Monday started off with a truck run to Anvil International for an automatic fire alarm, reported as false.  Around 8AM, Truck 807 was dispatched along with Engine 804; both units responded promptly, confirmed that there was no need for fire services and cleared the box alarm.  Truck 807 returned to quarters, ready for the next call for services. 

Truck 807 would again be going out on the street, so at 10:30AM, CCFD firefighters met at the station in preparation for the drill that was taking place at the Columbia Junior/Senior High School later that afternoon.  Staging for the drill started at 11:15AM, but the actual drill started at 12:30PM with a notification to Columbia Borough Police.  The drill, as it turned out, was based upon a number of school shooting incidents that have occurred across the nation.  It involved agencies such as a number of local police departments, the Lancaster County SERT Team, Susquehanna Valley EMS, Columbia Borough Fire Police and of course the fire services in town.

Law enforcement and EMS were quite busy during the drill, having their hands full because of the nature of the drill.  A critique of the drill was conducted almost immediately afterwards around 3PM that afternoon, which highlighted some strengths and some areas that needed to have some action taken to improve.  While the weather changed the dynamics of the drill, it was a positive learning experience for all.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EM Herr / Ace Hardware in Columbia is sponsoring a Sportsmen Day Event & Sidewalk Sale on 9 June 2012 from 8AM to 6PM.  CCFD will be there from 10AM until 1PM with fire prevention materials, fire trucks on display, demonstrations and fire department memorabilia for sale.  Stop by and see us!

• Kinderhook BBQ
• Fred & Bobbi’s Birdhouses
• Kinderhook Church baked goods
• Gayle Kline’s RV on display
• Fureverhome Pets
• Coloring contest for kids
• CCFD
• Food, entertainment and much more!

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On Saturday afternoon, the Firefighters of CCFD and The Susquehanna Fire Company (804) conducted a joint training at station 807.  Members ran some live fire evolutions utilizing water cans and quick attack/trash lines.

During the training, both companies were struck out as part of a reported dwelling box in the 801 local. Incident reported in the 500 block of N. 3rd. street. Caller to 911 stated there was an electrical fire in the front room of the house. Chief 807 (Snyder) arrived first with Truck 807 directly behind. Upon entry truck crew found that the fire had been extinguished by the Police Department and Captain 807 (Torbert) held the incident to the truck and Engine Company 801 for an extension check and some minor ventilation.

We also received a visit from our little friend Bobby Reese who recently had surgery on both of his arms. The firefighters broke from training briefly to pose for pictures and sign the little guys casts.  We are always happy to see Bobby, and we wish him all the best in his recovery.

Station 807 greatly thanks the 804 Firefighters for participating and assisting us with the training, and we look forward to more joint training ventures like this one in the future.

Often in life we get caught up in the day-to-day grind of things, worrying about this and fretting about that.  We go through each day with our heads held sternly towards our goals, brows furrowed, sleeves rolled up.  Far too often this is done at a break-neck pace as we rush from one thing to the next on our “to-do” list, which leaves us very little time for our selves and our loved ones. 

Yesterday, started off as one such day for me with multiple meetings throughout the day, month-end reports to finish and a long list of other projects that were all vying for my attention.  It was pretty much just like every other day for me since October 2011; however that was changed when the phone rang at the fire house during the second meeting of the day.  Captain Torbert answered the phone, then handed it to me.  I forced a smile and answered the call, not knowing what would come next.

A woman’s voice greeted me, her name was Vanessa and she wanted to do something special for her son Bobby, on his third birthday.  She told me about how much he loves seeing fire trucks every chance he gets, which is quite often as he lives just across the street from another fire house.  She also explained that she wanted her son’s birthday to be very special, since today as I am writing this, he will be going into surgery.

Initially, my mind raced through all of the work that needed to be done around the station, but my sense of (customer) service and duty swayed the day; I told Vanessa that I would bring one of our fire trucks to Bobby’s birthday party.  A few hours later, Captain Torbert, Lieutenants Torbert and Wagner as well as Firefighter Zipp climbed into Truck 807 as I wearily sat down on to the driver’s seat.  The ride to Ironville Park was fairly quiet with only a minimum of chatter; the rest of the crew was tired too.

As I swung the ladder truck into the park entrance and started climbing the hill, I said to Captain Torbert over the headset intercom, let’s make some noise to let them know who we are.  He agreed, revving up the mechanical siren several times as we made the top of the hill and swung into view of the party there.  For good measure, I had also turned on all of the warning lights and gave a few short blasts with the air horns; just like we do any time we are responding to an emergency.  The effect it had on Bobby and the rest of the kids was nothing short of perfect.

I brought the ladder truck around to the right in the parking lot as kids from every corner of the park scrambled towards us.  But the look that was on Bobby’s face as he ran towards us, practically dragging Vanessa behind him through the grass, was priceless!  Instantly we knew that this particular little guy had to be the birthday boy and just as quickly, I regretted that we did not have a dash-mounted video camera to capture the moment forever.

Regardless, Captain Torbert and I both started laughing, thoroughly enjoying the moment as it unfolded before us.  We could not hear what he was saying, but the look on his face told the entire story; it was pure joy.  His short legs eagerly pumped up and down in a steady rhythm of excited determination, oblivious of his mother’s plight of trying to keep up, hold his hand and stay on two feet all at the same time.  His tiny feet closed the distance as his right hand pointed at the fire truck every inch of the way, pulling his mother along with his left hand.

Captain Torbert suggested flying the ladder, so we did that as well.  The truck crew jumped out and went right to work setting up the out-rigger plates and keeping the children back as I lowered the hydraulic jacks.  Once the jacks were set and the truck leveled, power was locked out and transferred to the turn-table controls.  I climbed up to the operator position, flipped the high-idle control into the on position and uncradled the ladder.  With the ladder fully extended to 110′, Captain Torbert and Firefighter Zipp climbed to the tip and one of the best panoramic views of the surrounding county, as the children all shouted and waved to them from the ground.

But the excitement did not stop there; once the ladder was cradled again and the out-riggers stowed, the crew opened up all of the compartments and cab doors for the kids to see everything.  They wondered all around Truck 807, eyes wide and jaws slack, waiting for a turn to sit up in one of the jump seats or for one of the coveted spots up front.  Parents produced cameras and snapped dozens of pictures of the children, the fire truck and even us, the firefighters.

All too soon, we had to head back to the fire house; back to the grind.  Yet the ride back was much different as we were chatting the whole way home.  The experience had touched us all, lifting our spirits.  It was also a nice and simple reminder of why we volunteer so much of our time to serving others.  There simply is no greater reward than the appreciation for our sacrifices from children like Bobby, his mother Vanessa or the nameless strangers we are called upon to help at all hours of the day or night.

On behalf of the men and women of Columbia Consolidated Fire Department, happy birthday Bobby!

On Tuesday, 1 May 2012, the County Commissioners voted to lift the burn ban on Lancaster County.  The commissioners voted to place the ban into effect on 13 April 2012, because at that point, the county had gone more than ten days straight with no recordable rainfall and the high winds made conditions favorable for fires of any size to quickly grow out of control.  The ban was planned to remain in effect until at least 12 May 2012, but after several days of steady rainfall, the ban was lifted early.

However, in Columbia Borough, it is illegal to burn all of the time; citations will be issued.  During the month of April and during the period of the burn ban, CCFD answered a number of calls that were the direct result of residents illegally burning.