The last few weeks have been quite busy for us. We have run several entrapment calls as well as some working fires. I have some pics of the fires from other sources but unfortunetly cant post the wrecks.
Cudos to FF Emt Gerry Taylor for his save in the Sun Valley Fire- FF taylor entered the home with a FF from Sun Valley FD and rescued the victim who was on the bed. The victim from what I hear is in ICU with extenssive burns but still alive.
Station 43 was called to assist Stations 27 and 34 for a fully envolved fire in a single family dwelling. 43-6-1 arrived on scene and found heavy fire. The Stick was positioned in front of the house and went to work.
Timing, staff shortage hampered Jackson fire scene efforts
By
Andrew ScottPocono Record WriterMay 11, 2007REEDERS — A Jackson Township homeowner learned a hard lesson about living in an area where all the fire companies, though dedicated, are volunteer and short-staffed.A Thursday fire gutted Roselle Makitka's ranch-style house on Cays Road in Jackson Township. No one was injured."We're investigating the cause," Jackson Assistant Fire Chief J.R. Bisbing said when the fire had been brought under control by early afternoon. "Right now, we can't say whether or not it's suspicious."The fire reportedly began in the attached garage shortly after 9 a.m. and spread to the rest of the house, destroying most of the roof and interior, as well as a boat in front of the garage. During the next two hours, Pocono Township, Stroud Township, Blue Ridge Hook & Ladder and West End companies, along with Central Pocono Ambulance, arrived on scene.Fire trucks drew their water supply from a nearby pond on Mountain Road.Watching quietly from her lawn with tears in her eyes, Makitka (pronounced "Mitchatka") said her husband was out and she was the only one home when the fire began."I'd just taken a shower and was doing my laundry when I smelled smoke," she said. "I checked the basement, but didn't see anything. I came back upstairs and happened to look out my window and that's when I saw smoke rising from the garage."Makitka said she ran outside while calling 911 and tried to get the boat away from the garage, but was unable to do so in time. As the flames and smoke quickly spread through the rest of the home, she had time to grab only her handbag before fleeing the house."We have everything in that house," she said with a sob.An unidentified man who appeared to be a relative or friend arrived on scene later, parking his car and rushing on foot toward the house to look for Makitka as firefighters continued battling the blaze.Originally from Pittsburgh, the Makitkas bought the house, set back from Cays Road on a 10-acre landscaped lot with trees lining the driveway, 28 years ago.Bisbing said being unable to get to a fire in time, especially in the daytime, is not uncommon in the Poconos, where there are no paid fire departments."None of the municipalities in this area have the budget to support a paid fire department, which means there's no one sitting in the firehouse 24/7," Bisbing said. "Most of the volunteers work during the day, so we have limited manpower."On a daytime call, volunteers who work in the area and can leave their jobs rush to the firehouse and gear up, all of which takes time, he said."Nighttime calls are a little quicker to get to because most of us are off work by then," he said.Bisbing cited a shortage of volunteers, with most of the population commuting to jobs out of the area and not having the time to train to be firefighters."I'm usually home until noon, so I might think about volunteering," said George Lata, who lives across Cays Road from the site of Thursday's fire and became aware of it when he "heard a crackling sound."Cays Road neighbor Ernest Gower said he was a volunteer firefighter for about five years during the 1980s. Gower stopped due to the conflict with his trucking job, which requires him to be out of the area."Everyone around here relies on volunteers to help keep taxes from rising any higher," he said. "But with the growth continuing the way it is, I think they're going to have to consider going to at least a partially paid firefighting service."
Firefighters rescue man from burning home
By
Catherine RodriguezPocono Record WriterMay 02, 2007A potentially deadly fire that devastated a Sun Valley home left the homeowners in shock and their son in a helicopter on his way to the hospital.Leonard Smith, Jr, 64, was pulled from the burning house and was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital’s burn unit with serious burns.Firefighters Jason Labar from the Sun Valley Fire Department and Gerry Taylor from the West End Fire Department pulled Smith from the home through the front door of the residence.“The flames were shooting up through the roof,” said Labar, “and we went in to see if there was anyone at home.”They found Smith in a bedroom at the rear of the house and said that Smith was conscious but was afraid of being grabbed. “We called out to him and he responded to us. We just went and pulled him out.”Smith had burns to his face. Labar said that he was probably in critical condition. A call to the hospital yielded no information.West End, Sun Valley, Polk Township, and Tunkhannock Fire Departments and West End Ambulance responded to the scene, along with State Police from Fern Ridge and Lehighton.
