2006 News Archive

Not only did Rockville supply toys to the Lincoln Park event, but members gave dozens of toys to the Stepping Stone Shelter for battered women on Christmas Eve. All the apparatus from Station 3 was out on the Santa Run that night and stopped at the shelter to visit with the 18 children who call it home.  Santa’s firefighter/EMT elves personally delivered bags full of toys from their toy drive to the boys and girls.  The kids all came out to see Santa and the parade of vehicles lit up their neighborhood.  The administrators and the families were most appreciative of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department! Both Saturday and Sunday nights the units went to the Best Western Hotel on Rt.28 to deliver toys to families who call the hotel home.  Each day the volunteer men and women of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department make a difference in the lives of those who suffer medical and fire related emergencies and call for help.  This year, as in the past, they touched the lives of those who would go without during this time of joy. Rockville members made the extra effort to get into the community and deliver toys, see their neighbors, drive around handing out candy canes, Hanukkah gelt, dreidals and good will all the while still answering those many, many  911 calls that come in each day, every day, thousands of times a year. Yet, the members of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department went out of their way to say they care! To say they will step in and help.  And they DID!

Heavy Fire In Rockville Townhouse - December 6, 2006 - At 0721 hours, Engine 231, Engine 33, Truck 23, Rescue Squad 3, Ambulance 238 and other Montgomery County Fire & Rescue units were dispatched to the 11300 block of Morning Gate Drive for fire on the deck of a townhouse. While enroute, the Public Safety Communications Center advised units they were receiving multiple calls and they believed this to be a working fire. The rapid Intervention Dispatch was added, bringing Truck 3 and other MCFRS units. Engine 231 arrived on the scene of a three story end of the row townhouse with heavy fire showing on side "C" of the structure, involving a 20 lbs propane tank. The second alarm was immediately requested, bringing Engine 331, Engine 311, Air 33, and additional MCFRS units.

Engine 231 stretched an attackline inside the front door and encountered fire on the entry floor and the deck. Once the fire on the entry floor was extinguished Engine 231, repositioned their line to hold the fire from the basement and then stretched it to the top floor to continue fire attack. Engine 33 advanced an attackline into exposure "B" and extinguished the fire in the attic and held the fire coming from the fire building. Truck 23 threw ground ladders, reported to the top floor, and assisted with fire attack. Rescue Squad 3 performed the primary search, controlled the electric, and also assisted in fire attack. Truck 3, who was the Rapid Intervention Group truck, was reassigned shortly after arrival to assist throwing ground ladders, opening up the garage door, and fire attack on the top floor and attic. The fire took approximately one hour to extinguish and caused $1.5 million dollars in damage. Fire place ashes placed on the deck at approximately 0530 hours are credited with starting the fire.

SUV Explodes, Causing Three Alarm Fire - December 4, 2006 - At 0919 hours Engine 33, Truck 23, Truck 3, Rescue Squad 3, and other Montgomery County Fire & Rescue units responded to the 200 block of Congressional Lane, box area 2301, for the Hazmat Box, reported car into a gas meter with multiple explosions. Truck 23 arrived on the scene with a back to back row of two story townhouses with the front three townhouses fully involved and heavy fire in the back three townhouses. The second and third alarms were added, bringing Engine 331, Truck 31, Hose Tender 3, and other MCFRS units. First arriving crews were able to enter the exposure townhouses and push the fire back into the townhouses of origin. A trench cut of the roof on the "D" exposure at the fire wall also prevented further fire spread. Due to floor collapse, caused by the heavy fire involvement prior to arrival, all interior operations were quickly suspended. The fire was then extinguished by a combination of handlines and elevated streams.

A women suffered a seizure while driving and drove her vehicle off the roadway, striking a gas meter. The crash sparked a fire that extended to the two-story buildings. No serious injuries were reported however a female pedestrian suffered a leg injury when she was knocked down by the force of the explosion. Six townhouses were completely destroyed, displacing about 30 people, and causing $2 million in damage.

Battalion Chief 3 arrived onscene and assumed command, Rescue Squad 291 was assigned Operations and Rescue Squad 3 was assigned Safety until relieved by Chief 3-3. The tactical rescue plan was developed, requiring a high line to be established across the atrium and the victim to be provided and don a "diaper" seat harness, allowing him to be transferred to the third floor. Rescue Squad 3, Engine 31, Truck 3, and Germantown Rescue Squad 291 built the high line system. Once the system was ready for rescue, the victim was provided the harness. After donning the harness, he was instructed how exit the basket of the lift and prepare himself to be pulled to waiting rescuers. The victim was assisted over the ledge, the system tension was released, allowing the victim to be disconnected from the high line. The victim was assessed by EMS personnel and again denied need for medical care. Units returned to service after packing up their equipment.

As USAR personnel and equipment began to arrive, non-USAR personnel and units were place in service. USAR personnel shored the trench around the patient and then began removing the dirt trapping the patient. Once the patient was extricated from the trench, he was transported to Suburban Hospital Trauma Center in Bethesda, Maryland by Medic 239. Units cleared at 1649 hours that afternoon.

• Frederick News Post article #2
• The Washington Post article #2
• Baltimore Sun article
• The News & Observer article
• The Gazette article
• The Washington Post Article
• Frederick News Post Article
• 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division Web Site

Driving A Hazard Over Weekend - July 30, 2006 - On Saturday and Sunday Rockville firefighters responded to three collisions that killed one person and sent four more to trauma centers as priority 1 traumas. At 0319 hours on Saturday, Rescue Squad 3 responded to the 7800 block of Horseshoe Lane, Cabin John Company 30's area, for the personal injury collision with entrapment. Company 30 arrived onscene with a single vehicle that left 200 feet of skid marks, hit one tree, bounced off, hit a second tree, ripping it out of the ground, and pinned the passenger. The driver was quickly extricated and transported to an area trauma center as a priority 1 trauma, while the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. Sunday at 0245 hours, Medic 39, Medic 319, Rescue Squad 3, Engine 311, and Trooper 8 operated at a single vehicle collision with one overturned at the intersection of Darnestown Road and Great Seneca Highway. Two priority 1 patients were flown by Trooper 8 to Baltimore Shock Trauma. Later Sunday morning, Medic 39, Rescue Squad 3, and Engine 33 responded to another single vehicle collision with one ejected at the Pumphrey's Funeral Home in the 300 block of West Montgomery Avenue. The driver was ejected and laid outside of his car for at least four hours before being discovered by a Washington Post newspaper delivery man. The driver was flown to Medstar Trauma Center in Washington, DC by Trooper 8.

Trap Job In 23's Area - April 8, 2006 - At approximately 0930 hours, Medic 239, Rescue Squad 3, Engine 231, and Battalion Chief 103-A were dispatched to a personal injury collision with people trapped at Montrose Road and Tildenwood Drive. Upon arrival, Engine 231 advised responding units of a two-car T-bone collision, with three priority 2 multi-system traumas. Trooper 8 medevac was requested, along with a second ALS unit and manpower piece. Medic 39 and Truck 23 were added. Rescue Squad 3 extricated patients, while Battalion Chief 103-A established command. Given the poor weather conditions, and a reassessment of the patients after extrication, a decision was made to cancel the medevac helicopter and request another EMS unit, Ambulance 238, to transport by land. There were enough EMT-Paramedic personnel on the scene to mix-and-match crews to transport two patients to Washington Hospital Center and one to Suburban Hospital trauma centers.

Third Alarm Fire In Glenmont - April 11, 2006 - At 1002 hours, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue units were dispatched to the 2200 block of Georgian Way, box area 18-01, for fire in apartment 22, with multiple calls. Wheaton Rescue Squad 29, who arrived onscene with fire showing and reports of people trapped, requested the Rapid Intervention Dispatch and the second alarm. Three people were rescued by Wheaton Rescue Squad 29. Engine 231 responded on the second alarm and Truck 3 responded on the third alarm. Engine 231 assisted other crews in fire attack and salvage and overhaul operations. Truck 3, although dispatched on the third alarm, arrived with the second alarm units and was put quickly to work. Truck 3 threw a 28 foot ground ladder to the third floor and then reported to the third floor to assist in opening up the attic. Within minutes, the fire on the third floor and attic grew out of control and was venting heavily out of the roof. The evacuation tones were sounded and Truck 3's crew exited the third floor via the ladder previously thrown. Ladder pipe operations were conducted by multiple aerial units, knocking the bulk of the fire down. The fire was extinguished shortly there after. The fire destroyed much of the roof of the apartment complex and 11 units, displacing 45 people. Damage was estimated at more than $1.5 million. This is the fourth major fire in this complex in the last two year. This past February a fire in the building next door on Georgian Way was started when children put clothes on top of a lamp, last June, a fire at 12112 Shorefield Court caused about $3.5 million damage and displaced about 42 families, and another one was deliberately set during a domestic incident on Presidents Day 2004 in the middle of a heavy snowstorm in which people had to jump from windows to safety.

Suspicious Fires Investigated In Rockville- March 21, 2006 - Investigators asked for the public's help Tuesday as they search for whoever is behind a series of suspicious fires in recent weeks. "We had a fire (Monday) afternoon in an area in Rockville where we have had about a dozen or so fires over the last month," said Pete Piringer, spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. "And although not all of them have been connected, we believe one person, or a group of persons is responsible for at least some of them." The fires began in mid-February. Piringer said cars, trash and playground equipment are among the items torched. In the most recent case on Monday, a vehicle was set on fire in front of the Board of Elections building, located at 751 Twinbrook Parkway. That happened during the day, but Piringer said most of the fires are in the overnight hours. On March 5, seven vehicles in a parking lot were burned. Nobody has been hurt in any of the fires. Anyone with information on the fires should call Montgomery County's Arson Tip Line at (240) 777-2263.

Story courtesy of NBC4.com. Originally posted: 3:49 pm EST March 21, 2006

Busy Night For Rockville - February 27, 2006 - As the Monday night crew assembled and prepared dinner, they had no idea what was ahead of them. As they got situated for the evening, the box alarm was struck for a fire in the stairwell, at 2002 Viers Mill Rd. Engine 231, 31, Aerial Tower 23, Truck 3, Rescue Squad 3, and other MCFRS units responded. Company 23 found an arson fire lit in the stairwell of a shopping center, the same center which was the scene of a three alarm fire just over 4 years ago. Company 23 continued to chase this arsonist around the twinbrook area, as multiple fires were lit that evening. 

As the Company 3 units were clearing the scene, Engine 31 and Truck 3 were dispatched for a house fire in Company 28's area. Engine 31 and Truck 3 arrived on the scene of the working fire, estabilshed a secondary water supply and went to work protecting exposures and hooking ceiling. Thanks to an excellent knock put on the fire by Gaithersburg Company 28 and Laytonsville Company 17, the fire was contained to the garage and the attic of the house. The fire did leave major strucutural damage, but crews were able to protect much of the contents of the house. Rescue Squad 3 was due on the Rapid Intervention Dispatch and watched from the front lawn, keeping all safe.  

As units returned from the fire they were greeted with some cold dinner and a warm bed. Around 0100 hours, while clearing a medical local on Baltimore Road, Engine 31 was dispatched for an apartment fire in Company 23's area, along with Engine 231, Tower 23, Truck 3, Ambulance 238, and other MCFRS units. Althoguh Engine 231 arrived on the scene and confirmed food on the stove, it prolonged the sleepless night that did not end until the dayworks relieved the Monday crew at 0700 hours.

Gaithersburg House Fire - February 12, 2006 - At 0714 hours, Engine 31, Rescue Squad 3, and other MCFRS units were dispatched to the 17000 block of Flatwood Drive, Gaithersburg Company 28's area, for the reported house fire. Gaithersburg Engine 281 arrived on the scene with nothing evident. Upon further investigation Engine 281 found a working fire on the second floor and requested the Rapid Intervention Dispatch, bring Medic 39 and other MCFRS units. Heavy snow fall from the night before made operations extremely difficult, however crews were still able to control and extinguish the fire quickly. The cause of the fire was an unattended candle used because of power outages.

Two Trapped In front of Company 28 - February 4, 2006 - At 1900 hours, Rescue Engine 33 was dispatched along with Gaithersburg Engine 281, Ambulance 289, and Medic 89 for the personal injury collision with one trapped in front of Gaithersburg Station 28, at the intersection of Muncaster Mill Road and Redland Road. Company 28 went onscene immediately with a single car collision with two trapped after hitting a pole. Rescue Engine 33, upon arrival, stabilized the vehicle and the proceeded to remove the driver's sidewall and the roof, and then rolled the dash. Ambulance 289, with Medic 89 onboard, transported a priority 1 head trauma to Suburban Hospital Trauma Center, while Rockville Medic 319 transported a priority 1 trauma to Medstar Trauma Center in Washington, D.C.

House Fire In Gaithersburg - January 23, 2006 - At 1450 hours, Engines 311 and 31, Rescue Engine 33, and other Montgomery County units were dispatched to the 200 block of Russell Ave for the house fire in Gaithersburg Company 8's area. Company 8 arrived on the scene with fire showing from the second floor. The Rapid Intervention Dispatch was added at 1454 hours, bringing Truck 31.