As severe thunderstorms rolled into the area on Sunday afternoon, several volunteers staffed the station, expecting a storm related run. At 1435 hrs., Engine 5-5-2 was dispatched to assist on a dwelling fire in the 6-8 (West Lancaster) first due, in the Wood's Edge development.  Engine 2 hit the street quickly with a full crew, leaving volunteers behind to staff the other units.  Upon arrival, the crew was sent to manpower staging, with Deputy 5-5 being assigned as the staging officer. The crew assisted with overhaul, ventilation, and removal of equipment from five townhouse units.  Engine 2 was still on scene of the 6-8 incident at 1559 hrs., when RE 5-5-1 and the tanker were dispatched on a dwelling assignment on W. Penn  Grant Rd., Pequea Twp., in the 5-11 fire district.  RE 1 and tanker arrived shortly and staged, and were released shortly. 

Photos are from the Wood's Edge incident.  

RE 5-5-1 was dispatched with Company 5-11 (West Willow) on a vehicle accident, on Rt. 272 in the area of Ship Rock Rd.  RE 5-5-1 arrived to find a single vehicle accident, where a northbound vehicle struck the end of a guard rail, with the vehicle coming to rest in the southbound lane.  E 5-11-1 arrived shortly after RE 5-5-1, crews found one patient already in care of EMS, with other occupants of the vehicle reporting they were not injured.  5-5 volunteers assisted with fluid control, depowering the vehicle, and debris cleanup.  5-5 and 5-11 fire police worked together to keep traffic flowing slowly on one lane.

Calls handled earlier in the week:

Friday, July 23, 1935 hrs. - Vehicle Accident Standby, 200 bl. Brenneman Rd. Deputy 5-5 arrived to find a single vehicle accident, with no injuries. Vehicle struck a pole, causing severe damage to the pole. Fortunately, there were no wires on this pole, as it had recently been replaced and was slated for removal.  The vehicle sustained moderate front end damage.  Response was held to the squad, for fluid control.  Fire Police handled traffic control. 

Thursday, July 22, 1459 hrs., assist to 5-11 on a possible cardiac arrest, squad made the run in place of the engine and crew provided assistance to SVEMS on scene.

Wednesday, July 21, 1301 hrs., Alarm Bells call at a farm on W. Penn Grant Rd., in the 5-5 local, called for Engine 2.  Southern Regional Police arrived to report no need for fire company, engine went back in service. 

Engine 5-5-2, with a crew of five, and Tanker 5-5, with a crew of three, were dispatched as part of the first alarm assignment on a rural water supply drill (simulated barn fire with exposures) , on Byerland Church Road in the southern part of the township (5-11 first due area).  The drill was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a nurse tanker operation.  The engine crew assisted the 5-11 (West Willow) attack crew, while the tanker pumped off five loads of water.  Numerous engine and tanker companies participated, including Conestoga, Willow Street, Refton, Rawlinsville, Millersville, Witmer, Quarryville, Strasburg, Pequea, and Robert Fulton.   

Click on any photo to see more.  

The volunteers from company 5-5 handled four calls for service and worked a fund raiser over the Independence Day weekend.  The first call was around 0700 hrs. on Friday morning, when RE 5-5-1, assisted by E 5-11-1 (West Willow), handled a vehicle accident a block from the station, at Rt. 324 and Long Lane.  Units arrived to find a two vehicle crash, involving a small sedan and a full size pickup truck.  Volunteers assisted the EMS crew from SVEMS by stabilizing the sedan, and removing a door from the vehicle.  Volunteers from both township companies worked to control a rather large spill of fluids from the vehicles.  Fire police from the Pequea Township companies, and stations 5-3 (Conestoga) and 5-12 (Willow Street) controlled traffic.  

At 1441 hrs. on Saturday, RE 5-5-1 was requested to transfer to station 5-8 (Rawlinsville), as their units were committed on a building fire in the 5-7 (Quarryville) first due.  RE 5-5-1, with a crew of five, stood by at 5-8, with Engine 5-6-1 (Pequea) and York Co. Tanker 55 (Airville).  The rescue engine returned home around 1800.   The rescue engine hit the road again, at 2137, for a water rescue call in the area of the Slackwater bridge.  6-5 (Millersville) handled the incident, which was on the Manor Township side of the river.  

At 1447 hrs on Sunday, the Tanker was requested to 5-8, to cover Martic Twp. while units were on a woods fire in the 5-6 first due.  Tanker stood by at 5-8 with an engine from Whiteford MD, for several hours.

Several members spent Friday and Saturday evening working a festival stand in Marietta, as a fund raiser for NDFC.  This was a successful event,  thanks to the volunteers who spent time on this, and thanks to 7-10 (Marietta) for the opportunity to  participate in the event.           

Several 5-5 volunteers staffed Company 5-8 (Rawlinsville) on Sunday, while most of the 5-8 members attended a training session, out of the area.  Our members assisted on two vehicle accidents in Martic Township.  The first crash involved a single vehicle which had struck a pole, on Drytown Road.  The second call came in just as the 5-8 / 5-5 crew members were ready to go out to lunch, this incident being a motorcycle accident on Rt. 372.  The 5-5 crew returned to the first due at around 1730.

Units were dispatched to the area of the famous "Corn Wagon" for a class 2 crash, with one reported over the embankment.  Rescue Engine 551 and Ambulance 5-3 (Conestoga) arrived to find a patient in the driver's seat of a mini van, which was down over the embankment after having been struck from behind.  Crews quickly secured the vehicle, using chains around the undercarriage to ensure that the vehicle did not slide any further down the embankment.  After the vehicle was secured, the patient was quickly removed from the vehicle by the EMS and fire crews.  

Click on photos to see all photos of this incident.

After 17 days with no calls for service, the 5-5 volunteers were sent to assist 5-3 (Conestoga) on a dwelling fire, on River Rd., in the "Green Hill" area of Conestoga Township.  Engine 2, the tanker, and the squad rolled on the assignment, with a large column of smoke visible from New Danville.  Engine 2 was given the assignment to assist 5-3 with fire attack, while the tanker immediately began to shuttle water from a fill site that was established by Eng 5-6-1 (Pequea).  Units found a log house, back off the road off a long driveway, to be well involved.  Volunteers worked for several hours to extinguish and overhaul the fire.  A backhoe was brought in to assist with the overhaul operations.  Fire Police from 5-5 closed River Rd. at Safe Harbor.

Units on scene included engines from 5-3, 5-5, 6-2 (Highville), and 5-6, tankers 5-3, 6-2, 5-5, 5-6, 5-8 (Rawlinsville), 7-8 (Washington Boro), 6-5 (Millersville), 5-9 (Refton), 5-7 (Quarryville), and Rescue 5-12 (Willow Street). EMS units from 5-3 and 5-9 (Providence Twp.) stood by at the scene.  Chief 5-3-2 (Thomas) had incident command, Deputy 5-3 (Bresch) had operations, Chief 6-2 (Ditzler) had manpower staging, Chief 5-5 with water supply, and Deputy 5-6 (Evans) on the fill site. 

5-5 Volunteers stayed in it for the long haul, only returning after all the LDH and other equipment was picked up.  5-5 units were available at 2125.

Click on an image for more photos.

   

Thank you all those attended and supported YOUR Fire COMPANY.

Thanks to Turkey Hill Dairy for use of the reefer truck;  to Cherry Hill Orchards fthe use wagons (used for the stage) and Steve Stehman of S & H  Automotive Repair for the cars used in the Car Smash. 

Cllick on image below to see all the photos from the 2010 Station 5-5 Festival 

Early Thursday morning, Engine 1 was requested by SRPD to stand by at a vehicle accident on Rt. 741, west  of Bean Road.  Engine 1 arrived to find a vehicle that had rolled multiple times into a field.  It appeared that the crash had occurred several hours prior to dispatch, as the vehicle was cold, and the driver was nowhere to be found.  Crew checked for hazards and assisted with removing the vehicle from the field, while fire police kept traffic flowing on one lane.

Incidents for the week:

Monday - 1121 hrs., Engine 2 due on a building fire assist to 65 (Millersville), Eng 2 arrived in staging and was released within several minutes of arrival.  1838 hrs - RE 5-5-1 due as a cover unit on the building assignment in E. Hempfield Twp, 67 (Rohrerstown) first due.  Area units were busy on other incidents, bumping RE 5-5-1 onto the first alarm.  Recalled by a 715 (Mountville) officer on scene.  1910 hrs - E2 and the Tanker handled a residential alarm in the first due, on Doe Run Lane, no problem found,  storm likely caused activation.   1928 hrs - Fire Police to Charlestown Rd, Manor Twp., to assist with closing the road due to high water.

Wednesday - 1708 hrs., RE 5-5-1 due on the 5-11 (West Willow) crash on Rt. 272, recalled by a 5-11 chief prior to response. 

Friday - 0855 hrs., RE 5-5-1 due on another 5-11 crash, on Baumgardner Rd., recalled during response. 1916 hrs - E 2 transferred to 65 while they worked an apartment building fire in the Boro.

Volunteers were awakened at 0232, with RE 5-5-1 being due on a 5-3 (Conestoga) box for the reported  class 1 crash, on Stehman Rd., Conestoga Twp.   Units arrived to find a one vehicle crash, with the vehicle that came to rest on it's roof, in a private driveway.  Driver had self extricated.  Crews from RE5-5-1 and E 5-3-1 checked and controlled hazards and provided lighting for EMS and police. Fire Police closed Stehman Rd. at Long Lane while units were operating at the scene.  Units cleared approx. one hour after dispatch.