It's hard to believe that it was a year ago today that we heard the news of your passing. And although you may no longer be with us here, we know that you are watching over your brother and sister firefighters that you left behind. May you Rest in Peace brother TIm, Chief 10.

A fatal structure fire in a 3-story taxpayer in the City of DuBois Friday morning is currently under investigation by PSP fire marshals and the fate of the building is unknown. The structure was totally destroyed and may need to ba razed due to safety concerns. Two peopel were killed in the blaze and a total of 7 people were injured, including a firefighter. The blaze has left several families homeless. This was the second major structure fire in the city in less than a week. Another blaze destroyed a home earlier in the week. Video of the Friday morning blaze can be found on WJAC TV's site at: http://www.wjactv.com/video/22010851/index.html

With the winter season approaching, the Potter County Department of Emergency Services & the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reminds individuals to be prepared for winter storms and extreme cold. While the danger of severe winter weather varies across the country, everyone can benefit by taking a few easy steps now to prepare for emergencies. A first step, regardless of where you live, is to visit the Ready.gov Web site to find preparedness ideas you can use all year long.

“Severe winter weather can strike at any time. Even areas that normally experience mild winters can be hit with a major snowstorm or extreme cold,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.  “I encourage everyone to get an emergency supply kit, develop and practice a family emergency plan and stay informed about emergencies that may affect your area.  Families can log onto Ready.gov to learn more.”

Severe winter weather can include snow or subfreezing temperatures, strong winds and ice or heavy rain storms. An emergency supply kit both at home and in the car will help prepare you and your family for winter power outages and icy or impassable roads.

POTTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

SUPPORTS THE U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION’S
INSTALL. INSPECT. PROTECT. CAMPAIGN
Encouraging residents to install smoke alarms and sprinklers 

Coudersport, PA – More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year in the United States; most of whom are in homes without a working smoke alarm. To prevent these deaths, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sponsoring a nationwide Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign designed to raise awareness about how working, properly installed smoke alarms can lower a person’s chances of dying in a fire. The Potter County Department of Emergency Services is supporting this critical effort to reduce injuries and the loss of life. 

The USFA’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is aimed at encouraging Americans to practice fire safety by installing and maintaining smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, which can help save the lives of residents and fire fighters, practicing fire escape plans, and performing a home safety walk-through to remove fire hazards from the home.  The campaign is promoting fire safety through a free Campaign Toolkit disc; educational materials; print, radio and television PSAs; children’s materials, community organization-sponsored events and a consumer-friendly campaign Web site.

“Potter County DES is proud to be a partner with the USFA in this very relevant campaign.  Far too many people have died in fires as a result of not having working smoke alarms or sprinklers. One person killed in a home fire is just too many,” said Potter County Emergency Management Coordinator Glenn Dunn. “Together, we can educate our communities and help save lives.”

“If a fire breaks out in your home while you’re asleep, how will you know?  Having a working smoke alarm is like having a fire safety official on duty in your home, 24 hours a day.” said Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn A.Gaines.  “Working smoke alarms will alert you to the fire and we know conclusively, a residential sprinkler system can help put the fire out.” Gaines adds, “Smoke alarms and sprinklers are able to provide residents the time it takes to get everyone out of the house, before firefighters have to come in.”

I received an E-mail this morning from a good friend of mine who also happens to be the Chief of one of the departments that I run with. He had attached a copy of an article that he suggested that I read as well as pass on to any of the younger members of the departments. Now normally I would probably just take a glance at it and go back and read it later on when I had a chance. But it didn’t take long for me to get drawn in and before I knew it I read the entire article.

I read a fair amount of fire and EMS training material, or at least I try to. But this article was different than most. This article is about one firefighter’s battle for life as the result of years of complacency regarding the use of PPE. It wasn’t an outright complacency, it was just the way things were then, and unfortunately in many places still are today. For one thing is certain, change comes slowly in the fire service.

This firefighter wasn’t a smoker but yet, as the result of the fire service culture of not using SCBA at all times when we should, after more than 30 years in the fire service he had developed cancer of the throat. We know more today than we ever have about the effects of smoke and the various chemicals and carcinogens that are contained in that smoke. But yet we all too often still fail to utilize breathing protection during exterior operations or during overhaul operations when the levels of these chemicals are at their highest. As a result we are slowing killing ourselves.

I think this article is must reading for ALL of our ranks but particularly our Juniors and probies. Perhaps if we can get them to understand the dangers now while they are in training we will be able to eventually change the mindset of “the business”. Because if we fail to begin to change that mindset of not using our PPE during overall and other times when we really need to we will continue to needlessly cause the deaths of many in our ranks.

The fire service is full of traditions. It’s time to start a new tradition, a tradition of growing old with our families rather than dying of cancer. I urge all firefighters, young and old, to read this article and learn from it. The article can be found at http://www.firehouse.com/1209-Trevino-Dance or a PDF version can be downloaded HERE.

At approximately 0955 hrs on Sunday Dec. 6th Tioga County 9-1-1 received a call for a reported structure fire on Cowburn Rd. near the Turton Rd. in Ulysses Twp. Ulysses Dept 47, Genesee Dept 37 and Galeton Dept 10 were dispatched to respond. Shortly after dispatch Chief 47 (Roy Hunt) reported heavy smoke showing while still enroute. Upon arrival on scene Chief Hunt reported a single story structure heavily involved with a large volume of fire showing on the east end of the structure and heavy smoke issuing from the west end of the building.

Due to deteriorating conditions an exterior attack was conducted. Harrison Twp Dept 20 was also requested to respond with one engine requested to the scene and a second engine to establish water supply operations. Shortly after the arrival of first due units the structure began to collapse. Units were on scene for several hours. The structure was completely destroyed.

Within 24 hours the same departments would respond to two additional structure fire calls in the area. The first occurring in Brookland on the Fox Hill Rd. Due to the quick action of a Dept 47 chief officer that lives in the area damage was contained to the area around the chimney. The second call, which came in while crews were still at the Fox Hill scene, was for a chimney fire on the White Knowle Rd in Harrison Twp. Fortunately damage was confined to the area of the chimney in that blaze as well.

At 11:38 am on Friday, Harrison Twp. Fire Department Station 20 in the  north-eastern end of Potter County was toned out for a land rescue with possible entrapment at 326 Andrews Hill Road, in Harrison Township. Ulysses Station 47 was toned out to establish a landing zone for a medical helicopter but was later recalled. Dept 20 units have been requested to secure the scene.

Pennsylvania State Police and the Potter County Coroner are reported enroute to the scene.

UPDATE: Harrison Valley Death Accidental

State Police have identified the man who was killed on Andrews Hill Road, in Harrison Valley, Potter County, Friday morning (12-4-09), at about 11:30 am.

Troopers said Randall Wayne Fannon, 51, of Kingston, TN, was assisting the unloading of a "spa" from a tractor-trailer onto a smaller trailer attached to an ATV. Fannon was standing on the trailer attached to the ATV when weight transfer caused the trailer to move. Fanton fell from the trailer into the truck trailer. He was killed due to blunt force trauma to the head.

Harrison Valley Dept. 20 was responded for a land rescue with possible entrapment,  Tri-Town Fire Co. (Ulysses) Dept. 47 was dispatched to assist and set up a landing zone for a helicopter. Units were recalled when it was determined that the patient had expired at the scene.

Tri-Town Ambulance assisted at the scene and Harrison Valley Dept. 20 secured the scene until State Police and Potter County Coroner Kevin Dusenbury Sr. and Deputy Coroner Kevin Dusenbury Jr. arrived on scene. The coroner pronounced Fannon dead at 12:46 pm. Ulysses Dept. 47 Fire Police were dispatched for traffic control at the scene.