals for us.
Sunday, August 28, 2011 As units regrouped and formulated an afternoon evacuation plan, Washingtonville Field Communications received reports from Village Police of 3 kayakers capsized and in distress near the village hall on West Main Street. Rescue 581, Engine 582 and Truck 579 were placed on the run with the rescue and engine being staffed with members in cold water rescue suits. Rescue 581 arrived on scene in the area of 7 West Main Street to multiple onlookers reporting 3 subjects, a man and 2 women out in the swollen, swift moving creek behind the businesses. 581’s crew grabbed 250’ rope bags and water rescue throw bags and proceeded into the rear alley in waist high waters to make victim contact. 581 reported the subjects from the rear about 75 feet out from their location, in chest-neck high water, hanging on to trees in an area where 2 swift currents were converging and advised sending out members on lines would be too dangerous. At this time they also advised of a 4th subject in need of rescue, a man on a submerged garage who had attempted to rescue the 3 in the kayaking party. Truck 579 took South Street and sent members with throw lines to either side of the bridge to attempt throws if any subjects upstream lost their hold on the trees. Engine 582 arrived with the small zodiac boat and deployed it to the rear alley to meet up with 581. The crew tied off the boat to a tree and 2 members attempted the shorter distance approach bringing them parallel with the cross current. After a few minutes both crews noticed that such an approach was difficult and hazardous due to obstructions and the decision was made to pull out of the rear and attempt to deploy upstream. A swift water rescue team was dispatched as well as a request for an air rescue helicopter. Crews reassembled in front of Brookside Auto Express, where the currents were stronger and waters higher and again tied off the zodiac and members and deployed the boat down into the area where the subjects were trapped. At this time, command was advised by Police that a civilian powerboat had been launched into the area and that civilians were in the area attempting a rescue. Crews were advised to use extreme caution to avoid incident with the uncoordinated and unadvised civilian attempt. The boat emerged with 3 of the 4 subjects and were taken ashore. Operations advised PD to hold the subjects operating the boat at shore and operations continued to rescue the 4th male. Within 10 minutes the man was plucked from the roof and brought ashore by crews pulling the boat back in against the current. EMS assessed all patients and crews quickly took up to take in a reported car into the water with occupants trapped on Peacock Drive. All occupants were accounted for when units arrived on the scene of the 2nd job. The swift water team and the helicopter were cancelled. We remind individuals that attempting rescues in any situation without proper training is not advised and can hinder our operations and the safety of crews.
Sunday, August 28, 2011 As daylight broke and Irene began to bear down on the region it took only a matter of minutes for the endless barrage of calls to begin over the next 24 hours. As heavy rains continued to fall and homeowners began to awake to early flooding conditions, assessment calls and concerns regarding electric and gas compromises began to be received around 5:30 AM. As crews began to spread out over the first due, conditions rapidly deteriorated, as many secondary roads and major routes instantly became impassable. Crews in their respective areas, essentially trapped, bunkered down and began performing numerous boat evacuations of neighborhoods that quickly boasted chest high waters and residents taken off guard by the waters fast advance and record breaking heights. As Truck 579, Engine 582 and Rescue 581 handled mounting distress calls throughout, the station suddenly began to report to command in distress as well, advising rising waters were taking over crews’ vehicles and entering the firehouse. Within minutes floodwaters reached near waist high throughout the stations first floor. A decision was made to abandon operations at 89 East Main Street and relocate to the Red Cross shelter at Taft Elementary on higher ground. Several automatic alarms and a possible commercial building fire were run during this time in the midst of on-going boat evacuations. Soon many neighborhoods simply became unsafe to operate in due to water height and current. As “Washingtonville Field Communications” was being established at the school, crews sought alternative routes to the location to regroup and refocus efforts based on life safety priority and crew safety. The afternoon hours brought more of the same, including boat rescues, a kayak swift water rescue, multiple reports of cars in the water with subjects trapped, odor investigations, trees and wires down, possible structure fires and spills. As night fell, special requested Army National Guard trucks from Camp Smith arrived to reach stranded residents in areas where currents and water heights were dangerously high. For several hours the National Guard troops worked together with crews manning the zodiac boat in removals. By now all flooding related calls from OC 911 and local police were being relayed directly to Field Comm. for dispatch of units in the field.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 Around 830 PM Orange 911 dispatched Goshen to the reported barn fire on Knoll Road. Units went on scene shortly after with heavy fire showing from a large barn housing heavy equipment and additional alarms were quickly transmitted. On the 3rd alarm tanker task force, Tanker 577 was alerted and responded with Car 3 (Skelly). Once on scene Car 3 assumed water supply operations which lasted into the early morning before units began to return.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 As crews reviewed and drilled on new heavy rescue equipment at the station they were interrupted by a report of a possible furnace malfunction on Winchester Way. Engines 582, 583 and Truck 579 arrived at the address in short order with 582 search being advised by the homeowner that he had arrived home to water flowing from his basement door and an odor, prompting him to call. The crew entered and encountered a smoke condition and a small fire held mostly in check by burst water lines in the laundry room and began to open up. The truck crew was sent to the floor above to check for extension. None was found. After a short overhaul, crews began to take up.
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