Kevin Dayhoff Explore Carroll: Firefighters battle fire and ice in two-alarm Westminster blaze

Firefighters battle fire and ice in two-alarm Westminster blaze

Units across county help in fighting house fire

By Kevin Dayhoff
kevindayhoff@gmail.com

Posted 1/09/11  http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/5063/firefighters-battle-fire-ice-two-alarm-westminster-blaze/

Area firefighters had their hands full Saturday afternoon as they battled the winter weather and lack of water at a two-alarm blaze north of Westminster.

The fire was called in to the Carroll County emergency operations center at 1:30 p.m.  When units from the Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 1 arrived at 1:42 p.m., the two-story 3,500-square-foot house in the 1000 block of Phyllis’s Reward Drive, just north of Westminster, showed heavy black smoke, according to Bob Cumberland, Westminster Fire Department president and public information officer.

Shortly after arriving on the scene, incident commander Lt. Josh Evans requested a tanker task force and Rapid Intervention Dispatch to battle.

A second alarm was sounded. The rural location of the home, outside of available hydrants, presented firefighters with constant water supply issues.

The freezing cold, light snow on the ground, along with the water being used on the fire freezing on the ground, made matters worse.

The Carroll County roads crews assisted by salting the ground to help with the ice. Nearby neighbors, Dale and Teresa Fletcher, opened their home – and their garage -- for firefighters to set up a relief station for the 80 to 100 firefighters from three counties to periodically take refuge in shifts.

More than 40 pieces from every fire station in Carroll, except Harney, fought the blaze.  Harney provided back-up services, while units from Baltimore County and York and Adams counties, Pa., also assisted...  http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/5063/firefighters-battle-fire-ice-two-alarm-westminster-blaze/

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/01/kevin-dayhoff-explore-carroll.html

Labels: Fire CC Depts, Fire CC Depts 03 Westminster, Firefighters, Public Safety Carroll Co Emerg Resp, Public Safety Emerg Resp safety

Kevin Dayhoff Explore Carroll: Firefighters battle fire and ice in two-alarm Westminster blaze
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Possible tornado touches down in southern Carroll County, 2 hurt, 2700 homes without power.
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/07/possible-tornado-touches-down-in.html
By Kevin Dayhoff July 27, 2009 1:30 AM

Sykesville - Several violent thunderstorms ripped through southern Carroll County Sunday evening. The storm downed trees and power lines, damaged cars and 37 homes; and kept the Sykesville Freedom District Fire Company busy past midnight.

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company reported 2700 homes without power as the evening wore-on.

The first call for help was received by the Sykesville fire department at 5:52 pm. Before the evening was over, the department had responded to over 39 – 911 calls including one call in which two persons had to be extricated from a vehicle struck by a fallen tree, according to Sykesville fire department chief Ed Ruch, Sr.

It was moments earlier, at 5:40 pm that, according to “The Emergency Email and Wireless Network”: “the National Weather Service in Sterling Va issued a severe thunderstorm warning for N. Howard County in central Md. So. central Carroll County in No. central Md. and southwestern Baltimore County in N. Md. until 645 Pm EDT.

“At 538 Pm EDT. Natl Weather Svc Doppler Radar Indicated A Severe Thunderstorm. This Storm Was Located 9 Miles West Of Sykesville.& Moving East At 25 Mph.

“Locations Impacted Include: Sykesville, Eldersburg, Gamber, Oakland, Ellicott City, Randallstown, Owings Mills, Milford Mill, Reisterstown, and Lochearn. Hail To The Size Of Pennies Can Be Expected In The Warned Area.”

An article by Clay Myers on the Gamber and Community Fire Company website reports “One very large old tree at the corner of Sunset and Liberty Lake Drive in Eldersburg blew down on top of a car during the sudden storm. For more information and pictures, click here.

“Units from Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department, Liberty Road Volunteer Fire Company (Baltimore County), and Gamber & Community Fire Co. were alerted for a tree on a car with people trapped at approximately 6:07 pm.

“First arriving units reported multiple persons trapped. Remaining units arrived from different directions and conducted a rescue operation. Numerous neighbors had already started using chain saws to remove limbs from the car. Two children were rescued and sent to Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room by ambulance.”

Meanwhile, firefighters from the Sykesville department worked late into the night going door-to-door in the three-mile area around the Oak Hill, Locust Lane, Liberty Road, and Macbeth Way area of the county checking on citizens and doing a damage assessment.

For several hours in the late evening an emergency response command center was set-up at the Sykesville fire station conference room to coordinate the response to the damage and an evacuation shelter was set-up in the station’s social hall staffed by members of the Red Cross and the Sykesville fire department auxiliary.

The command center was staffed by members of the Sykesville fire department, Maryland State Police, Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, the Carroll County Emergency Management Division, and the Carroll County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In the command center, Sykesville department public information officer Dennis Beard and county emergency management division representative Chrissy Calp helped coordinate the county emergency response efforts with the county roads department, Vivian Laxton, the county public information officer and Chief Ruch, who served as the incident commander.

At the command center, Major Tom Long of the county Sheriff’s Department said sheriff’s department deputies would maintain heightened patrols throughout the night and into Monday.

Chief Ruch said that “come daylight people will be surprised as to how much damage was done to the area.”

According to several citizen reports, the widespread damage was caused by what appeared to have been a tornado.

A funnel cloud was reported to have spotted as citizens scrambled for cover. Firefighters reported trees “twisted” and damaged in swath that travelled east to west across the region.

As midnight fell upon the station, the last of the firefighters who had gone door-to-door returned to the fire station with a house-by-house list of the damaged properties and reported that portions of at least four roads remained closed: Raincliffe, Oakland Mills, Liberty Lake Drive and Slacks Road.

In other parts of the state, WJZ Channel 13 reporter Mike Schuh “reports the damage in Baltimore County was widespread…

“‘Within the darkness, I saw from the corner of my eye, a really dark snarling mass. I guess a funnel cloud was going to go right through the door," said one onlooker.’

“‘We all ran into the basement, stayed there for about a minute or two, and then realized that it passed by,’ said another man.

“The storm packed hail and high winds.

“There were more than 20,000 people without power just in Baltimore County.”

For more of Mr. Schuh’s report, click here.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com.

For the latest information see http://www.explorecarroll.com/
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20090727 d1 sdosm Possible tornado touches down so CC

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Manchester house fire quickly extinguished March 9 2009

A Manchester volunteer firefighter puts the finishing touches to extinguishing a house fire in the 3200 block of York Street in Manchester on March 9. Photos by Kevin Dayhoff

Manchester house fire quickly extinguished

By Kevin Dayhoff

At approximately 8:30 in the evening of March 9, units from the Hampstead and Manchester Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a working house fire at 3250 York Street.

The fire was quickly extinguished and units remained on the scene until almost midnight. The Maryland fire marshals’ office is investigating the incident. Victims of the fire were assisted by the Carroll County office of the American Red Cross.

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Carroll County Sheriff sets plan for New Year; includes alternative funding and furlough

“Sheriff sets plan for New Year; includes alternative funding and furlough”

Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, January 7, 2009 ---- Sheriff Kenneth L. Tregoning is pleased to announce the law enforcement strategic priorities for 2009: “Promote Professional Development & Wellness; Implement New Technologies that Enhance Public Safety Communications & Information Sharing; Promote Service Excellence through Maintenance of [Accreditation] Standards; and, Increase Outreach Efforts.”

As with any organization the establishment of new goals is not the challenge, rather it’s their execution - an increasingly difficult task in a declining economy. In considering Governor Martin O’Malley’s December appeal to elected leaders, Sheriff Tregoning submitted a five (5) day furlough plan to the County Comptroller’s Office this past month, thereby returning the 2% salary increase legislated for his position this year.

With local government freezing employee Career Ladder Promotions this past summer in response to falling revenue projections, Sheriff Tregoning said, “I can not justify accepting a salary increase when my employees aren’t receiving theirs.” Likewise Sheriff Tregoning trimmed several projects from the coming year’s budget before submitting it to the Commissioner’s Budget Office for approval, including funding for transitioning deputies to a different model handgun and non-mandated training programs.

However, to insure that employee safety, professionalism and public service are not compromised by funding shortfalls, the office has established “Professional Development & Wellness” as its top priority. With the lowest rate of disability, death and retirement benefits among Maryland’s Sheriff’s Offices, funds for the evaluation of those programs are included as a budget item. Further, the office plans to expand its partnerships with public safety advocacy groups such as the Law Enforcement Employees & Families Association, and the Concerns of Police Survivors.

Additionally, the office will increase its pursuit of grants and scholarships from professional organizations to fund additional training and equipment needs. In fact, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was recently notified by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention that it had been awarded more than $27,000 towards the agency’s goal of establishing “Public Safety Communications & Information Sharing”, or interoperability.

Contrary to the declining economy, the demand for police services continues to increase, including the incidents of identity theft, computer crimes and fraud. These crimes are costly to the victims, many of whom are seniors on a fixed income. For law enforcement, the investigations are labor intensive as they require expensive technology and extensive collaboration with criminal justice agencies abroad. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to partner with local and state government to expand the use of the use of technology to enhance investigative solvability and operational efficiency.

Likewise, the county’s population continues to increase in both size and diversity – leading the Sheriff’s Office to “Increase Outreach Efforts” not only to share resources with our government and public safety partners, but to define the community’s changing needs and align Office resources to communicate with new cultures, prevent emerging crime trends and close existing cases.

In as much, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office takes seriously our obligation to provide quality service in a fiscally responsible manner. Until the full impact of budget shortfalls are known, the Sheriff’s Office will continue the cost saving measures implemented this past year, including restrictions on fuel consumption, off-duty vehicle usage and participation in the county’s car wash program. Embracing the challenges that lie ahead, we look towards the continued innovation of our staff and ever expanding partnerships to secure public safety.

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20090107 Carroll County Sheriff sets plan for New Year

20060628 KDDC Two alarm fire at Westminster auto dealership

Pictures (c) Kevin Dayhoff and Westminster Fire Department

Two alarm fire at Westminster auto dealership

Wednesday evening, June 28^th, 2006

Len Stoler Auto Dealership, 343 Baltimore Boulevard (corner of Center Street and Rte. 140) (Box 0301) in Westminster.

For additional information contact:

Incident Commander: Westminster Fire Department Lieutenant

Bill Brehm; or Public Information Officer: Westminster Firefighter Kevin Utz at the Westminster Fire Department

_________________

Westminster, MD - Over 70 firefighters and public safety personnel responded Wednesday evening to a two alarm fire at the Len Stoler automobile dealership at 343 Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster.

According to Westminster Fire Department (WFD) public information officer (PIO),) Kevin Utz, the first call went out at 8:51 PM. Within a minute of Westminster Fire Department engine 32 arriving on the scene at 8:56 PM, Westminster Fire Department Lieutenant Bill Brehm, the incident commander, called in a second alarm.

Among the seventy public safety personnel who responded, twenty-five firefighters from Westminster responded to what was initially dispatched as a truck fire in the building. When firefighters arrived, they found a working vehicle fire in the auto dealership’s shop in a rear building.

Several teams of firefighters were necessary to fight the fire from the inside of the building, the back of the building, from the roof and the showroom approach. One team was assigned to maintain water supply. Additionally, safety, EMS and rehabilitation personnel were required.

Except for a minor case of heat exhaustion and a few scrapes, no firefighters were seriously injured. One person was treated on the scene for unknown injuries, immediately upon the arrival of the first responders to the incident. It was not known as to whether the person injured on the scene, was an employee of auto dealership.

As the evening wore on, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, police officers from thirteen agencies responded. Seven fire companies, including Westminster - Engines 32 and 33, Tower 3, Utility 3, Special Unity 3, Medic Units 39 and 37, and Brush 35; Pleasant Valley – Engines 61 and 63, Squad 6; Reese – Engines 91, 92 and 95, Medic 99, and Rescue 9, New Windsor – Engine 102 and Rescue Engine 101, Lineboro Air Unit 7; Mount Airy Duty 1 (Incident Safety Officer,) and Hampstead Truck 2; all sent a total of twenty-one fire fighting apparatuses to the fire.

Also responding was Maryland State Police, Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputies and Westminster Police Department officers. Traffic at on Center Street was closed off until midnight, although traffic on Rte. 140 was not affected.

The WFD “Canteen Unit” provided bottled water and Gatorade to help relieve firefighters throughout the warm and humid evening.

Baltimore Gas and Electric, the Maryland Department of the Environment Hazmat Response Team and the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office also were on location.

According WFD Lt. Brehm, “the incident is under investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s office.” The fire was under control within twenty minutes, said, Lt. Brehm. However, firefighters remained on the scene until midnight looking for extensions of the fire, smoke removal, safety review and clean-up – or what Lt. Brehm referred to as “extensive overhaul.”

About seventy-five bystanders gathered on the parking lot of the Seven-Eleven as the evening progressed.

Neither WFD Lt. Brehm or PIO Utz were able to place a figure on the amount of the property damage.

Soon after the fire erupted, employees and officials from the Len Stoler organization convened on the scene. Barry Stoler, vice-president of Len Stoler, was quick to praise the Carroll County firefighters who fought the blaze. “The fact is, that the fire departments were so attentive and responsive,” is why the fire was not worse than it was, remarked Mr. Stoler. “It is an old building... built in 1959. They saved the building. Their efforts made the difference.”

Mr. Stoler said that there was “no way to calculate the amount of the damage at this point in time,” as he was interviewed towards the end of the evening.

The Len Stoler organization purchased the dealership in 1997 said Dave Leibowitz, the Chief Financial Officer for the company. Operations manager Denver Huffman said that the dealership employs 65 at the Westminster auto facility.

Mr. Stoler remarked that (as a result of the quick actions by the firefighters) he “expected a minimum disruption to our operation” and “we’ll be open at 7 AM the next morning. Clean up crews and estimators will be on the site at 5 AM,” to get the business re-opened.

Mr. Stoler was also quick to praise his Carroll County employees as even he was “impressed by the number of employees from this dealership and others who arrived to help.” As a result, they were able to have a company meeting in the parking lot and arrive at working plan to address the results of the fire, beginning the very next morning.

As the firefighters were packing up fire hoses and equipment, Mr. Stoler was overheard to say that the response, efficiency and caring attitude of Carroll Countians is why his company has looked forward to expanding the dealership and bringing more business to Carroll County.

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