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2003 Incidents have been archived. Please click here to see them.
| Call Totals: | |||||||||
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 |
| 2083 | 2,099 | 2,083 | 2,030 | 1,801 | 1,812 | 1,630 | 1,594 | 1,505 | 1,521 |
2008 blew out like a lion on Wednesday December 31st, with wind gusts as high as 55 m.p.h. recorded at Dulles Airport. The high winds caused many calls around Loudoun County for trees and wires down, automatic alarms due to power outages, and outside fires rapidly spread by the high wind and dry conditions. Company 1 responded on the following calls:
Thanks to Lt. Jim Fazekas for the text and pictures from the day's activities. To see the pictures, click here.
Duty Crew 2 definitely came out from under
the white cloud on Sunday night (11/14), running a total of 5 calls. After a few warm-ups, Wagon 1
was dispatched at around 0120 hours on Monday morning as the 5th due engine on a house fire in on Clover Hill Road in Co. 10's (Lucketts)
first due. Engine companies 10, 5, 12, 2, and 1, Tower 2, Rescue 12, Ambulance 10, Tankers 10, 5, an 12 and
Battalion 2 were on the initial alarm. Additional tankers and support apparatus were requested soon after
Engine 10's arrival.
Company 10's crews, led by LCFR Lt. Mike Behret, arrived on the scene and advised of a well-involved structure and that the attack would be defensive. Utilizing Engine 10 and Tanker 10's water, they made a valiant effort to get a quick stop on the fire, but it was too well advanced. LCFR Battalion 602 (Richardson) arrived and took over command.
Arriving as the third engine and unable to access the designated fill site, Wagon 1 became part of the attack operations. Wagon 1's crew dropped passports at the command post and proceeded to pull an 1 3/4" line from Engine 10, taking it to side Bravo. With water in short supply, it was a few minutes before it could be charged. Command assigned Wagon 1's officer (Chief Buchanan) to be Operations. Crews had already begun to utilize blitz lines to try to get access under the house's tin roof. Good progress had been made, but water shortages made the job more difficult.
Eventually, the bulk of the fire accessible from side Alpha was knocked down. Crews then tried to find a way to gain access to the fire remaining in the rear quadrants of the structure. Truck 1's crew was finally able to lift the tin roof off the eave line on side Charlie and get water into the attic space. Several hours of work from all crews on scene finally paid off at around 0515 when the fire was completely extinguished.
In the end, Company 1 had Wagon 1, Truck 1, and Tanker 1 on the scene, with a total of 15 personnel. Wagon 1 was the last Company 1 unit to return to service, marking in quarters at 0608 hours. The fire is under investigation by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office.
For pictures from the incident, click here. All pictures courtesy of Photo 1, Steve Kusterer.
On Tuesday, November 4th, a first-due box was dispatched for a house fire just north of Leesburg. The call turned out not to be serious, but it tied up a lot of units as the investigation ensued. One unit that was released, Reserve Tanker 1, was dispatched for an auto accident with injuries on Hope Parkway. The tanker, staffed with a volunteer crew, responded immediately. Upon arrival, size up revealed several patients and the need to "pop" a door to access the vehicle's occupant.
Captain Nick Martin from Reserve Tanker 1 established command and requested a squad for the door pop. Additional transport units were also requested to handle all the patients. Reserve Truck 1 had been cleared from the previous call, so they responded to handle the extrication. LCFR Lt. Pisauro and his truck crew made quick work of the door while the tanker's crew assisted with patient care.
Photos courtesy of MFF Paul Earley.
Reserve Tanker 1 on the scene.
Lt. Pisauro sizing up the situation.
A backboard is used to protect the patient while FF/EMT Battershell holds c-spine from the back seat.
The Amkus spreaders make quick work of the door.
Almost there....
...and it's open. Time to package the patient.
In the early morning hours of November 2nd, Companies 1, 10, 5, 6, and 13 were alerted for a structure fire on Hancock Place, N.E. Initial reports included information that residents were trapped in the fire. Leesburg Police units were the first to arrive and they found one resident already out of the building and another just inside the door. They assisted both residents to EMS units. Wagon 1, Rescue 13 and Truck 1 arrived on the scene just after PD and put a quick knock on the fire while performing a primary search. No other occupants were found.
Engine 10 and Engine 1 checked side Charlie exposure for extension and found none. Battalion 602 (Wright) had command. Units remained on the scene for about 2 hours performing salvage and overhaul. The two residents were transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to a more suitable facility. The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office is handling the investigation.
Photos courtesy of FF Brian Duddy.
The "old fireman's tale" of fires happening in threes was proven once again this week in Leesburg. On Wednesday, our career staff responded to a fire in an unoccupied townhouse in the Exeter neighborhood. They quickly contained a fire that may have started near the stove in the kitchen.
Tonight (Oct. 30th), the second in the string was dispatched at about 1830 hours. This time, it was a fire in a mobile home at the Leesburg Mobile Park. Companies 1, 5, 6, 10, and 13 were dispatched to the fire. Ambulance 13-5 arrived first followed by Chief 1, Safety Officer 601 and EMS 601. Chief 1 established command and advised this would be a working fire. There was smoke showing from the Delta side upon arrival, and that quickly gave way to fire showing. Reserve Truck 1 was the first suppression piece on the scene, as Wagon 1 was tied up on a fire alarm call.
Truck 1's crew made every effort to control the fire with various extinguishers. Wagon 5, the first arriving engine, pulled an attack line and made quick work of the fire on the inside, while a second line was pulled for exposure protection. Truck 1's crew performed a primary search, finding no one inside. Once the bulk of the fire was extinguished, crews pulled back to allow the Fire Marshal access for his investigation. In the end, Company 1 had Wagon 1, Engine 1, Reserve Tanker 1, Reserve Truck 1, Command 1, and Chief 1 on the scene.
After about 50 minutes, command scaled back the incident, releasing Tower 6, Reserve Engine 6, Engine 1, and Engine 10. With several units still on the scene, command received a message from the Loudoun ECC, advising they were dispatching another fire in Leesburg and wondering if any units were available from the fire ground. Command released Reserve Tanker 1, Wagon 1, holding only Wagon 5 and Reserve Truck 1.
The second fire of the night, and the third in the string, was on Catoctin Circle S.W., in a strip shopping center. It was dispatched just over an hour after the first fire. A charcoal fueled cooking device had caught fire in a restaurant. With units released from the mobile home fire, as well as other units in Leesburg for the station fill, this fire was quickly controlled. Battalion 602 (Wright) and EMS 601 (Dahl) had cleared the mobile home fire and handled command duties for the restaurant fire. No one was injured on either incident, though a family was displaced from the mobile home.
After a busy morning in the 'Burg (see below), the evening had its moments as well. Duty Crew 2 responded to a couple of auto accidents during their shift. The first one was dispatched just after 1900 hours and was reported to be at Plaza and Market. There's nothing more embarrassing that coming into an intersection with lights flashing and sirens blaring, only to find no sign of an auto accident anywhere in sight. Luckily, the rookie driver on Wagon 1 guessed right and turned left. Dispatch updated the location to be on the Leesburg bypass, just East of Sycolin Road. It turned out to be a property damage accident, so Co. 1 just provided traffic blocking services.
Later in the evening, as the crew was performing a Stokes basket drill, we were dispatched along with Medic 13 and Rescue 13 for an accident with entrapment at Fort Evans and East Market. Wagon and Truck 1 responded from Co. 1 and arrived on the scene to find a Mercedes and a Volkswagen entwined in the intersection. There was no entrapment, so the squad was placed in service. Company 1 assisted the medic with patient care and packaging while mitigating an oil spill, providing lights, and holding commmand (Capt. Cook).
Once the patients were cared for, Truck 1 returned in service and the Wagon remained on scene to provide lighting and traffic control for the tow operation. Then, it was off for a fuel fill-up and a hoped-for good night of sleep. Thanks to some smoldering pallets at the fire training center, the engine crew's sleep was interrupted at 0206 hours. No further excitement ensued.
Photos courtesy of Lt. Jim Fazekas.
A bashed in nose...
and a bashed in rear...
That's a whole lot of broken Mercedes.
Company 1 assisting with patient care.
Truck 1 makes an excellent traffic re-routing device!
Tuesday and Wednesday morning this week (October 14th and 15th), volunteer crews filled in for our normally scheduled career staff crews so they could participate in training drills at the Loudoun County Training Center. Both days were uncharacteristically busy. On Tuesday, Tanker and Reserve Truck 1 responded to a structure fire in Ashburn. Wednesday was a little different. At approximately 0800 hours, Company 1 was dispatched for a wires down call in the area of River Creek Parkway and Route 7. Tanker 1 responded and as the crew came up over the hill, they were greeted with flames shooting over 30 ft into the air from a natural gas transmission line that had caught fire directly underneath the power lines that cross Route 7. The incident was quickly upgraded due to its proximity to the power lines and the need for rural water supply operations.
Tanker 1's crew arrived on scene and found a control valve that was blowing off and had ignited causing the fire. A nearby crane and power generator were also on fire upon arrival. The crew pulled off several handlines to cool down the area and extinguish the burning equipment. With the bulk of the fire knocked down, Lt. Gillingham was able to shut the control valve stopping the flow of gas and allowing the rest of the fire to be extinguished. Captain 1 (Cook) had command of the incident.
Utility company representatives then took over the scene and units returned in service. Company 1 units on the call were Tanker 1, Reserve Tanker 1, Jeep 1, and Captain 1 in Command 1. No injuries were reported, though several pieces of fire apparatus sustained minor injuries navigating the treacherous terrain.
FF Brian Duddy's Youtube video from the fire.
That's pretty good sized flame!
A little more of a closeup.
Another view of the site.
As part of a planned blow-off, a muffler is suspended above the gas line by a hydraulic lift. The flaming part wasn't part of the plan.
Tropical Storm Hanna made
landfall along the coast of the Carolinas this morning at around 0730 hours. Rain
from the storm has been falling on and off in Leesburg since last night, with the heaviest rain
forecast to occur from 0900 till 1500 today.
Company 1 has been making preparations for the event for the last several days. Additional volunteer personnel are at Station 1 staffing two engines and a utility vehicle, while our normal career staff contingent staffs an engine and truck at Station 20. Should additional resources be needed, they're available at a moments notice.
With a little luck, this will simply be a big rainstorm with a bit of wind. Regardless, we're ready to assist those in our service area if called. For tips on hurricane preparedness, please visit this site.
| Cumulative Rain Totals by Hour | |
| 1200 hrs | 1.42" |
| 1300 hrs | 2.05" |
| 1400 hrs | 3.19" |
| 1500 hrs | 4.41" |
| 1600 hrs | 5.00" (final total) |
With 5 inches of rain falling across most of the area, any guesses on how many gallons of water fell within the borders of the Town of Leesburg? How about 1,042,713,600 gallons! Now if only gasoline was that easy to come by!
Here are a few pictures from today's activities. Fortunately, Hanna was really just a big rain storm for our area. Sterling and points east were much harder hit, with quite a bit more rain. ( Photos courtesy of Chief 1)
Creeks left their banks all over Leesburg at the height of the storm.
Whitecaps in the distance behind Dulles Subaru / Jeep.
Tanker 1 on a "tree down" call.
Tanker 1's crew broke out the chainsaws and began clearing the debris.
How much wood can a woodchuck chuck?
Town Branch is flowing fast and deep along the bike path.
Wagon 1 clears a flooded basement call as the skies began to clear.
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On Friday, July 25th, with the "new" Truck 1 having been in service for 32 days, our truck company was dispatched on yet another working fire. Once again, our new truck's pre-piped waterway was pressed into service, this time at Creighton Farms, a ritzy Ritz-Carlton property located off Route 15 just north of Route 50. (This marks the third time in just over a month that our ladder pipe has been used on a fire call.)
In the end, Company 1 sent Truck 1, Tanker 1, Wagon 1, Reserve Tanker 1, and Canteen 1 to the scene.
UPDATE: Ok, Chief 1 has recovered from his gourmet dinner of raw tuna and cow brains and has finally posted pictures he took at Creighton Farms. Click here to view.
Since placing our new tillered ladder truck in service on June 23rd, Company 1 has responded to three first-due working fires and on two of them, the pre-piped waterway on the truck has been a huge asset. The most recent incident occurred in the River Creek community of Leesburg. Since we don't have any pictures of the incident, we can start with the press release from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue:
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The first unit on the scene was Wagon 1, led by Lt. Blaylock, who did an outstanding job with the initial size up and tactical plan. Since initial reports suggested there were people trapped in the burning structure, life safety was the first priority. Once it was determined those reports were false, an aggressive attack was begun, utilizing master streams and large handlines with Class A foam. All reports suggest that the foam made very quick work of the fire, proving the wisdom of including this capability on our two new Seagrave engines.
In the end, Company 1 responded with Wagon 1, Truck 1, Reserve Tanker 1 and Engine 1, while Tanker 1 remained behind to cover other calls in Leesburg and surrounding areas. All units on the scene worked very well together to quickly extinguish the bulk of the fire, then perform extensive salvage and overhaul in an effort to preserve as much property as possible.
(If anyone has pictures from the fire they'd like to share, please contact the webmaster via the link at the bottom of the page.)
At approximately 0311 hours on July 9th, Engine Companies 1, 5, 6, 10, Truck 1, Rescue 13, Medic 13 and Battalion 2 were dispatched to a house fire in the Leesburg Mobile Home Park. Rescue 13 and Wagon 1 arrived on the scene to find a working fire in a mobile home. As Wagon 1's Lt. Kraatz was doing his walk around, Chief 1 (Buchanan) arrived on the scene and established "Leesburg Mobile Park Command". With heavy smoke and fire visible and a report from Leesburg Police officers on the scene that the owner was away, command determined that the first phase of the operation would be exterior only.
Wagon 1's crew advanced a 2 1/2" line to side alpha and with the help of Class A foam, put a very quick knock on the fire. Rescue 13's crew secured gas utilities on Side C. Once the fire was knocked and some ventilation accomplished, crews made their way inside as the operation changed to interior. A primary search was negative. Battalion 602 (Colby) assisted with command while crews from Co. 6 and 5 performed some mop up, then the scene was turned over to the Fire Marshal's office for investigation. Later, crews completed salvage and overhaul and began picking up hose lines and tools. Command released all but Co. 1 units by around 0400 hours.
One neighboring resident was evaluated on the scene for smoke inhalation; there were no other injuries. The
Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office continues to investigate the cause of the fire.
Truck 1's ladder rises over the homes in the Leesburg Mobile Park.
After overhaul, there wasn't much left of the front section of the home.
Crews did their best to salvage some of the belongings in the home.
Probationary firefighter Derrick Coffey got some "inside time".
Our new tiller has been quite busy since entering service on June 23rd!
A fire marshal and officers from Leesburg Police survey the exterior. A huge thanks to LPD for the information they provided to the first arriving engine.
Crews take a breather beside Wagon 601.
MFF Chris Dempsey, Lt. Mike McMurrer, and D/C Pete Comanduras discuss the call.
Photos courtesy of Chief 1.
At approximately 1515 hours on Saturday, June 28th, engine companies 1, 6, 18, 5, and 23, Truck 1, Rescue 13, Ambulance 13 and a bevy of chiefs were dispatched for a house fire in the 18400 block of Rim Rock Circle in Leesburg. Units arrived on the scene to find fire showing. They initiated an aggressive interior attack, but were evacuated to allow a knockdown from the exterior before resuming interior operations. This was the "new" Truck 1's first working fire and it performed very well, with the pre-piped waterway and large complement of ground ladders coming in very handy. The ladder pipe was employed to place a quick knock on the fire venting from the ridge vent and gable end.
In the end, units on the scene from Company 1 included Wagon 1, led by LCFR Capt. Sean Scott, Truck 1 with LCFR Lt. Mike Pisauro, Reserve Tanker 1 with a LVFC crew, Captain 1 (Cook) and Canteen 1. The fire went to two alarms due to the oppressive heat of the day, as well as the extensive overhaul that was required.
Two firefighters were transported to Lansdowne Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office.
Wagon 1 on the scene with lots of lines in the street.
Judging by how wet the front of the house looks, it appears the ladder pipe or a deck gun has been used to knock the fire down.
LCFR Technician John Myers at the controls of Truck 1.
The ladderpipe in operation.
LCFR Lt. Behret at the command post with EMS 601 Sam Dahl (far left).
The vinyl siding didn't stand a chance to the searing heat inside the attic.
Nice work by all involved to get a stop on this fire.
Photos courtesy of Capt. Jimmy Counselman, Co. 602.
On Sunday, April 27th at approximately 1500 hours, a structure fire was dispatched near the intersection of Battlefield
Parkway and East Market Street. Engine Company's 1, 6, 5, 10 and 18, Trucks 1 and 6, Rescue 13, Medic 13, Battalion Chief 1 and 2,
EMS 601, and Safety 601 were put on the call. The career staff on Wagon and Truck 1 responded immediately from Station 20. Meanwhile, a volunteer crew out
tiller training was just passing Battlefield Parkway when the first page came out. When it was upgraded to a structure fire,
the crew looked over to the area of the call and saw a column of smoke. The tiller then became a response vehicle back to
Station 20 to staff Reserve Tanker 1.
In the end, Wagon 1, Truck 1, Reserve Tanker 1, Jeep 1, Engine 1, Command 1 (Capt. Cook), and Utility 1 were on the call from Leesburg. (Engine 1 returned to Station 1 and ran a few calls while everyone else was tied up on the fire.) Wagon 1's crew located the best access point to the abandoned house via the Leesburg water treatment facility. The Wagon and Truck crews laid a leader line of 4" hose, followed by a couple of hundred feet of 3", then a gated wye with two attack lines. Command (LCFR Colby) assigned LVFC Capt. Cook "Operations" and held Wagon, Truck, and Reserve Tanker 1, Reserve Engine 6, and the EMS unit. The fire was extinguished in about 40 minutes, but crews remained on the scene for about two and a half hours trying to access hot spots. (Our associate members responded quickly to put together supplies for a canteen which were brought to the scene via Utility 1. Thank you ladies!!!)
Since the building was abandoned and had suffered a partial collapse, it was an exterior-only operation. This fire was the first call where one of our new Seagrave engines was heavily used. The Class-A foam system worked perfectly, providing a nice foam mixture from the attack lines which helped the water penetrate the burning wood. This call was also a great example of the cooperative efforts of personnel from the Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue and the volunteers of Company 1 working together.
All units were back in their stations by 1830 hours. Then the real work of cleaning all that mud began!! Jeep 1 had several inches of mud caked underneath, while the brand new hose from Wagon 1 was chocolate brown instead of bright white.
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office is handling the investigation.
(Sorry, no pictures...In his haste to move from the tiller cab to Reserve Tanker 1, Chief 1 forgot his camera...)
Ooops, wait, what's this in my mailbox? Pictures of "my" Jeep getting washed after the fire in the mud bog? Give that guy "Member of the Year"!!! Thanks to FF Brian Duddy for the cell phone pictures.
You know it's dirty when you need an 1 3/4 line to clean it!
Mud, mud, glorious mud...
Sunday, April 20th brought torrential rains to the Leesburg area. After a morning filled with lightning strikes and gas leaks, an unusual call came in at around 1130 hours. Company 1 was dispatched for an outside fire in the 16800 block of Old Waterford Road. Engine 1, J-1, and Chief 1 responded. Chief 1 arrived on the scene first and found a controlled burn behind a home. The homeowner was advised of the burn laws and J-1 was brought in to extinguish the brush pile.
Engine 1 was placed in service because with J-1's drafting capabilities and the proximity of a large pond, there would be no water supply shortages. FF A. J. Durham and FF Dwayne-Eddie Kappauf made quick work of the fire. Units returned in service shortly thereafter.
The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company reminds Loudoun County residents to check with the Fire Marshall's Office for current burn restrictions and that any controlled burn must be reported to the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center at (703) 777-0637.
Looks like Jeep 1 has reached the fire.
FF A. J. Durham runs the pump as FF Kappauf extinguishes the fire.
The fire consisted of small logs and leaves. 60 gallons of water and a little Class A foam made quick work of it.
The driver always wants to get his hands on the nozzle!
AJ checking the water level.
The fire's out; time to make the climb back up the hill.
And of course the Jeep Rubicon has no problem scaling the hill!
Photos courtesy of Chief 1.
Shortly after 5pm on Friday March 28th, a very attentive member of the fire company was walking
home and heard what he believed to be an animal in distress. Sure enough, upon further investigation
it was confirmed that at least one bird was trapped inside the copper downspout of the Loudoun Museum.
A few phone calls were made to assemble a rescue team and notify the Loudoun Museum curator.
Tanker 1 responded with Captain Nick Martin along with Animal Rescue Specialists Rick Etter and A. J. Durham. The crew arrived on the scene and quickly went to work dismantling the downspout so it could be removed from the ground, as this was a unique subterranean drainage system. During the dismantling process the crew recognized the presence of multiple victims in the pipe and proceeded with great caution.
Once the pipe was removed from the ground, the three trapped birds were able to self extricate and quickly flew away unharmed. Captain Martin utilized his police training to reconstruct the accident scene and surmised the unfortunate birds had built their nest on the top of the downspout. Eventually, their added weight caused it to collapse inward, trapping the birds in the pipe. Hopefully the Fire Marshal's code enforcement division will be able to enact stricter construction standards for these types of residential structures in the future.
At approximately 2150 hours on March 21st, Company 1 was dispatched for an outside fire on Masons Lane in Southeast Leesburg. As Wagon 1 was responding, the ECC advised there may be a shed involved. D/C 1 (Comanduras) on Wagon 1 asked that Tanker 1 be added to the call as a precaution. Upon arrival, Wagon 1 investigated and found a fire in a large greehouse attached to a residence.
D/C 1 established "Masons Lane Command" and requested that the ECC fill the box. Reserve Tanker 1 was already responding from the initial upgrade on the call. Upon arrival, they established a water supply for Wagon 1 and then began checking for extension into the residence. Additional units from all over the county were now responding, but with no extension, Command held Company 1 and 13 units, which included Wagon 1, Reserve Tanker 1, Truck 1, Tanker 1 and Medic 13.
Once units from the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office performed their investigation, overhaul was completed using Class A foam to ensure there would be no rekindle. No one was injured, but property loss was significant due to damage to fragile plants in the greenhouse.
For pictures of the aftermath, you can visit the building owner's site at www.orchidexchange.com
Crew 9's night was spent chasing the odor of Mercaptan all over Leesburg and Ashburn, then responding to an auto accident on Route 7 near Cochran Mill Road. Just before 2100 hours, Company 1 was alerted for an outside gas leak near Tolbert Lane and Sycolin Road. Engine 1 handled that call, but couldn't find a definitive source for the odor. Meanwhile, Co. 1 got hit for the second call, this time for an outside gas leak near the FAA facility on East Market Street.
Lt. J. C. Blaylock in Command 1 responded with Truck 1 on the 2nd call. Units checked a natural gas facility in the median strip of East Market near the FAA, but could find nothing. Chief 1 added on, and detected an odor of gas near the Sheetz on Edwards Ferry Road. Washington Gas was notified and units continued to check the area, finding pockets of gas odor that would quickly dissipate.
In the end, nothing was found as the source. Units on the call (Engine 1, Truck 1, Lt. 1, Chief 1, Rescue Squad 13, Battalion 1) cleared after a lengthy investigation. Once units were back in quarters, an auto accident was dispatched at Harry Byrd Highway and Cochran Mill Road. Engine 1, Chief 1, Rescue Squad 13 and Medic 13 responded.
The accident was in the east bound lanes and involved a late-model Ford Escape and a small box truck. The impact had been significant, resulting in air bag deployment on the Ford. All persons involved in the accident refused treatment and units returned in service shortly thereafter.
Photos and text courtesy of Chief 1 (Buchanan)
The Ford Escape crumpled extensively and its airbags deployed.
Company 13's Patty Russell checks out the accident scene.
The bumper of the box truck took quite a lick.
Engine 1 provided plenty of lighting.
One guy sweeping (left) and the rest standing around...typical.
That'll buff right out...
Hopefully we'll get more pictures of our new egnines "in action" soon.
On the evening of March 12th, Engine Company 1 and Ambulance 13 were dispatched for an auto accident in the area of Cardinal Park Drive and East Market Street. Truck 1 arrived first and found a three car accident with four patients for checkout. Deputy Chief Comanduras from Truck 1 established command and requested a second ambulance.
Wagon 1 arrived on the scene to assist and was assigned the task of checking hazards on the involved vehicles. One patient was transported to Cornwall ER. Wagon 1 remained on the scene as the vehicles were towed, while Truck 1 cleared and was put on a cardiac arrest call.
Photos courtesy of FF Andrew Hilton.
A tanker truck off loading fuel at a local gas station experienced a malfunction on the evening of March 1st, resulting in a significant quantity of gasoline leaking onto the pavement and flowing into the storm sewer nearby. Engine Company 1 was dispatched for an investigation of a fuel spill. Upon arrival, Wagon 1's officer, Lt. Fierstien, established command and upgraded the incident, requesting Truck 1, HazMat 19 and an ambulance from Co. 13. A/C 1 (Delalian) added onto the call along with HazMat Support 20, Rescue Squad 13 and units from the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office.
Crews from Co's 1 and 13 worked quickly to contain the spill using absorbent. An investigation of the storm sewers ensued and booms were placed to help contain the spill. The trucking company's clean-up crew was notified and responded to the scene. Once they arrived, the scene was turned over to them and units returned in service.
Photos courtesy of Chief 1 (Buchanan).
Crews check to see how far the gasoline has traveled.
Handline at the ready just in case.
Absorbent and booms were used to contain the spill.
Did someone call for a plumber?
Wagon 1 in position.
View from the side of Wagon 1. The fuel came from the truck to the left.
MFF John Pumphrey at the pump panel.
Here's a wider view of the scene.
Booms placed in the storm sewer.
After a day of wintry weather that caused
the early closing of Loudoun County schools, the area was hit with a second and more serious dose of
freezing precipitation. Beginning around 2100 hours on February 12th, a steady rain began to fall on
freezing pavement. The result was predictable. At 2139 hours, Company One responded on the first
of seven calls dispatched over the next 66 minutes. Our dedicated volunteers covered them all.
Truck 1 was the last unit to return, coming into Station 20 just after midnight. During the course of these responses, our drivers encountered some horrible conditions, with sheer ice on many stretches of roadway. Wagon 1 became trapped on a sheet of ice on Edwards Ferry Road and Tanker 1 did a bit of a dance as it crossed the Plaza Street bridge. Luckily, we were able to respond to all the emergencies with no damage to persons or equipment and none of the accidents resulted in any serious injuries to civilians.
Thanks to all our dedicated members who came out to provide an extra level of service to the community.
On the evening of January 4th, 2008, Engine Company 1 and Ambulance 13-4 were dispatched for an auto fire on Ft. Johnston Road, just off Harry Byrd Highway. Tanker 1 arrived on the scene with a vehicle well involved. The Tanker's crew, led by FF A. J. Durham, made quick work of the fire, utilizing Class B foam. The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause of the blaze. No one was injured.
Photos courtesy of Chief 1 (Buchanan).
This small SUV was well involved when Tanker 1 arrived.
Company 1 firefighters begin to hit the fire.
Lots of steam as the fire is extinguished.
Class B foam flows out of the open doors.
Fire's out, things are cooling off.