The Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company has ordered a 2010 Rosenbauer/Spartan heavy rescue squad from DPC Emergency Equipment of Marydel, MD  The new apparatus will replace the current Squad 322, a 1991 Freightliner/Saulsbury that has served the company well for 19 years and is now for sale.


"We are excited to be working with DPC on the new Rosenbauer heavy rescue and look forward to its arrival and to the truck serving the citizens and visitors of Pikesville for many years," said PVFC Captain Glenn Resnick.  "With all of the rescue specialties that our members have added over the years, such as Confined Space, we've outgrown our old rescue squad."
 

The Spartan Gladiator ELFD will have a 10” raised roof, seating for six personnel, and be powered by a Cummins ISM 500 horsepower motor. The truck will have a 268” wheelbase, be just over 40’ in length and have a travel height of 10’-10”. Rosenbauer’s General Division will manufacture the 24’ aluminum rescue body that will feature 11 exterior compartments in a walk-around design. The rooftop area will feature seven additional storage compartments. Inside the rear compartment will be a custom-designed storage layout for items such as stokes baskets, backboards, tripod quartz lights, cribbing, and pike poles.
 

Ten (10) Havis Magnafire 3000 quartz lights and a 9,000-watt Will-Burt light tower will be powered by an Onan 25kW PTO driven generator. In addition the body will feature a multitude of Hannay reels including: (2) air reels, (2) hydraulic reels, and (4) electrical reels with an identical layout on each side of the apparatus.
 

The front bumper will be extended 24” and incorporate a full-width compartment to house a preconnected hydraulic rescue tool. A combination of over 30 LED warning lights will be located throughout the apparatus that will include products from Whelen, Weldon, and Power Arc. Other features include a 20,000 lb. Ramsey hydraulic winch in the rear of the body, a two-bottle cascade system with fill station in the left front compartment, and portable winch receivers on each side and under the front bumper.
 

The Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company is the only company in Baltimore County that runs a full range of emergency service apparatus, including an engine, truck, heavy rescue and medic.
 

Community members wishing to make a tax-deductable donation to PVFC to help cover the costs of the new squad 322 should contact the station.

The Members of the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company have elected their company's new leadership, who will be sworn into office at the annual PVFC Banquet on February 6.


Filling the Captain position once again is PVFC veteran member Glenn Resnick.  Assisting Captain Resnick will be Scott Goldstein (1st Engine Lieutenant), Dan Ross (2nd Engine Lieutenant), Justin Schumer (1st Squad Lieutenant), Adam Goodman (2nd Squad Lieutenant), Larry Goldberg (1st Tower Lieutenant) and Josh Schumer (2nd Tower Lieutenant).  Lt. Larry Burgan was re-elected as the company Engineer.  The EMS officers remain the same as they were for 2009 - Brian Schumer (1st Lieutenant), Rick Udell (2nd Lieutenant) , and Andrea Lavine (3rd Lieutenant).


Elected PVFC President for 2010 was Richard Berkowitz.  Assisting him in guiding the company this year will be Lee Sachs (1st Vice President), Sam Dansicker (2nd Vice President), and Jonathan Ferber (3rd Vice President).  Phil Goldsmith and Allen Roody were both re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary respectively, as were Chaplains Murray Rodman and Kathleen Resnick.


Also re-elected as members of the PVFC Board of Directors were John "Snoopy" Thomas, Bill Levin, and Kathleen Resnick.

Shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday January 12, PVFC units were alerted with other Baltimore County Fire Department crews for a house fire reported in the area of Carla Road and Smith Avenue (Fire Box 2-16).  Subsequent calls indicated the fire was at  7618 Carla Road. With smoke visible from the intersection of Carla Road and Smith Avenue, Pikesville VFC Engine 321 dropped a supply line at the hydrant on the corner, and arrived to find fire in the roof area of a ranch-style home.  Engine 321's officer passed command to the next arriving engine and worked with the crew to attack the fire. Incoming units on the Working Fire Dispatch assisted with laddering the structure, laying additional lines, and extinguishing the fire.  It's believed that the fire started during roofing work by contractors, who were using propane equipment.

Shortly after 8 a.m. Monday, January 11, PVFC Medic 325 was alerted with other Baltimore County Fire Department units for an overturned vehicle on Reisterstown Road and Kenmar Avenue (Rescue Box 19-4)  with the driver reported trapped. BCoFD Engine 19 (Garrison career arrived to find a Ford SUV on its roof with the driver unconscious and requested a Maryland State Police medevac to the scene.  Units from BCoFD stations 19 and 18 (Randallstown career) and Reisterstown volunteers extricated the patient and Medic 325's crew initiated patient care.  Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company Engine 311 established the medevac landing zone in the Home Depot parking lot for MSP Trooper 3, who flew the patient to Baltimore's Shock Trauma Center.  The crash is under investigation by the Baltimore County Police Department.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Monday December 28, PVFC Engine 321 and Squad 322 were assigned on Fire Box 33-09 for a dwelling fire reported at 5227 Pembroke Avenue in Woodlawn.  A Baltimore County 4th Precinct police unit reported heavy smoke in the area, and found the house with heavy smoke showing.  BCoFD Engine 3 (Woodlawn career) laid in from Virginia and Pembroke, and found heavy smoke and fire showing from a 2-story house, and a working fire assignment was requested.  Firefighters encountered a basement fire with extension, and stretched several lines in an attempt to knock down the fire.  While Engine 3 stretched a line through the front door, BCoFD Engine 13 (Westview career) completed the water supply and ran a second attack line to the basement access on Side Charlie. Pikesville units arrived just behind the first arriving companies and immediately assisted BCoFD Truck 13 with ladders and ventilation.  The Squad crew reported to the rear of the house and attempted to conduct a primary search, and the Engine crew entered on the first floor to assist with fire attack.  These tasks were short lived when the home's gas main ignited, and command ordered firefighters to evacuate. An exterior attack was utilized to knock down the fire before reentering.  During this brief period of time Pikesville crews assisted with one of the 5 attack lines, removed additional windows and set up exterior lights.  Command allowed crews to enter the house and attack the fire which was now on all three levels.  Once again, the Squad crew entered the basement to work with Engine 13 and the Engine crew went to work on the first floor.  After a quick rehab and bottle swap, both Pikesville crews entered the 2nd floor by ground ladder to open up and find hidden fire. PVFC units were on the scene for several hours before returning home.



Units on scene:



1st Alarm: BC2 E3 E13 E2 E321 E18 T13 SQ322



Working Fire & Special calls: E4 E19 E5 T18 M2 EMS8 AU57 RH156

Around lunchtime on Christmas Day, PVFC Engine 321 responded with other units to a reported auto fire on the Outer Loop of Interstate 695 between Exits 21 & 22 (Local Box 14-63). Engine 321 arrived on the scene of a Honda Accord sedan with fire in the engine area and the crew made quick work of the car fire. (Photos courtesy BCoFD Station 2)

Shortly before 2 a.m. on Christmas Day, PVFC Engine 321 and Squad 322 were alerted with other Baltimore County westside fire units for a reported house fire at 711 Cliffedge Road (Fire Box 2-19). BCoFD Medic 18 (Randallstown career), enroute back to the station after a medical call, arrived first and arrived fire was showing from a 1.5 story dwelling. PVFC units arrived seconds later and as the engine officer assumed command, Fire Dispatch advised there were possibly residents still inside the house and a fire rescue assignment was dispatched. Engine 321's crew advanced a handline and began an aggressive attack on the fire, knocking it within minutes, while the squad crew performed a search and with BCoFD Truck 18's crew removed windows and opened the roof to ventilate the structure. All occupants had safely exited the house prior to the fire department's arrival. The American Red Cross Central Maryland chapter was requested to the scene to assist the family.

The snow began falling in Pikesville around 11 p.m Friday night., and shortly afterwards, PVFC crews began a busy weekend of calls during what would turn out to be the largest snowfall ever recorded in Maryland during the month of December. PVFC volunteers staffed the engine, squad and medic throughout the entire weekend, running more than 50 combined medic and suppression calls without missing any responses.



Company 32 was alerted with other units for a reported motor vehicle crash with injuries on I-695 between exits 21 & 22. While enroute, units from station 14 (Brooklandville career) advised they had a multiple vehicle crash with 5 patients and requested additional EMS units; Squad 322 discovered another crash on the Beltway and requested a medic unit for a Priority 2 patient. IV325, diverted from the first MVA, responded to assist the squad. Around 11 a.m., BCoFD EMS 5 advised Fire Dispatch of an MVA with injuries on the Inner Loop of I-695 between exits 22 & 23.  PVFC Medic 325 & BCoFD Engine 14 responded to assist, and the medic transported a patient to GBMC. 


On Sunday afternoon, PVFC Engine 321 was assigned on the 2nd alarm for a building fire at Heaver Plaza, in Lutherville.  Companies were on the scene of heavy smoke in an 8-story commercial building with a fire in an elevator shaft. The engine's crew assisted with ventilation. Later on Sunday afternoon, PVFC Engine 321 and Squad 322 responded with other units to Fire Box 50-16 for a reported dwelling fire at 2304 Valley Ridge Drive in Chestnut Ridge's first due.  Engine 321 arrived with nothing evident, then upgraded to smoke showing on the interior of the house.  After further investigation units from Company 32 found a closed damper on a fireplace and ventilated the structure.


Sunday afternoon also found PVFC crews responding to a possible building collapse in the company's first-due.  Engine 321, Squad 322, Medic 325 and Confned Space Team 32 responded to a reported deck collapse with entrapment at a house on Colby Road.  Units from Company 32 arrived to find a two-story dwelling with complete collapse of the rear deck.  The patient had self-extricated prior to the fire department's arrival but sustained a serious leg fracture and was transported via Medic 325 to Sinai Trauma.


On Sunday evening, Engine 321 responded as the first due engine to a reported electrical fire on Brookmill Road (Box 2-23).  Arriving with nothing showing, the engine crew laid 400 feet of hose and its crew went inside to investigate, where they upgraded to smoke on the interior.  It was determined that one of the home's occupants plugged a phone charger into a wall outlet and suffered an electrical shock, the charger flew out of the outlet, the wall caught on fire and the patient's fingers were severely burned.  The occupant attempted to smother the fire using his mattress which then caught the bed on fire.  Firefighters quickly extinguished the small fire and the patients was transported by BCoFD Medic 19 (Garrison) to Bayview Burn Center.

 A pioneering firefighter in Baltimore County was posthumously honored December 15th with a meeting  room at Fire Department headquarters in Towson being named in her honor. A portrait of Danelle England-Dansicker now hangs in the fourth-floor room, “The England-Dansicker Room,” in honor of the late Baltimore County Fire Department division chief who laid the groundwork for today’s female members of the county’s fire service.



England-Dansicker was the first female member of the BCoFD, its first chief officer, and is still the highest-ever ranking woman to serve in the agency. She was also the first member of the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company.



“When Danelle was hired it was very significant,” said BCoFD Fire Chief John Hohman told a room packed with fire department officials, county dignitaries, family members and friends. “Danelle changed this fire department forever.”



Hohman said England-Dansicker was “unequivocally the perfect person to break the barrier,” noting as a rookie firefighter at Engine 11 in Hillendale she responded to a working fire on her very first day on the job. “Her enthusiasm was unparalleled and she was a natural leader.”



Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith called England-Dansicker “ a trailblazer”, adding, “her valor, dedication and outstanding examples enriched our fire department and our entire county.”



England-Dansicker joined BCoFD in 1978 and served as a firefighter. apparatus driver, cardiac rescue technician, and member of the high-rise evacuation aerial team, a precursor to today’s Urban Search and Rescue team. In 1995 she was promoted to serve as the county’s first female battalion chief and its first division chief in 2001. England-Dansicker retired in 2005 after a distinguished 27-year career and in April 2009 passed away at age 52 due to complications from an autoimmune disease.



 England-Dansicker, whose family is deeply entrenched in the fire service, is survived by her husband Sam, past captain and life member of PVFC; daughters Gabrielle and Alex; mother Anida England of Box 234 Association; brother Bill, retired BCoFD lieutenant and Pikesville VFC member; uncle Rick Holden, BCoFD fire specialist and life member of PVFC; and grandmother Wilso Holden of Box 234 Association.  Her fire service family also includes her late father, Bill England, Sr., an associate member of PVFC; late grandfather Captain Dan Holden, III, a BCoFD captain and life member of PVFC; late Uncle Gerald Holden, BCoFD lieutenant, past captain and life member of PVFC.  Her cousin Dan Holden also was a longtime PVFC member.


 

Shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, December 12, Baltimore County Fire Department units were dispatched for a motor vehicle accident with unknown injuries on the Outer Loop of Interstate 695 between Exit 20 (Reisterstown Road) and Exit 19 (Interstate 795).  Fire dispatch then advised callers to 911 were indicating a person was injured, upgrading the call to a 10-50 PI, and additional information reported a person was trapped, upgrading the call to a rescue box.  Pikesville VFC Squad 322 was first on scene, advising a car had struck the highway divider wall and one patient was trapped.  Additional units from stations 2 (Pikesville), 3 (Woodlawn), 18 (Randallstown), 19 (Garrison), and 41 (Reisterstown volunteers) arrived, and after stabilizing the vehicle firefighters removed the windshield and roof of the Acura sedan to access the patient.  BCoFD Medic 2 transported the patient to Sinai Hospital.

PVFC Engine 321, Tower 323 and IV 325 responded with other units Sunday morning November 29 to a dwelling fire in the company's first due. Baltimore County Police units were first on the scene at 6602 Marott Drive (Fire Box 2-24) reporting smoke showing, and BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) upgraded to fire showing from a single family house.  Upon reports of a person possibly still inside, Fire Dispatch upgraded the call to a Fire Rescue box, but a search by firefighters proved negative.  Firefighters made a quick knock of a kitchen fire that apparently started when a lit cigarette was placed in a plastic trash can and command (BC Lancaster) requested the response of Fire Investigation Division.  Other units on the scene were from BCoFD career stations 3, 13, 14, 18, and 19.

Shortly after 830 p.m. Saturday, November 28, PVFC Tower 323 and Squad 322 were dispatched with other westside units to a motor vehicle crash with reported entrapment and fire on Liberty Road in the area of Kelox Road (Rescue Box 33-8) in Woodlawn.  BCoFD Engine 3 (Woodlawn career) and Engine 331 (Woodlawn volunteers) arrived to find a 3-vehicle crash in the middle of Liberty Road - a Buick LaSabre, Toyota Camry, and Isuzu Rodeo SUV had collided head-on with the engine compartment of the Buick heavily involved in fire and the driver of the Camry trapped.  The engine crews worked to extinguish the fire while PVFC crews worked to roll the dashboard and remove the roof of the Toyota to free the driver. The drivers of the two cars were transported to Shock Trauma and Sinai Hospital Trauma, and 3 occupants of the Isuzu SUV were transported as Priority 3 patients to Northwest Hospital. The crash is being investigated by the Baltimore County Police Department.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, October 16, Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company’s Confined Space Team was alerted to respond to the Constellation Energy facility at 1001 Carroll Island Road (Box 21-10) for a reported worker trapped in a silo. Ten PVFC CST32 firefighters grabbed their confined space bags and jumped on Squad 322, Tower 323 and Utilitty 329 to make the 27 mile drive through the cold and steady rain to the far edge of Bowley's Quarters in eastern Baltimore County.

Bowley’s Quarters Squad 213 arrived first, confirming a working confined space rescue with an injured but conscious victim at the bottom of a silo. A worker had fallen from the 8th floor into a coal silo, approximately 130 feet above grade. The worker's initial fall was approximately 80 ft before he struck the sloped bottom and slid into the bottom portion of the hopper (over 120 ft below from where he fell). Prior to the fire department’s arrival, workers had already began ventilating the silo and their remote air monitoring found 21% oxygen at the victims location.

Prior to CST32's arrival, S213, Truck 221 (Middle River volunteers), E54 (Chase career) S262 (North Point-Edgemere volunteer) and SU267 had begun to develop a rescue plan. Upon their arrival CST32's crews hauled up large amounts of rope and hardware, and when BCoFD USAR17 (Texas career) arrived they brought the rest of the required equipment to the rescue area. The rescue crews held a brief discussion to finalize the rescue plans after discussing the options, and ensured that everyone was on the same page. Rescue operations were switched to an alternate radio channel for rescue restricted communications. Due to the extremely dangerous working environment, all rescuers working near the confined space were required to be in a Class 3 harness, secured into one of two steel cable tag lines with a fall arrester.

Crews utilized 3 vertical steel I-beams as the bomb-proof anchor points for the 6 rope systems in place. A secure steel cable sling located above the confined space was used for a change of direction point for some of the rope systems, including the main haul line. The CST's from 32, 17, and 26 set up a 3:1 Z-rig as the haul line, which was modified with a bar rack to lower the rescuers and equipment. Additional belay lines and tag lines were also put into place to ensure additional safety. With the extremely limited amount of working space, one of the challenges was keeping the various rope systems apart from each other. Due to the possibility of coal dust at the bottom of the silo, the Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus was utilized for the rescuers. With a high priority patient anticipated, two Confined Space Tech's with paramedic certification were elected to enter the confined space. Three additional Confined Space Tech's from CST 32 stood by as the RIT.

FF/PM Ross (S322) was the first rescuer in the confined space, advising a Priority 1 - Category A trauma patient. He found that the area where the patient had ended up was narrow and approximately 5 feet in length, and that the SABAs were not necessary based on the air quality. Upon administering oxygen, the patient became more alert and was able to hold a conversation. FF/PM Lyons (USAR17) entered next and assisted FF/PM Ross with packaging and stabilization. Crews decided to use a LSP to remove the patient from the confined space. The patient was lifted with the 3:1 haul system and turned over to awaiting BCoFD personnel and the Shock Trauma Go Team. A MSP medevac helicopter had been requested earlier in the incident, but Trooper 1 located just around the corner at Martin State Airport was down due to weather. The patient was extricated in approximately 2 hours 45 minutes from the time of dispatch. Once extricated, the two rescuers in the bottom of the silo were removed vertically using the same rope systems. After extensive cleanup and a quick debriefing, Pikesville units headed home more than four hours after the initial response.

Units on scene
BC3 E54 T221 S213 USAR17 TOW17 M17 CST26 S262 SU267 CST32 S322 TOW323 U329 M54 M55 EMS4 AU426 HM114 F14 RH154 RH155
Photos courtesy Greg Skirvanis - MRVFC Company 22

It’s not common for ambulance crews to need to don a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), but about a dozen Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company members, many of whom ride Medic 325, participated in a recent refresher SCBA lesson at Station 32. Among the calls that might necessitate wearing an SCBA include elevated carbon monoxide levels, a decomposing body, hazardous materials, confined space, and biological/chemical substance incidents. “Your SCBA is a tool to help with patient care,” said PVFC Lt. Larry Goldberg, who led the training, demonstrating the correct way to check, test, and wear an SCBA.  PVFC is hoping to obtain additional SCBA equipment for medical personnel through the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association and current Baltimore County budget funding.

Just before 530 p.m. Sunday, October 11, Baltimore County Fire Department units, including Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company Squad 322, responded to a motor vehicle accident with reported entrapment at the intersection of Essex Road and Liberty Road.  First arriving BCoFD Engine 3 (Woodlawn career) reported a Toyota Sienna minivan was overturned between Toyota and Buick sedans.  Firefighters found a female inside the van, not trapped, but needing assistance to get out of the vehicle.  A total of 7 patients were transported to area hospitals.  Units: DC2 E3 T18 SQ 322 U329 EMS8 M3 M13 M18 M335