Shortly before 10 a.m. on Friday July 3, Baltimore County’s 911 Center received a call reporting an apartment fire at 11912 Tarragon Road in the Franklin/Reisterstown area (Fire Box 56-3). First arriving Engine 56 (Franklin career station) reported fire and smoke showing from the ground level of a 3-story garden apartment style building and requested a Working Fire Dispatch.  Crews were told residents were still possibly in the apartment on fire, but primary and secondary searches were negative.  Firefighters made an aggressive attack and limited the fire to a basement apartment, while assisting several civilian residents from the building.  PVFC Tower 323 responded on the WFD and assumed RIT duties upon arrival. The fire apartment suffered significant damage and several other units sustained smoke and water damage. The American Red Cross and Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management worked together to assist displaced residents. BCoFD Fire Investigation Division is investigating the origin and cause of the fire, which is not believed to be suspicious. In addition to Station 56 and PVFC, crews from BCoFD Station 19 (Garrison), and volunteers from Reisterstown, Owings Mills, Glyndon, Boring, and Rockaway Beach, as well as from Reese in Carroll County, responded. BC22 (Hart) had Tarragon Command and DC5 (Robinson) was also on scene.

PVFC Engine 321 responded with BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) and BCoFD Engine 14 (Brooklandville career)to an auto fire on the Outer Loop of I-695 between exits 22 & 21 on Saturday June 27th shortly before 5 p.m. Engine 14 arrived with heavy fire showing from the car's engine compartment, and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.

Around 10:30 on Friday night,June 26, PVFC IV 325 was alerted to assist BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) with a burn patient from a "dumpster fire" on Reisterstown Road at the Baltimore City line. IV 325 arrived on scene just over the line in Baltimore City to find BCFD and BCoFD units working together to extinguish a fire in an empty dumpster enclosure at a gas station. A civilian had apparently fallen asleep in the enclosure prior to the fire starting and was rescued by the fire crews. IV 325 found partial thickness burns over approximately 40 percent of the patient's body surface area. Assisted by the paramedic/EMS lieutenant from BCoFD EMS 5, IV 325 took over patient care and transported the patient by ground to the regional burn center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. This incident is currently under investigation by BCPD. Units on scene: BCoFD E2, IV325, EMS5. BCFD E45, T12, EMS4. Numerous BCPD units.

Baltimore County westside units were dispatched at 5:47 p.m. on Thursday June 25th to a reported motor vehicle accident with entrapment on Mt Wilson Lane near the CSX railroad tracks in Garrison. BCoFD Engine and Medic 19 (Garrison station) arrived to find a single vehicle that had struck a telephone pole and rolled over, coming to rest on its wheels with the driver trapped. PVFC crews from Squad 322, Tower 323 and Utility 329 worked to free the subject from the vehicle and passed him to the awaiting EMS crews. The extrication took approximately 15 minutes and the patient was transported via Medic 19 to an area hospital.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday, June 24th, Baltimore County westside fire units were dispatched to 6703 Carol Road in Woodlawn for a TV reported on fire in a dwelling. While units were en route, Fire Dispatch advised that the caller was reporting the fire had extended to a bedroom, and a full fire box was dispatched, adding PVFC Tower 323 among other units to the assignment. BCoFD Engine 3 (Woodlawn career) arrived to find smoke showing from a single family dwelling, and arriving engines laid lines. Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire with some extension to the room and contents. The Tower crew threw ground ladders, assisted with search, ventilation, lighting, salvage and overhaul.

Pikesville VFC Engine 321, a 1999 American LaFrance/Saulsbury 1500GPM/750GWT/30F pumper, earned Honorable Mention recognition in the “Best Appearance 1500GPM and over” category in the 117th annual Maryland State Firemen’s Association parade in Ocean City, MD on June 17th.   The combination of the Montgomery County Firefighters Pipes & Drums and The Fire Brigade of Greater Baltimore Pipes and Drums, which includes several PVFC members, played together at several events, including the parade, where they won First Place for the Best Appearing Drum and Bugle Corps. (Video link is below) Also of note, PVFC member Roger Powell was initiated as the 2009-2010 MSFA President, PVFC member Stu Carter was named Chairman of the MSFA Executive Committee and PVFC member Rick Udell was appointed vice chair of the MSFA EMS Committee. Click here: http://tr.im/pgXA for photos of 250 rigs in the parade.

Shortly after 3pm on Saturday June 13th, Baltimore County Fire Department units were dispatched for the report of a worker trapped in a large water supply tower at Pleasant Hill Road & Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills. OMVFC Engine 311 was the first unit to arrive on location and confirmed the 'Working Rescue' and started to coordinate the tasks for all units responding to the incident. Pikesville VFC responded with the Squad, Tower, and Utility, with multiple Confined Space Team members led by Captain Glenn Resnick. Upon PVFC’s arrival Reisterstown VFC Squad 414 was setting up rope systems as well as ensuring proper lighting and ventilation was started. Captain Resnick made the 130'+ climb to the top of the water tower and assumed 'Entry', assisted by the crew from BCoFD Urban Search and Rescue 17 who assisted in packaging the patient. PVFC Tower 323 was utilized to transport rescue and EMS equipment to the scaffolding surrounding the dome of the water tower. Firefighters used a scaffolding lift to lower the patient from the platform inside the tower to the ground where crews from Glyndon VFC & RVFC assisted in transferring the patient to waiting EMS crews. The patient was extricated in just over an hour and was flown to Shock Trauma by Maryland State Police Trooper 1 with non-life threatening injuries, and no injuries were reported by rescue crews on the scene. Units on scene: BC22 E311 T404 S414 M19 EMS5 S322 TOW323 CST32 TOW17 USAR 17 M117 U329 DC1 Special Call REHAB 156 E19 (L/Z) M56

Just after midnight on Saturday June 6th, PVFC Squad 322 and Tower 323 were alerted for the report of a motor vehicle accident with entrapment in front of 2711 Caves Road (Rescue Box 50-16). Units from Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Company arrived first confirming one vehicle into a telephone pole with one patient severely trapped and assumed command. Crews from Pikesville removed the roof & doors followed by a dash roll on the passenger side of the vehicle. The extrication was completed in approximately 15 minutes and the patient was transported by BCoFD Medic 19 (Garrison career) to Shock Trauma. Units cleared just before 1 a.m.

Pikesville VFC Tower 323 was among more than 25 fire apparatus that responded to a 4-alarm apartment fire in Cockeysville on Thursday night, June 4. Calls began coming in to the Baltimore County 911 center at about 11:40 p.m. reporting an apartment fire in the 200 block of St. David Court, off Scott Adam Road (Fire Box 17-19). The first arriving unit, BCoFD Engine 17 (Texas career station) arrived at 11:44 p.m. to find heavy fire showing through the roof and requested a second alarm on arrival. Two additional alarms were later struck, bringing more than 100 career and volunteer fire personnel to the scene. Tower 323’s crew assisted in throwing ground ladders, worked with crews from Chestnut Ridge VFC on fire suppression, and pulled ceilings to check for fire extension. Baltimore County fire officials said 11 units in the main fire building, as well as several units in the adjacent structures were deemed uninhabitable. Baltimore County Emergency Management worked with the Red Cross and apartment complex management to secure safe places for all displaced residents to spend the night. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The fire’s origin and cause are under investigation by the BCoFD Fire Investigation Division.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, Baltimore County Central District units were alerted for a reported dwelling fire at 8209 Bellona Ave (Fire Box 30-9). First arriving units reported fire and smoke showing from a 1.5 story ranch-style dwelling, and requested the Working Fire Dispatch, bringing PVFC Tower 323 among other units to the scene. Upon arrival the Tower crew was put to work performing overhaul operations (pulling ceilings and searching for hidden fire) inside the structure. The Tower cleared at 11 a.m.

Shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, Pikesville VFC Squad 322 was alerted with other Baltimore County westside units for a fire reported in the 9700 block of Old Court Road.  First arriving units found heavy fire in the attic area of a 1.5 story single family dwelling.  The Squad’s crew performed a primary search of the building, which was negative, and secured the utilities, threw ground ladders, and assisted with ventilation and lighting. Engine crews set up a water supply shuttle and laid a lot of hose due to a lack of hydrants near the fire building.  On the transmission by command of a Working Fire Dispatch, PVFC Tower 323 responded to the fire, and staged on Old Court Road.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday May 30, 2009, Baltimore County, MD firefighters were called to 6603 Copper Ridge Drive in the Brooklandville area (Fire Box 14-28) for a reported apartment fire.  BCoFD Engine 14 (Brooklandville station) arrived at the Bonnie Ridge Apartments with fire showing and prepared for fire attack, and the officer on BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) called for a second alarm, reporting heavy fire on all 3 floors of a garden-apartment building.  Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company Tower 323 put its bucket to the roof and its crew, joined by the firefighters from Squad 322, performed roof ventilation, searched the building and assisted with fire attack.  One female victim was found inside a burning apartment and was pronounced DOA on the scene.  Members of the Baltimore County Fire Department Fire Investigation Division are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire.  This is the 3rd multiple alam fire that PVFC crews have battled this week.

On Friday afternoon May 29, shortly after clearing a call for smoke in a house in their first due, PVFC crews were alerted for a reported motor vehicle accident with entrapment at Reisterstown Road and St Thomas Lane, near the St. Thomas Shopping Center. Units arrived to find a multiple vehicle accident at the intersection; one vehicle ended up on the eastbound side of Reisterstown Road while another vehicle struck the M&T Bank at 9948 Reisterstown Road in the shopping center. PVFC Squad 322’s crew and Owings Mills VFC Medic 315 handled a minor “door pop” to free a patient from the vehicle on Reisterstown Road; OMVFC Truck 313’s crew and BCoFD Medic 19 (Garrison career) popped the door on the auto that struck the bank building. One patient was transported to Sinai Hospital’s trauma center. Also on scene were BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) and BCoFD EMS5.

Just before 6 a.m., Pikesville VFC and other Baltimore County westside units were alerted to a reported building fire in Pikesville (Fire Box 2-13) in the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road. PVFC Engine 321 arrived with heavy smoke showing from a 1-story building with four commercial occupancies and the officer requested a Working Fire Dispatch. The engine crew dropped a hoseline at a nearby hydrant while PVFC Tower 323 arrived and put the bucket to the building's roof, followed shortly by the arrival of PVFC Squad 322. The Captain from BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) assumed command and requested a second alarm as crews were met with heavy smoke showing from the stores - Pizza Man, China King Kitchen, Bressler Cleaners, and Dunkin Donuts. Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire, which is believed to have started in an appliance in the Pizza Man restaurant.

Around 9 p.m. Sunday, May 24th, Pikesville VFC Engine 321, Squad 322, and Tower 323 were alerted with other Baltimore County westside units for an apartment fire reported at 4605 Horizon Circle at the Marrion Square Apartments in Randallstown. While units were enroute, fire dispatch advised police were on scene reporting heavy smoke showing from a 3-story garden style apartment building. BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville career) arrived first, reporting heavy fire was showing through the roof, and quickly ordered a second alarm. Tower 323’s operator raised the aerial to the roof and the crew split up, with two firefighters assisting in opening the roof and the other two assisting on a search of the fire floor, forcing entry into the upper apartments and opening up. Squad 322’s crew assisted the tower. Engine 321 was assigned to pump a hydrant at the entrance to the development and the crew assisted in opening up ceilings on the delta exposure as well as searches of that building. As the blaze intensified and conditions worsened, Battalion Chief 2 (Lancaster), the Incident Commander, pulled crews from the building and switched to defensive operations. The Memorial Day weekend fire tore through several attached units of the building, leaving dozens of people homeless. The blaze eventually went to 4 alarms, and was not called under control until almost 12:30 a.m., although firefighters remained on the scene for hours to contain hot spots and ensure all the fire was extinguished. One firefighter suffered a minor injury operating inside the building and one civilian also suffered a minor injury. The Memorial Day weekend fire destroyed 24 units in two attached buildings, leaving dozens of people homeless and a dozen others at least temporarily displaced. Baltimore County’s Office of Emergency Management coordinated with the Central Maryland chapter of the American Red Cross and the apartment complex to find shelter for those displaced. Officials reported there were 30 fire department units with more than 100 firefighters on the scene. The Baltimore County Fire Department Investigation Division is trying to determine a cause for the blaze, which caused an estimated $1.5 million in damages.