2nd Due Structure Fire

At 1421 hours, Engine 5-1 was dispatched on a first alarm for a structure fire on Frankstown Road in Conemaugh Township. First-arriving units found that a garage being demolished had caught fire and had already collapsed to the ground. Engine 5-1 and Squad 5-1 responded and assisted with water supply and removal of a tree that impeded operations. Since the garage was being demolished, crews protected an exposure and ensured that the fire did not spread. Engine 5-1 and Squad 5-1 were back in service at 1615 hours.

Memorial Day Activities

Franklin firefighters had a busy morning attending various Memorial Day services and parades. While Truck 5-1 attended the Sgt. Michael Strank VFW Post 5107’s memorial service at the Bonair Veterans Memorial in Conemaugh Township, Engine 5-1 traveled to the Westmont Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Service at Grandview Cemetary.

Following these two events, all of Franklin’s fire apparatus attended the annual Conemaugh Valley Memorial Day Parade which starts at the Franklin Loop. After a short flag-raising ceremony at the Franklin Loop Park, the parade commences down Main Street and across the bridge into East Conemaugh with brief stops for flag raisings at the fire stations, municipal buildings, Sgt. Michael Strank VFW Post, and Conemaugh-Franklin American Legion Post. The parade concludes with a memorial service at the East Conemaugh Park.

Rescue/Pumper Displayed At Fire Expo

The department’s new rescue/pumper spent several days on display at the 2008 Fire Expo which was held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg from Friday May 16^th-Sunday May 18^th. 4-Guys Fire Apparatus requested that the rescue/pumper be a part of their exhibit at the expo which features numerous apparatus, equipment, and novelty vendors. Many good comments were heard about our rescue/pumper, in particular the chevron safety striping, the “unorthodox” location of the attack lines, and the abundance of equipment carried on the apparatus.

Rapid Intervention Crew Responds To Westmont

While Engine 5-1 was on display at the 2008 Fire Expo in Harrisburg, a residential structure fire was reported on Minno Drive in Westmont Borough. Engine 308 arrived first and reported a working structure fire. As part of the working structure fire assignment dispatched at 0930 hours, Truck 5-1 responded with the rapid intervention crew. While Engine 23-4 was establishing the water supply from a nearby hydrant, the truck company (Truck 28-6) found a small fire in the basement that they knocked down with a pressurized water can. Truck 5-1’s crew stood by as the rapid intervention crew for just over one hour before returning to service.

Standby During 911 Outage

The Cambria County 911 Center lost all power just before 1830 hours and was unable to communication via radio or phones. As a result, all fire and EMS stations in the county were staffed to handle calls and responses. Franklin firefighters staffed one crew in station until 2130 hours when power was restored at the 911 center. The power failure occurred while contractors were installing a new backup generator.