Witmer Fire Protective Association

Yesterday at 11:17 hours Tanker 62 and Squad 62-1 were requested to assist Station 63 (LAFAYETTE) with a working camper fire on Rt.30 WB at Greenfield Road. On arrival Tanker 62 supplied Engine 63-3 with 1500 gallons of water while Squad 62-1 set up traffic control. With the fire under control Engine 63-3 was alerted to a 2nd call in Lancaster Township for a dwelling fire so units from 62 remained on the scene until the vehicle was removed.

Last evening at 19:29 hours Station 62 was dispatched on the first alarm East Lampeter box to assist 63 (LAFAYETTE) on a working mobile home fire on Nancy Lane in the Eastwood Village Mobile Home Park. Engine 63-3 was the first arriving unit followed by Engine 41-1 (BIRD-IN-HAND),Engine 62-2,Truck 63,Rescue 48 (RONKS),Engine 62-1 and Engine 63-1.The fire was under control in 19 minutes and crews prevented it from spreading to any adjacent structures. Units remained on the scene approximately 3 hours for overhaul.

14 years later and the audio on the link below is still as chilling as ever, take the time to listen!

This morning at 05:29 hours Engine 62-2 was dispatched to cover Station 79 (Maytown) while they assisted Station 10(Marietta) on a 4 alarm building fire in Marietta Boro. Engine 62-2 stood by at Station 79 for approximately two hours and was then sent to the fire scene. They dumped one load of water and assisted with overhaul operating on the scene until 14:05. Station 62 was one of approximately 23 departments from Lancaster County who assisted at the scene along with departments from Dauphin,Lebanon and York counties.

Monday evening brought the Witmer Volunteers to Lancaster Township for the apartment building fire assist to Station 63.  E62-2 was dispatched as part of the initial box alarm  with E62-1 being sent later on in the incident. E62-2 arrived and pulled the second line into the structure off E64-3 and advanced it into the third floor of the structure to assist with fire attack, E62-1 arrived later into the incident and assisted with the extensive overhaul of the third floor and roof area, the crews where from 62 where on scene for approximately 3 hours.

Please help us congratulate Firefighter Austin Kling for his passing of the Firefighter 1 test, Firefighter Kling is on his second year as a firefighter and in this past year from January into May has completed approximately 230 hours of training including the Essentials Of Firefighting and passing of the Firefighter 1 test as well as becoming a Basic Vehicle Rescue Tech certified by the PA Department of Health and obtaining the operations level training in Hazardous Materials. Keep in mind we are a 100 percent volunteer Fire Company so this was all done in addition to working a normal work schedule for him, with the majority of the classes being from 1830-2200 on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s and from 0800-1600 Saturday’s. Like many others who have completed this course in the past have found, it creates a very stressful and at times overwhelming work (and personal) schedule but in the end it is not just these individuals that reap the benefits of the knowledge they receive but also the Fire Company and whomever and whatever might be put in harms way. So if you know Firefighter Kling or any other firefighter that has recently given their all so they can better prepare to help  strangers in times of need please take the time to congratulate them on their achievements and show appreciation for what they do in any way that you can! Thank you for your dedication Firefighter Kling and we look forward to many good years ahead!

This afternoon E62-2 and E62-1 where dispatched to Freedom Rd for a vehicle fire, Assistant 62 and both Engines made the response and arrived to find a working vehicle fire. Crews pulled a 2.00″ handling and extinguished the fire and then performed minor overhaul before going back into service, units where on scene for close 45 minutes.

On Friday morning at 0630 E62-2 was alerted as part of the first alarm building fire assignment to a structure along Greenfield Road in Station 63′s(Lafayette) first due, Units arrived and found a large piece of machinery on fire inside the structure, crews extinguished the fire and used positive pressure fans to ventilate the building. While units where wrapping up from this incident Countywide Communications advised command that they are receiving calls for a Gas Leak inside a structure along William Penn Way also in 63′s first due, command then advised that E62-2, E41-1, and Truck 67 to handle this call along with E54-1 which had been transferred to Station 63 while ELT (East Lampeter Township) units where working the structure fire, crews arrived to find a gas line ruptured by a fork lift operator and went though the normal operating procedures and where able to shut the gas off to the building within minutes

At 20:34 on April 9th E62-2 was dispatched as part of the first alarm assignment to a fire at 9 Hellers Church Rd in Upper Leacock, additional was a dryer fire with smoke throughout the building. E62-2 responded with five firefighters and was the second arriving engine and assisted E61-1 (Upper Leacock) with fire suppression and overhaul, units where clear of the scene within 30 minutes. Shortly after E62-2 returned, Station 62 was dispatched to Witmer Rd for an unknown-injury vehicle accident with reports of one vehicle off the road and into a guard rail, units responded and confirmed the reports and reported no injuries and where clear of the scene shortly thereafter.

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This morning at 0716 hrs E62-1 and SQ62-1 where dispatched to the 700 block of Hartman Station Rd for a vehicle accident/unknown injuries. Deputy 62 went enroute first and was advised of vehicle into a fence and that the caller is unsure on injuries, seconds later Station 62 was dispatched for a vehicle accident/standby at Horseshoe Rd/Jefferson Rd for a vehicle thats rolled over but reported to be no injuries, Assistant 62 along with E62-2, E63-1, and SQ63-1 starting heading that way, Assistant 62 arrived and found a patient on the roadway so advised county to send EMS to the scene Class 1. By this time Deputy 62 had arrived on the other scene and also found a Class 1 patient on this scene and requested EMS to this scene as well. E62-1 cleared their crash within 30 minutes and shortly after returning to quarters was requested by Station 63 to assist with a vehicle  accident in their first due but was recalled before arriving, in the meantime SQ62-1 was sent to 340 and the ramp to 30 West for fire police after a vehicle accident

Early Thursday morning at 0545 hrs. Station 63 was dispatched to a class 1 vehicle accident in the area of Lincoln Highway East/Oakview Rd, PD arrived and advised that there is a vehicle that left the roadway and struck several parked vehicles to the rear of Witmer Garage with a female occupant that is impaled through the abdomen by a piece of metal. The incident was then upgraded to a Vehicle accident with entrapment adding Engine 62-1, and Rescue 48. Duty Chief 63 arrived next and stated there is a single occupant impaled by a trailer hitch of a boat trailer that the vehicle struck! The hitch was pushed through the engine of the vehicle and impaled the driver and then through the back of the seat, rescue operations where initiated and crews worked to remove the doors and roof of the vehicle first so they could access the patient better, crews then went to work stabilizing and then cutting the hitch, extreme caution was needed to minimize vibrations of the hitch and also to keep the metal cooled down as the where cutting. The extrication was complete at 0648 hrs. and EMS transported the patient who was miraculously awake and talking  to a local hospital, during investigations it was determined that the accident actually occurred around 1100-1130 hrs but was not discovered until 0545 hrs