On December 4th at 17:18, Dauphin County Engine-22 (Lykens) and Rescue-23 (Wiconisco), along with Ambulance Company-6 were dispatched to an accident in front of 26 Main Street in the Borough of Lykens. The accident, involving two vehicles, occurred directly in front of Chief 22-2, John Shultz's, residence. After hearing the crash, Chief 22-2 and his son, Matt, both of whom are EMT's, came out on the front porch to find two of the patients from one vehicle already out and sitting alongside the road. Chief Shultz attempted to contact Dauphin County by radio to report the crash. But there were problems reaching the County radio system that delayed the dispatch by several minutes. Engine-22 arrived on scene approximately three minutes after dispatch. Rescue-23's response time was a few minutes longer due to heavy traffic conditions in the area. One of the vehicles had Main Street blocked, and the driver was still confined inside. Fire and Rescue personnel quickly extricated the driver and assisted EMS with packaging the patient for transport. Main Street was reopened for traffic by 17:45, and all units had cleared the scene by 18:11.
Truck 22 was dispatched to Porter Township, Schuylkill County, 64 Spring Road in the Village of Orwin in an area commonly known as Kalmia for what was initially reported as a chimney fire. Truck 22 responded with a crew of seven, and Chief 22 responded POV. While en route, updated information stated that this was now a house fire. Truck 22 arrived on scene to find a 2-story front, 3-story rear converted log house with fire on the C side. The truck set up on the A/B corner since there was no access by vehicle to the C side, and the crew threw all of the truck's seven ladders around the building. Heavy smoke was pushing from the eaves and there was extensive fire in the side C wall from the upper first floor to the second floor heading towards the eaves. Companies 655, 650, 66, 810, and Dauphin County 24 were also on the scene. The initial attack from the first in crews knocked down the bulk of the fire before our arrival, but extensive overhaul was underway as the fire was running the gap between the logs that this home was originally built with and the exterior siding. Crews assisted interior on the second floor and attic with overhaul, and used saws and axes on the exterior to assist in digging out the many deep-seated hot pockets of fire in the wall. Heavy snow squalls were blanketing the area during the call, with dropping temperatures causing anything that was sprayed with water to ice up, including the ladders. The crews continued with overhaul until released by command 655.
2009
Accident with no injuries, Main and Edward Streets (Box 22-1)
Company 22 dispatched class one to the intersection of Main and Edward Streets for a reported accident with unknown injuries. Chiefs 22 and 22-1 responded to the scene. Engine 22 responded with 6 and Truck 22 responded with 5. The engine arrived to the rear side of the accident scene and blocked traffic, while the Truck came in on Edward Street and staged. A pickup truck was rear-ended by a passenger car, with no injuries. Lykens PD also on scene. The crews pushed the vehicles off the road, cleaned up broken car parts and put high dry down, and were released by Command.
2012
Automatic Fire Alarm, 300 Chestnut Street (Box 22-1)
Companies 22 and 23 dispatched class one to 300 Chestnut Street in Lykens at the Alfa Laval Thermal Plant for an automatic fire alarm. Initial report was that it was coming from the break room. Chief 22 responded POV to the scene, and Engines 22 and 23 responded each with 5. Chief 22 on scene confirmed that it was burnt food in the microwave and placed the box available, canceling both units.
2014
Medical Assist -AED response, 309 North Street (Box 22-1)
Company 22 dispatched class one to 309 North Street in Lykens for a cardiac arrest, AED response. Engine 22 responded with 3 and Utility 22 with 2. Rescue 23 was requested to assist for additional manpower. On arrival, the crew entered and found one member that had arrived POV all ready doing CPR. The crew set up the AED and continued CPR until arrival of EMS and then continued assisting them until released by command.
2017
Structure Fire, 1820 East Wiconisco Ave (Box S.C.)
Truck 22 and Tanker 24 from Dauphin County dispatched class one to 1820 East Wiconisco Avenue in Porter Township Schuylkill County in the village of Reinerton for a working structure fire. Truck 22 responded with 7 and Engine 22 added on with 3. On arrival of a 2 and one half story wood frame single family dwelling the truck set up on side A and went to the roof to vent while the rest of the crew set ladders. Engine 22 staged on 18th Street and sent manpower forward to assist in suppression activities. Building was well involved and fire was showing from all floors. Crews continued with suppression and extinguishment throughout the night until eventual control of the building was achieved. Building construction made digging out hidden pockets of hard very difficult. Numerous units from Dauphin and Schuylkill Counties were on scene. Rescue 27 was transferred to Station 22 for the duration of the incident. After control was marked units began to be released. The Company was placed available by command and Rescue 27 was released from standby.
Company 22 dispatched class one to 600 Main Street at the Lykens Hotel for a fall victim outside. EMS had an extended ETA. Chief 22-2 responded POV and on arrival had one patient sitting outside on a stool at the front of the building. Engine 22 responded with 3, and on arrival assisted with patient care until the arrival of Schuylkill EMS unit 961. After transferring the patient to their unit the Company went available.
At the request of Chief 24 Truck 22 dispatched class three to assist Rescue 24 with a body removal from a residence at 367 Dayton Street in Williams Township. Truck 22 responded with 5 and Utility 22 with 1. On arrival side A of a 20 by 40 foot wood frame two story single family dwelling the crew set up on side A and went to a second floor bedroom window with the boom to extricate the person. After successfully completing the task command placed the box available.
Company 24, Engine and Rescue 23, Trucks 22 and Schuylkill 58-25, Schuylkill Engines 22-11 and 22-15 and 66-10 and Rescue 21 dispatched class one to 461 East Market street in Williamstown for a possible structure fire. Truck 22 responded with 3 and utility 22 with 1. The Truck accessed by way of Railroad street to side A of a 32 foot by 50 foot two and one half story single family residence with nothing showing from the exterior. The Utility came in via Water street and staged on Market street. Command advised of a pellet stove on the second floor that was causing smoke in a bedroom. Crew went interior with a TIC while the Truck attempted to access the chimney from the outside with the boom but was unsuccessful. Further investigation ruled out any problem with the chimney. Crews determined that some dust had burned off the stove. Command scaled back the response and after further investigation command held the box to his Engine and the Truck and Utility were placed available.
On Tuesday morning, December 4, 1934, on Route 14, east of Millersburg, a coal truck heading for Baltimore with a load of coal, operated by William Otto of Shamokin, struck a horse drawn wagon owned by the Lykens Valley Sanitary Dairy of Millersburg and operated by W.A. Specht of Millersburg. The trucker claimed that the milk wagon had no lights on it and he struck the wagon before seeing it in the heavy fog. The wagon was demolished and a quantity of milk was lost. Specht was severely bruised and cut about the legs. The horse escaped injury. The accident was investigated by Patrolman E.A. Shoop of the Lykens sub-station and the damage was set at about $150.
While debris cleanup from the December 1st tornado was still going on, a structure fire occurred on Fifth Street in Halifax on the evening of December 3, 2007. Engine 29, Engine 29-1, and Utility 77 responded. Engine 27 (Gratz), which was in the area helping with the tornado cleanup, was later called to the scene to assist with overhaul.
On December 4, 1844, the Cumberland Valley Railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River west of City Island was destroyed in a long and spectacular fire. The fire was believed started from embers or hot coals dropped from a steam locomotive. The fire department of the era was powerless to do anything about it. Loss was listed at $130,000.
The Lunatic Asylum at Augusta, Maine, was destroyed by fire on the morning of December 4, 1850. The number of inmates who perished is said to be seven or eight. The bodies of seven have been found. Most of the inmates were necessarily turned out, into the open air. Some found refuge in the jail and almshouse, others in private dwellings, and it is supposed that a few were wandering abroad. The fire originated in the air-chamber contiguous to the furnace, and when discovered had filled the galleries with gas and smoke, which rendered the efforts to rescue the patients extremely hazardous.
On December 4, 1980, a fire broke out in the Stouffer's Inn in Westchester County, NY , killing 26 people. Among the fatalities were 13 high-ranking executives of Arrow Electronics Inc., then the nation's second largest electronics distributor. The deaths of the employees cost the company $5.5 million pre-tax Arrow's earnings fell and it took nearly a decade to reestablish its operating profitability. Arrow sued the owners of the inn, the Stouffer Corporation, alleging that Stouffers agreement for renting the facilities implied that the rooms were suitable and safe, reasonably free of fire hazards, and reasonably equipped with devices to minimize the danger of fire.
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