September 2012 Looking Back - Pottsville Fire Department

Pottsville Fire Department
Looking Back
September
Mike Glore
5 Years Ago
9/12/2007 – Box 41 - 13:43 – 310 N. 12th St. A fire gutted the kitchen of the 3 story
end-of-the-row. A quick knockdown by first arriving companies prevented the fire
from extending through the frame dwellings. The home was demolished following the
fire. This row of homes had been the scene of working fires in 1956 and 1985 also.
Schuylkill Haven’s RIT was requested on the working fire, but was recalled while enroute. Schuylkill Hose of Schuylkill Haven Engine 733 returned to quarters that
afternoon. The run was unremarkable until…
9/12/2007 – STILL – 15:22 – E. Union & St. Peter Sts., Schuylkill Haven; Commercial
structure fire; American Hose, Good Intent, West End; A heartbreaking scene greeted
firefighters from the Schuylkill Hose Company # 2 as they arrived to find the engine
room of their firehouse heavily involved in fire. Schuylkill Hose firefighters could wait
almost helplessly until other fire companies arrived on the scene. The engine room
was gutted, while the rest of the firehouse suffered smoke and water damage.
Destroyed in the fire were the company’s 1994 and 2002 American LaFrance pumpers
and Hazardous Materials trailer. Mutual aid companies from throughout southern
Schuylkill County responded to the fire. Rising from the ashes, Schuylkill Hose
dedicated their restored engine room, two new Pierce pumpers, and a new Squad on
September 12, 2009 – two years to the day of the initial alarm of fire. This also ended
the Schuylkill Hose Company’s almost 50 year history with American LaFrance.
Schuylkill Hose Company’s engine room fully involved in fire in 2007. SHFD Asst. Chief Glen
Sattizhan (right) establishes command. Photo courtesy Jim McGlaughlin.
10 Years Ago
9/18/2002 – Box 44 – 20:00 – 1502 W. Norwegian St; 1st floor kitchen fire. A neighbor
driving by the home heard smoke detectors sounding and, when he looked inside, saw
flames spreading to the kitchen cabinets. He quickly called 9-1-1. Companies made
quick work of the fire, which was largely contained to the area around the stove.
Damage was estimated at $10,000.
9/20/2002 – STILL – 21:20 – 356 Centre Ave., Schuylkill Haven; Good Intent (E11)
and American Hose (E71) assisted the Schuylkill Haven Fire Department on an
incident in which a tractor trailer struck gas pumps at a convenience store on Route
61 as well as several autos and a fire erupted. A large fuel spill also resulted.
The aftermath of the accident along Route 61 in Schuylkill Haven in 2002.
20 Years Ago
September, 1992 – Yorkville receives and places in service a 1992 Spartan/Swab
heavy rescue, which replaced their 1981 International/Swab. This rig was replaced in
2006 by another Spartan/Swab rescue.
Yorkville Hose Rescue 63 – 1992 Spartan/Swab. Photo courtesy Yorkville Hose.
30 Years Ago
9/9/1982 – Box 553 – 07:57 – 800-51 N. 2nd St; Pottsville Housing Authority; Cause:
Child playing with matches; Loss: $500
9/20/1982 – STILL then Box 78 – 18:00 – W. Market St. & Westwood Rd; Tractor
trailer loaded with fluorine gas cylinders and auto involved in accident; Both vehicles
into the west branch of the Schuylkill River; Driver of the auto was killed; Gas from
cargo of truck released.
A Consolidated Freight (CF) tractor-trailer was hauling 200 cylinders of Flourine gas
from the Air Products plant in Hometown to the CF terminal on the PottsvilleMinersville highway. As the tractor trailer was descending West Market St, an
automobile, driven by David Sobel of Chesterfield, West Virginia, was traveling south
on Westwood Road, entered the intersection without stopping, and was struck
broadside by the truck. The impact sent both vehicles off the roadway and into the
West Branch of the Schuylkill River, just missing the Pizza Hut restaurant on the
corner. The car overturned in the river and the truck came to rest on its side in the
river with approximately 60 fluorine cylinders tearing through the trailer and
scattering in the river.
Asst. Chief Bill Horning (Phoenix) along with West End and Yorkville were dispatched
on the still alarm for the vehicle accident with entrapment. Chief Horning and
companies arrived with a very challenging incident. They discovered that fluorine gas
was being released. Consulting the 1980 edition of the DOT Emergency Response
Guidebook, firefighters learned that fluorine was a highly toxic gas that, when reacting
with water, produced hydroflouric acid. Realizing the seriousness of the incident,
Chief Horning requested that the box be transmitted to have companies provide
additional self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
Donning SCBA, Horning and firefighters from West End and Yorkville entered the
shallow river to assess the driver the car. The driver of the truck, Kevin Miller of
Shoemakersville, was able to self-extricate and was not seriously injured. Firefighters
discovered that the driver of the car was killed in the crash. They elected to not
extricate the driver of the car until the hazardous materials situation had stabilized.
At 20:15 hours, a 4-man team from Air Products arrived on scene to evaluate the
cylinders and the potential for additional release. Schuylkill County Emergency
Management Coordinator Charles S. Guy also arrived on scene. It was soon
discovered that only one of the cylinders had actually released any product. While the
valves on several other cylinders were damaged, there was no additional release. At
that point, companies commenced with the extrication, which was complete at 20:55.
The car was then removed from the river.
Another tractor-trailer arrived to receive the cylinders and return them to Air Products
for thorough evaluation and testing. This process stretched well into the early
morning hours. The CF tractor trailer involved in the accident then had to be removed
from the river. Three firefighters were treated at both the Good Samaritan and
Pottsville hospitals for exposure to the released fluorine while 16 others reported to the
Pottsville Hospital for decontamination by 09:30 on 9/21. An employee of the Pizza
Hut restaurant was treated for a burn on his shoulder as he attempted to assist the
victim in the automobile.
As anyone who has been involved with rapidly expanding incidents such as this
knows, things often don’t go exactly according to plan. When Chief Horning called for
the box, his intent was to stage the incoming apparatus/personnel in the area of
Westwood Road off West End Ave. (Hess gas station today). A large number of
personnel ended-up migrating to the accident scene itself. A little confusion
experienced by incoming units involved the numeric designations in the radio traffic.
10-45 was/is the “10 code” for a motor vehicle accident. Upon dispatch, units hearing
these numerical transmissions could simply assume they were dispatched on a vehicle
accident, which they essentially were. The other part of the numeric designations
heard in the radio traffic involved the fact that 1045 is also the UN number for
“Flourine, compressed.” This was being communicated as well as Chemtrec was
consulted during the incident. This certainly wasn’t your typical vehicle accident.
Interestingly, Asst. Chief Horning had only begun his term as Asst. Fire Chief in July,
1982. It didn’t take long for him to be confronted with a very demanding incident.
“HazMat” was then only coming into its own as the discipline within the fire service
that we know today.
PREH photo of crews working at the overturned car in the river in 1982. The fluorine cylinders
can be seen in the river in the left of the photo.
35 Years Ago
9/1/1977 – Box 67 – 08:50 – 457 Nichols St; Occupant: Charles Breisch; Cause:
Gasoline vapors hit pilot light; Loss: $3,000.
8 year old Dale Breisch was filling his mini-bike with gasoline in the basement of the
home when the vapors reached the pilot light on the water heater in the basement. A
flash fire erupted in the basement. A neighbor, Lloyd Aungst, extinguished most of
the fire before the fire department arrived. Dale sustained 2nd & 3rd degree burns to
his right leg.
40 Years Ago
9/2/1972 – Box 525 – 02:10 – 700 Seneca St; Occupant: Joe Sam; Cause: Unknown;
Loss: $700.
9/23/1972 – STILL – 01:30 – Coal docks at St. Clair railroad yard; Chief sent Good
Will.
St. Clair Police Officer Wayne Tipping was on patrol when he discovered a fire burning
at the old coal loading dock for the Reading Railroad steam engines in Lower Mill
Creek, East Norwegian Township. The St. Clair Fire Department was summoned and
the Alert, Columbia, and Rescue fire companies were dispatched along with Fire Chief
Frank Wapinsky and Asst. Chief Bob Greenback. Fire Marshal Don Friday responded
with the Mill Creek Fire Company. As the building was soon fully-involved, additional
apparatus was requested from Diener’s Hill, Port Carbon, and the Good Will of
Pottsville. Water was obtained from a nearby creek. The structure was completely
destroyed.
45 Years Ago
9/7/1967 – Amidst swirling rumors, a meeting was held at the Humane Fire
Company. City officials, fire company officers, officials of the Pottsville Redevelopment
Authority, and their respective attorneys confirmed for about 50 individuals in
attendance that the Minersville Street Urban Renewal project would not result in the
closing of the Humane Fire Company.
The fire company’s land and building were owned by the City and were up for sale to
the Redevelopment Authority. However, the amount offered based on local appraisal
of the building - $53,000 – would have come nowhere close to rebuilding a new
firehouse. City Solicitor Joseph McCloskey confirmed that the City would not sell for
that amount nor would the existing firehouse be torn-down until a new firehouse was
built. Humane’s Building Committee estimated that $125,000 would be required to
rebuild and relocate the firehouse.
PREH photo (Courtesy Doris Powers) of the Humane Fire Company in 1966 with their Seagrave
70th Anniversary Series rigs: 1953 1000 gpm pumper (left) and classic 1964 200 gpm “Shorty”
Hose & Booster truck (right). The Humane firehouse pictured was built in 1889 and would fall
to Urban Renewal.
9/12/1967 – Mayor Michael Close and City Council voted unanimously to keep the
Humane Fire Company in service until a new building was built and occupied in the
vicinity of the old firehouse so that the company could continue to provide service to
the 5th Ward. The City was also going to continue negotiations with the
Redevelopment Authority and the Housing and Home Finance Agency to obtain an
adequate price for the old building.
9/16/1967 – Yorkville Hose & Fire Company – as part of the company’s 75th
Anniversary “Diamond Jubilee” – hosted the Schuylkill County Firemen’s Convention
parade. 74 pieces of fire apparatus, 13 bands, and 17 marching units participated in
the parade. Interestingly, as Yorkville was the host, the other Pottsville fire companies
were eligible for prizes. Pottsville units garnered 9 of 39 prizes awarded, including
several “1st place” awards. Humane alone received three awards, of which two were
“1st place.” Parade Grand Marshal was retired Pottsville Fire Chief George Smith.
50 Years Ago
9/4/1962 – Box 63 – 00:03 – 125 W. Railroad St; Leed Foundries, Inc; Cause:
Unknown; Loss: $10,000.
A fire believed to have been of suspicious origins heavily damaged the building and
equipment of the Leed Foundries at 125 W. Railroad St. The foundry, owned by E.
Quirin of St. Clair, provided castings for his machine shop in St. Clair. 20 men were
employed at the foundry at the time of the fire. Companies arrived with heavy fire
showing from the building, which soon vented from the roof. The Good Intent Fire
Company’s log book for the period put it simply: “Flames on Arrival.”
Crews operate at the Quirin Foundry fire in 1962.
60 Years Ago
9/26/1952 – STILL – 21:50 – Mauch Chunk St; Saylor Planing Mill; Cause: Unknown,
fire in sawdust building; Loss: $750. A little over 10 years later, Pottsville would
strike the box to assist Palo Alto at a very spectacular fire that completely destroyed
the Saylor Planing Mill and Lumber Yard.
9/28/1952 – STILL – 12:45 – Rear of 811 Minersville St; Occupant: Tony Perino;
Cause: Unknown; Storage shed burned down; Loss: $150.
9/28/1952 – STILL – 14:20 – 804 Mahantongo St; Occupant: Mr. Davis; Cause: Fat
ignited in oven; Loss: $100.
75 Years Ago
9/7/1937 – St. Clair asked for help; Chief sent 2 Humane trucks (1921 Seagrave
pumper and 1929 Buffalo hose & booster truck) and 1 Good Will truck (1933
Indiana/Pirsch pumper); Factory burned down.
Just before midnight, a shed to the rear of the Frackville Manufacturing Company, on
3rd St. between Patterson and Railroad, was found to be fully-involved in fire. The
shed contained an automobile and a truck. The St. Clair Fire Department was quickly
summoned. Fire Chief George Webber arrived and found that fire had extended into
the large, 2-story factory of ordinary construction and called for mutual aid. Fire
companies from Frackville, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, and Schuylkill Haven – along with
the Pottsville companies – soon had 12 – 2 ½” streams playing on the fire. By 01:30,
the factory was fully involved and firefighters were pressed to keep the radiant heat
from igniting surrounding homes. Soon after, the walls collapsed and the radiant heat
problem was largely eliminated. The fire was contained to the buildings of origin, with
some heat damage to some nearby homes. Companies were on scene throughout the
night. Damage estimates approached $100,000 and 175 individuals were left without
work. This was said to have been the worst fire in St. Clair since the St. Clair Coal Co.
breaker fire of March 17, 1911.
80 Years Ago
9/19/1932 – Box 63 – 01:10 – Peacock St; Cause: Unknown; Loss: $2025;
Occupants and Losses:
240 Peacock - John Liptok - $1,200
233-235 Peacock – Ben Woznicky - $170
239 Peacock – George Warmkessel - $120
241 Peacock – Joseph Moskitus - $250
245 Peacock – Paul Santai - $70
247 Peacock – Steve Malinchak - $90
246 Peacock – Weissinger Packing Company - $125
Mr. J. Liptok had been fixing-up the home at 240 Peacock St. when he began to
have money troubles. The work on the home had come to a standstill. A fire erupted
in the basement of the Liptok home and quickly spread throughout the frame
dwelling. Upon arrival of the fire department, the home was fully-involved. Radiant
heat damaged the homes across the street as well as the then-closed Weissinger
Packing Co. nearby. Fire Chief Smith became suspicious when he learned that Liptok
had obtained a $1,500 insurance policy on the property a little over a week before the
fire. While the fire was believed to have been incendiary in nature, the exact cause
could not be determined. The Liptok property would have been in the vicinity of the
Habilitation, Inc. building on the northeast corner of Peacock and Fox Sts. Most of the
homes across the street that were exposed by the fire are still there.
9/20/1932 – Box 42 – 19:30 – 721 W. Arch St; Garage and autos owned by George
Moyer and L.H. Marks; Cause: Unknown; Loss: $2,500.
James McGuinness of 116 N. 6th St. was playing with some friends at the
corner of 7th & W. Arch when he noticed a glow in the windows of the double-block
garage of ordinary construction at 721 W. Arch St. He quickly ran to 7th & W. Market
Sts and hooked Box 42. Companies arrived with heavy smoke showing from the
building. As they began to force entry, the fire intensified dramatically. Soon, flames
were showing from the windows as the fire extended to the 2nd floor. Numerous
hoselines were played into the building. The fire was placed under control in 45
minutes, but companies remained on scene for several hours. A firewatch was
maintained with a 2 ½” line from the hydrant overnight. It was believed that the fire
began in one of the trucks in the garage. In all, 5 trucks stored in the building were
destroyed. This building is still standing at 721 W. Arch St, though it has been
extensively remodeled over the years.
95 Years Ago
9/22/1917 – Box 62 – 13:00 – 578 Peacock St; Occupant: F. Bower; Cause: Defective
flue; Loss: $51.30.
100 Years Ago
September, 1912 – Yorkville purchased a White combination chemical and hose truck
at a cost of $5,500. This rig was destroyed by fire on February 28, 1922.
120 Years Ago
September, 1892 – A very interesting controversy erupted between the PFD and
“Borough” Council. The fire companies requested a $500 annual appropriation from
the Borough. Borough Council instead proposed a $375 appropriation. A committee
representing the “Big 4” original companies (Humane, Good Intent, Phoenix, and
American Hose) met and decided to remove the harnesses from the engine houses and
not permit their horses to draw the apparatus to fires unless the appropriation
requested was granted. The companies recommended that apparatus be drawn to
fires by hand. One can imagine this jaw-dropping proposal considering the weight of
the then-modern steam engines! Council relented and granted the requested sum.
While it wasn’t specified, I’m thinking that the sum requested was based on the
necessary upkeep of the fire horses – particularly based on the threatened action.
130 Years Ago
9/25/1882 – “Borough” Council officially recognizes the Good Will Fire Co. No. 4.
135 Years Ago
9/6/1877 – The Pottsville Board of Fire Trustees was organized to serve as the
“governing body” of the volunteer fire department. The original companies, known as
“The Big 4” were: Good Intent, Phoenix, Humane, and American Hose.
145 Years Ago
9/2/1867 – The American Hose Co. No. 2 is incorporated and a charter received, after
having formerly been the Rough & Ready Fire Company.
9/8/1867 – 13:00 – Slight fire at the stable of Mr. Jacob Huntziner on Second St.
9/10/1867 – 13:00 – The stable of Major James Wren, on Norwegian St. above 6th,
was destroyed.
9/26/1867 - The Schuylkill Hydraulians Engine Company’s name was officially
changed to the Phoenix Fire Engine Company No. 2 with a new
charter and by-laws.