Companies 22 and 23 dispatched to the Kimmel Coal Company property on Rt 209 just west of town for a reported electrical fire. Engine 22 responded with 11, and on arrival were instructed to place the engine down towards the rear of the coal shaker building while company 23 set up on the front side. There was an fire in the electrical room where all the circuit breaker panels were located, and power had dropped to the shaker. Company 23 members extinguished the fire, and 22 members helped establish a water supply by taking a portable pump down to one of the sump ponds to draft from that location through a long 2 1/2 inch hose lay. The pond appeared to be full of water, but when firefighters Shreffler and Collier set the portable pump up and stepped into the pond, they sank up to their waists in muck, with only around 8-10 inches of water laying on top of the black mud. Other members extricated the two firefighters from the mud. Fortunately, the fire was out at this point, and the portable pump was no longer needed. The two firefighters had to ride back to the station in the back of a pickup truck, where they were then hosed down and the majority of the mud was cleaned off them and their gear. Damage was confined to the electrical room, and after an extensive amount of apparatus and equipment cleanup, the company went available.
Engine 22 was dispatched for a reported tree down in the Boro Park at Main and Division Streets. A strong thunder storm has passed through the area shortly before the call. Engine 22 responded with a crew of six, and Chief 22 responded to the scene from his home only one block away. The engine arrived on scene to find a large tree that had fallen over in the park near Division Street and the Borough Building. Using chain saws, a crew cut up the tree, and with the assistance of borough employees and a dump truck, removed it from the scene.
Following a strong thunder storm that came through the area, several trees came down in the Borough. After completing the removal of a tree from an earlier incident at the Borough Park, the crew of Engine 22 headed to the 900 block of Main Street and cut up and removed a downed tree that had fallen in the area of the Kerwin residence.
Per request of EMS, Company-22 was dispatched to assist with forcible entry into an apartment at the Rattling Creek Apartments. Truck-22 responded with a crew of four. The EMS crew decided the patient was not in danger and it was safe to wait for building maintenance to arrive from Gratz with a key to the apartment instead of forcing the door. The Truck crew stood by in case assistance was needed. When the patient was moved to a waiting ambulance, Truck-22 went available.
Company 22 and Engine 23 dispatched class one to 300 Chestnut Street in Lykens at the Alfa Laval Thermal Corp Plant for an automatic fire alarm. Chief 22 responded POV, Engine 22 went enroute with 4 and Truck 22 with 4. Engine 23 went enroute with 5. Engine and Truck 22 took the A side of the plant while Engine 23 stood by at the hydrant on the A/B corner. The building was evacuated and all workers were staged in the parking lot on side A. A crew went interior to check the main building while the maintenance staff checked two outer buildings. Nothing was found and command 22 released Engine 23. Attempts to reset the alarm system were unsuccessful. The plant manager was contacted and the building turned over to maintenance personnel and the box was placed in service by command.
Company 22 dispatched class one to 555 Main Street in Lykens Boro for a cardiac arrest. Chief 22 responded POV and Utility 22 went enroute with two, followed by Truck 22 with 7 and Engine 22 with 6. On arrival, crews started patient care and performed CPR and were soon joined by EMS from 24 and 6. They continued until the patient was transferred to EMS care.
2019
Wires down, 500 block of South 2nd Street (Box 22-1)
While crews were working a cardiac arrest call (see call #50) traffic was being diverted on to South Second Street. A report was received that a wire was pulled down in the 500 block of South Second Street. Engine 22 and its crew diverted to that location. On arrival, they determined the wire down to be TV cable and they removed it from the street and then returned to the previous scene of the cardiac arrest.
While crews were working a cardiac arrest call (see call #50) a request for Life Lion was made. Company 23 was dispatched to set up the LZ at their helo-pad at Station 23 on Arch Street. Crews from Company 22 left the scene of the arrest and proceeded to the LZ to assist with that. Crews remained on scene until cleared by LZ command 23.
Box 21-4 dispatched to 198 Creek Hill Road in Washington Township for a reported structure fire. Engine 21 responded with 6, Rescue 21 with 5, Tanker 21 with 2,Utility 21 with 3, Engine 26 with 5 and Truck 22 with 7. Chief 21 responded POV and on arrival at a 20 by 50 1 story modern rancher investigated and found a fire in the oven. First in crews checked for extensions and vented smoke. Truck 22 arrived at the A/B corner at the driveway and sent their manpower forward where they staged until released by Command 21.
2021
Accident with injury, Pine and Reiff Streets (Box 22-1)
Engine 22 and Rescue 23 dispatched class one to the intersection of Pine Street and Reiff Street by the Boro garage for an accident involving a go kart and a car. Chief 22-1 responded POV and on arrival canceled Rescue 23. Engine 22 responded with 4 and four other members went to the scene POV. The driver of the car was unhurt and the driver of the go kart was checked out by Medic 6 on their arrival. After clearing up the scene command placed the box available.
Company 21 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 293 West Main street in Elizabethville for an automatic fire alarm. Command 21 placed all units available, false trip.
Company 21, Engine 26 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 4686 Route 209 in Washington Township at the CVS Pharmacy for an automatic fire alarm. Command held Companies 26 and 22 in quarters and Engine 21 and Chief 21-1 went to the scene. Shortly after arrival they placed the box in service.
Company 22 and Engine 23 dispatched class one to 15 South Second street in Lykens on the 22-1 box to Rattling Creek Apartments for an automatic fire alarm. Rescue 23 was all ready on the street returning from a call in Williamstown and added on. As Engine 22 with 3 and Truck 22 with 2 were responding County advised that they had received a request to cancel from the alarm company that had received a proper passcode and the box was placed in service.
On Thursday, August 2, 1928, Charles Cooper of Lykens, who had escaped injury when the tire of his motorcycle blew out on July 29, 1928, met with a second accident when his machine struck a section of loose stone on the highway, causing it to upset. Cooper received sprained wrists and body bruises.
On Thursday August 2, 1928, on a return flight from Pottsville to Harrisburg, the plane in which Alfred Parfet of Harrisburg and I.B. Moyer of Philadelphia were flying, was forced down into a field near Williamstown when the engine started mis-firing. When the plane hit the soft ground, the left wing crumpled and the landing gear tore off. Moyer suffered a broken left arm, while Parfet was bruised.
The section of calls we've responded to has been compiled from fire company records, newspapers, and other sources. Listings for years prior to 1981 might be incomplete.
2.
The listing of local incidents is for incidents that happened around our local area, including some from Lykens for which the fire company was not dispatched. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents listed here have been gathered from public sources.
3.
The listing of other noteworthy incidents includes incidents from anywhere outside our local area (for which we were not dispatched). Also included in this section are historical events from our fire company, Lykens, or around the world. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents and events listed here have been gathered from public sources.
4.
These lists can be filtered. Use the control section above to activate or de-activate filtering. Filtering will not affect the list of incidents we've responded to. But, it will be applied to both the other lists.
