Tuesday, March 26, 2013 On Tuesday evening, March 26th, the KPFC’s regular drill night topic was Elevator & Escalator Rescue Emergencies. The class was presented by Instructor Jerry Van Horn from the Bucks County Public Safety Training Campus. The 22 attendees were presented with a 4 hour awareness level training class on these types of emergencies. Firefighters present represented King of Prussia, Swedeland, Swedesburg, and Goodwill (Bridgeport) fire companies. With the increased service requests for these types of calls, and continued growth of the township, we are certain to continue to see our share of calls involving these building features. The informative class will help our members be prepared to handle the issues and risks associated with elevator and escalator emergencies.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 The KPVFC responded to an accident with entrapment in Valley Forge Park while being assisted with Chester County Station 68 (Valley Forge Fire Co.). Rescue 47, Squad 47 and Engine 47-2 made the response. A single occupant was removed from an overturned passenger vehicle and transported to an area hospital.
Friday, February 22, 2013 On Monday, February 11th, and Tuesday, February 12th, the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company hosted hands-on training at the Valley Forge Shopping Center on Route 202. Due to a large portion being demolished for the construction of a new Target store, it provided a rare chance for firefighters to practice their skills on realistic props. On Monday, the KPVFC, Swedeland Fire Company, and Swedesburg Fire Company participated in three different skill stations that included forcible entry with the pry bar and axe, cutting the roof for vertical ventilation, and forcible entry using “through the lock” techniques as well as the circular saw. The crews worked at the old Sleepy’s and Steve’s Sewing store. On Tuesday, the Bridgeport fire companies were invited and participated in three different skill stations. They included rescuing a downed firefighter from inside a commercial building, forcible entry using the pry bar and axe, master stream hose evolutions, and more practice with the circular saw. Between both nights and the time to prepare it required nearly eight hours of time commitment from the KPVFC members. In all, important lessons were learned and skills were improved. A special thanks goes to former KPVFC Chief and current Upper Merion Township Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Daywalt for helping coordinate with the owners and contractors of the shopping center to make the training a reality.
Thursday, February 21, 2013 On January 31st, representatives of the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company, along with 170 other fire companies from the tri-state area teamed up with Action News for the 21st annual Operation 6ABC Save-A-Life. The annual event has Action news teaming up with firefighters from across the Delaware Valley in an effort to spread fire safety information and prevent fire deaths. Lieutenant Vince DiSanto and Firefighter Bob Smull attended the event at the Philadelphia Fire Academy that was hosted by 6abc’s Karen Rogers and received King of Prussia’s allotment of the free smoke detectors given out to the various departments. The smoke detectors were part of a total of 7,200 donated by Kidde Fire protection. "Fire spreads quickly, but what a smoke detector does is help you be alerted in the early stages of a fire so that you do have time to get out. You have time to help your family get out, and hopefully you have an escape plan so that everyone gets out safely to a meeting place," explained Philadelphia Fire Department Chief Derrick Sawyer. The smoke alarms that the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company received are a sealed unit that lasts for 10 years and will install the new smoke alarms in Upper Merion Township homes of low income, elderly, and other residents at risk in our respective community. King of Prussia Residents can call the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company @ 610-265-1063 or email: info@kpvfc.com for information regarding how to obtain one of the available smoke alarms.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 It is with great excitement to bring you some good news. Nikki and Chris the "Hawk" MacVaugh brought an addition to the KPVFC family today. Welcome little boy and future firefighter Landon Arthur MacVaugh born at 5:22 AM weighing 6.12 lbs and 20 1/4" long. Mom, baby, and Dad are all doing fine.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 Just after 7:00am the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company was alerted for a fire alarm activation at the Valley Forge Towers – 1000 Building. As units were responding reports came into the 911 communications center that smoke was reported on the 7th floor. The building fire response called for a redispatch of the KPVFC as well as Valley Forge Fire Company (Chesco Sta. 68) for an engine company. Chief Jim Gallagher arrived with Engine 47-1, and Tower 47 soon after. Chief Gallagher established “Incident Command” and requested the “confirmed fire” procedure bringing Rescue 53 (Lower Providence) for the Rapid Intervention Team, Rescue 49 (Swedesburg) for supply breathing air, Ladder 48 (Swedeland) and Lafayette EMS. Upon arrival, Engine 47-1’s operator let his crew exit at the main entrance. Going off his experience and the fact the building fire response was delayed, he repositioned the apparatus to the rear of the building to establish a water source to the fire department standpipe connection. Engine 47-1, Engine 47-2, and Tower 47’s crew teamed up to investigate the smoke on the 7th floor. The standpipe system was pressurized to establish a charged hoseline on the fire floor once it was realized some type of fire existed in the building. After an extensive search the fire was located within the wall of an apartment on the reported floor, with smoldering insulation being extinguished quickly by the hoseline. Mutual aid companies were released a short time later and KPVFC units cleared within a hour and a half from dispatch.
Monday, January 28, 2013 Whenever cold weather hits the fire emergencies seem to increase in the fire service. Last week with the cold spell hitting the area for the first time this winter it brought approximately two dozen runs for the King of Prussia Volunteer Firefighters. More specific, the past weekend brought more accident responses for the KPVFC. Around lunch time on both Saturday and Sunday, Station 47 was dispatched for an accident stand-by on the Schuylkill Expressway as well as Route 23 in Valley Forge Park. The accident on I-76 involved four to five vehicles in the west-bound lanes. Crews from the KPVFC assisted Squad 48 (Swedeland Fire Co.) triaging multiple patients and assisting various EMS units while controlling hazards. The second accident in the Valley Forge Park involved a vehicle on its side with the Valley Forge Fire Company (Chesco. Station 68) assisting for the standard automatic aid response in the park. Upon arrival, the Station 68 units had the scene under control and the KPVFC units went available a short time later.
Thursday, January 24, 2013 The freezing northeast weather created the perfect storm of what would turn out to be a very busy fire service week in Montgomery County, PA. It included a mix of broken domestic water and fire sprinkler pipes, various rescues, and of course many fires, several of which were destructive and deadly. In the end, the county suffered four separate fatal fire incidents with several of them requiring movement of KPVFC units. Of interest during the week was the work that our good friends from the Norriton Fire Engine Co. (NFEC – Station 61) were dealt. The NFEC dealt with two working dwelling fires within 24 hours, one on Wednesday the 23rd and the other on Thursday the 24th. Both fires were during the overnight hours which taxed the volunteers to their limits. On Thursday afternoon KPVFC Chief Jim Gallagher and Norristown Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell decided they wanted to help our brothers & sisters at NFEC. The chiefs felt we needed to help NFEC get their equipment cleaned and restored, which meant we would provide service coverage in an effort to let the Norriton volunteers get some much needed rest. It was decided that Norristown would staff a Truck Company & the KPVFC would staff a Squad Company starting at 6:00pm at station 61. The crews received a very warm welcome from Norriton Fire Chief Jim Staufenberg. They were briefed and provided the necessary “run book” with their district maps and immediately went to work cleaning and storing hose along with other equipment that was left to thaw out during the day. The crews checked apparatus readiness and assisted members getting their protective gear in service. Once the chores were completed the firefighters were treated to a much needed meal courtesy of Chief O’Donnell and everyone settled down to watch the Philadelphia Flyers defeat the New York Rangers. The KPVFC & NFD crews completed their coverage at 6:00am Friday morning and service was turned back over to NFEC. Although we sent only a handful of members to Station 61, Chief Gallagher thanked all of the KPVFC members who stepped up to go there as well as the other members that assured our units were still covered for King of Prussia. The crews also received a heartfelt thank you from Chief Staufenberg as well as the members of the Norriton Fire Engine Company.
Saturday, January 19, 2013 After a steady week of runs, the volunteers of the King of Prussia Fire Company took time with Saturday’s spring-like weather to complete various chores around the Allendale Road station. While several crewmen completed driver training on Engine 47-1, others completed house duties that included scrubbing down the apparatus bays among other chores. The brigade’s men spent time changing out some hose loads as well as creating a new and improved hose pack on the bumper line of both engines. Once the engines were restored after drilling on the hose packs and all house chores were completed, the crew settled down for some professional hockey action with the Philadelphia Flyers facing off against our western PA foes, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The gang did not forget one of their own missing regulars, and biggest Flyers faithful, by giving him a shout out. Get well soon Mikey! The crew also enjoyed the afternoon meal of sloppy Dave’s sloppy joe sandwiches.
Driver Training
New Bumper Line
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