WESTMORELAND COUNTY
STATION 105

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CONTACT INFORMATION
1100 Fells Church Road
PO Box 562
Belle Vernon PA 15012
Phone (724) 379-5036
info@rostravercentral.com

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The Jewel of the Valley    

Proudly supported on the scene by
Sutphen Corporation -- Engine 105 and Truck 105
Hurst "Jaws of Life" Rescue System

Pierce Manufacturing -- Rescue 105

Bullard Thermal Imagers

Dräger SCBA



Paratech Rescue Systems



NEWS FROM 105


TWO INJURED IN WEBSTER RD CRASH
7/26/10-- Stations 105 and 31 (Webster) were dispatched for an MVA with injuries on Webster Road just north of the Donora/Monessen Bridge ramp.  Rescue 105 arrived first, finding a side-impact crash involving a sedan and pickup truck.  Personnel began stabilizing the most seriously injured patient awaiting EMS arrival.  Fire crews also assisted with traffic control and debris cleanup.  Rostraver/West Newton transported two patients to local hospitals with minor to moderate injuries.  Rostraver Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

CAR FIRE & HOTEL MISHAP WITHIN AN HOUR
7/24/10-- Township companies were alerted for a vehicle fire endangering a house at 878 Route 906 South in Webster.  Rescue 105 arrived first, discovering the fire on Dunn Street, not endangering and confined to the engine compartment.  The bumper line was pulled to douse hot spots.  Units from 105 and 31 cleared after a short period.  Just under 1 hour later, township companies were again called out for an automatic fire alarm at Hampton Inn, 1525 Broad Avenue.  Assistant 105-2 arrived first and discovered the alarm was caused by a mulch fire that had extended to the outside of the building.  The fire had been extinguished by a bystander in the hotel's swimming pool.   Truck 105 was the first unit on scene and checked the wall area with the thermal imaging camera.  The fire alarm had originated on the 2nd floor, where crews found a room full of smoke that had been drawn in through the in-room HVAC unit.  Units from 105 and 31 were on scene approximately one hour assisting with ventilation.

105 ASSISTS ON 2 ALARM FIRE IN CHARLEROI
7/21/10-- One woman was helped from the roof of her burning home by bystanders after it caught fire Wednesday afternoon.  First arriving units at 210 Prospect Avenue found fire issuing from the 2nd floor endangering an adjacent house.  Chief 197 (Whiten) called for a 2nd alarm due to exposures and the extreme temperature while crews from 197 (Charleroi), 218 (Lock #4), and 217 (Fallowfield Twp) made an initial attack.  Truck 105's crew assisted on the 2nd floor with overhaul and ventilation.  2nd alarm companies included 80 (North Belle Vernon), 227 (Stockdale), and 226 (Allenport).  Station 229 (Bentleyville) provided a Rapid Intervention Crew.  The State Police Fire Marshal was called to investigate, but initial reports pointed to careless smoking as the cause.  Personnel from 105 operated on scene for over an hour.
     

GAS LEAK & CRASH MAKE FOR BUSY MORNING
7/20/10-- A PennDOT crew working on a drainage project along Route 201 struck a large gas line while excavating.  Fire department personnel and police closed Rostraver Road between Patterson Lane and Sandstone Way while gas company crews worked to contain the leak.  R-105's crew checked one local business complaining of gas odors inside, but found no levels.  Residents in the area sheltered in place and no evacuations were ordered.  While standing by at the leak, Rescue 105 was called to a two car crash at Routes 51 & 981.  At least two people were transported to local hospitals by EMS.  Fire personnel assisted with debris cleanup, patient care, and spill control.
     

TRUCK ON FIRE AT K-MART PLAZA
7/17/10-- Stations 105 and 80 (North Belle Vernon) were dispatched for a truck on fire at the K-Mart Plaza on Rostraver Road.  Squad 105 arrived first from the Finley Road Substation and discovered the fire had been controlled by bystanders.  Personnel extinguished hot spots that remained in the vehicle.  No injuries were reported.

VEHICLE FIRE, PORTER RD
7/13/10-- Township companies were activated for a vehicle fire endangering at 123 Porter Road.  Engine 105 arrived first and found the fire in the work van mostly extinguished and no structures endangered.  The Engine crew pulled the preconnected bumper line and doused hot spots.  No injuries were reported.
  

HOUSE FIRE QUICKLY CONTROLLED
7/10/10-- The house at 102 Price Avenue was damaged by a basement fire.  The residents were not at home when the fire broke out.  The initial call came into Westmoreland 911 when the burglar alarm activated and Rostraver Police arrived to find smoke issuing from the house.  Crews from 80 (North Belle Vernon) and 105 made the initial attack and quickly controlled the fire.  Personnel from 31 (Webster) and 103 (Collinsburg) checked for extension and established positive pressure ventilation.  The State Police Fire Marshal was contacted to investigate and determined the cause of the fire accidental.  No injuries were reported.

1 INJURY IN WORK ZONE CRASH
7/9/10-- A contractor working on a Route 51 widening project was transported to a local hospital after being rear-ended by a northbound vehicle.  The crash occurred just south of Darr Road in the construction zone.  Personnel from 105 controlled hazards and assisted with cleanup.  Patient care and transport was completed by Rostraver/West Newton Emergency Services.  Route 51 North was closed for the duration of the incident.  Rostraver Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
  

BASEMENT FIRE DAMAGES TWP HOUSE
7/4/10-- Just after 1am, Station 105 was dispatched for a report of smoke in the area of the Rostraver Elementary School on Crest Avenue.  Upon arriving in the area, Assistant 105-2 discovered smoke coming from the house at 317 Crest Avenue and confirmed a working fire in the integral basement garage.  Engine 105's crew stretched two lines to the rear and made forcible entry to the basement and garage and knocked the fire down.  Crews completed searches of the 1st floor and found no occupants or extension of the fire.  Units from 103 (Collinsburg), 31 (Webster), and 81-1 (Monessen #1) assisted at the scene and Rescue 11 (Sutersville) provided a Rapid Intervention crew.  The State Police Fire Marshal ruled the fire accidental, electrical in nature.  One fire fighter from Station 105 was transported to Mon Valley Hospital for a back injury.

105 ASSISTS ON MONESSEN FIRE
6/28/10-- The PA State Police Fire Marshal was called to investigate a suspicious fire in a vacant house at 460 Reed Avenue in Monessen.  Engine 81-3 and Squirt 81-2 made the initial attack on the fire under the command of Chief 81 (Billick).  Truck 105 was ordered to position on the "A" side and provide ventilation.  E-105's crew joined the Truck crew assisting with overhaul and clearing access to the front door, which was blocked by a collapsed porch roof.  Units from 105 operated on scene for approximately 90 minutes.  Thanks to E-147 (Central) for covering the Fellsburg station during the incident.
     

RANGER 6x6 DELIVERED TO STATION 105
6/4/10-- The Rostraver Central VFC took delivery today of a 2010 Polaris Ranger 6x6 from Polaris of Donegal.  The new vehicle will be outfitted with a winch, mounting equipment for a Stokes basket, and brush fire unit.  The addition of this equipment will allow us to better respond to incidents that occur in remote areas and rough terrain as well as during weather emergencies.  The unit is available for service immediately.

 

 


VACANT HOUSE FIRE, 12th ST MONESSEN
6/3/10-- Truck 105 assisted on a morning house fire at 410 12th Street in Monessen.  Monessen companies #1 and #2 arrived first and made an aggressive interior attack, controlling the fire.  Truck 105's crew assisted with scene support, overhaul, and ventilation.  The cause of the fire was suspicious in nature and appeared to have started on the first floor.   Chief 81 (Billick) contacted the State Police Fire Marshal from the Troop B HQ to conduct the investigation.  All 105 units returned after approximately  one hour on scene.


RESCUE TRUCK ASSISTS DISABLED AIRPLANE
6/2/10-- Rescue 105 was called to the Rostraver Airport to assist a disabled plane Wednesday afternoon.  The craft had apparently damaged its landing gear while taxiing at the western end of Runway 8/26.  Airport Authority Fire Chief 121 (M. Haas) requested air bags to lift the airplane and allow the landing gear to be reset.  R-105's crew used the Paratech air cushions to complete the task.  Units were back in service after approximately one hour.
     

MOTORCOACH CATCHES FIRE ON RT 51
5/29/10-- No injuries were reported after a motorcoach caught fire along Route 51 South at Route 981.  Stations 105 and 31 (Webster) were dispatched at 1:43am.  Units arrived with a working fire in the rear wheel area and engine compartment extending to the passenger area.  All occupants had evacuated the bus prior to the fire department's arrival.  Crews from 105 stretched two lines from R-105 and quickly knocked down the fire.  Squad 105 arrived next from the Finley Road substation and provided water supply.  Crews remained on scene approximately 75 minutes performing overhaul, ventilating the bus, and checking for hot spots.

ONE FLOWN FROM RT 51 CRASH
5/23/10-- Three injuries resulted from a rear-end crash on Route 51 at the Harper Drive/Concord Lane intersection.  Crews from The Rescue Truck assisted with patient care and clean-up at the scene.  EMS requested air medical transport for one victim and Rescue 105 moved to the Rostraver Township Municipal Complex to set up a landing zone.  Fire units cleared in approximately one hour.  Rostraver Police are investigating the crash.



8 MEMBERS COMPLETE FIRE FIGHTER I EXAM
5/21/10-- Station 105 sent 8 members to participate in the Fire Fighter I certification exam held at the Westmoreland County Community College Public Safety Training Center.  Participants demonstrated their proficiency in the required skills through practical skill stations and a written exam.  All participants successfully completed the practical skill stations and now await results of the written components of the examination.  Thanks to Station 11 (Sutersville) for staffing Station 105 and handling calls while our members completed the certification exam.

LAWN TRACTOR SPARKS GARAGE FIRE
5/20/10-- Township companies were dispatched to 1300 Ridge Road for a tractor on fire endangering a building.  While enroute, Westmoreland 911 updated the dispatch that the fire had spread to the adjacent garage.  Engine and Squad 105 arrived first, deploying handlines to control the working garage fire.  Crews quickly knocked the fire down and moved to overhaul the loft storage area of the garage.  Units from 17 (Smithton), 31 (Webster), and 103 (Collinsburg) assisted.  Rescue 11 (Sutersville) provided a Rapid Intervention crew.



RCVFC, BUCKS CC HOST HAZ MAT CERTIFICATION
5/2/10-- The Rostraver Central VFC hosted a national certification test for Haz Mat Awareness and Operations, conducted by Bucks County Community College.  Participants completed the written knowledge exams and demonstrated necessary skills through several stations, covering diversion, damming, retention, decontamination, and vapor suppression.  Congratulations to those from RCVFC and surrounding departments who completed the test. 


BASEMENT FIRE, WEST NEWTON
4/29/10-- Two firefighters from Station 82 (West Newton) were injured during a house fire at 323 North 4th Street.  Truck 105 responded with the 1st alarm and set up in the alley way near the "C/D" corner.  Crews from 105 assisted with overhaul and ventilation with Truck 105 also providing lighting in the basement.  The West Newton FFs were injured during the initial attack.  One was transported by Rostraver EMS with respiratory problems and the second was treated on scene for burns.  The cause of the fire was not believed to be suspicious.


TRUCK ASSISTS ON MONESSEN FIRE
4/23/10-- Truck 105 was dispatched along with the Monessen companies for a vacant house fire at 332 Short Street.  Units from 81 reported a working fire and quickly knocked the fire down with an offensive attack.  Truck 105's crew assisted with overhaul and hot spots.  Crews cleared in just over one hour.  No injuries were reported.  





1 EXTRICATED ON TYROL BLVD
4/12/10-- A late evening head-on collision sent 1 man to a Pittsburgh trauma center.  Station 31 (Webster) and Rescue 105 were dispatched for the MVA at Tyrol Boulevard near State Road.  Chief 105 arrived and confirmed entrapment in one vehicle, requesting Rescue 81-1 (Monessen #1) added to the alarm.  Crews from 105 and 81-1 freed the drivers door with the Hurst® Jaws of Life from Rescue 81-1, allowing EMS access to the patient.  Engine 105 was diverted to Sara Way to set up a landing zone.
  

105 CALLED TO POLICE STANDOFF
4/7/10-- Just before 11pm, Station 105 was alerted to assist Rostraver Police on scene at Wellington Drive with a suspect refusing to surrender from his residence.  The standoff had apparently ensued after an altercation at the home when the man made threats toward responding officers.  He had also allegedly threatened to burn his home to fend off police action.  Engine 105 responded and provided a standby crew for the duration of the incident.  The State Police Western Region Special Response Team was called to mitigate the situation.  Fire crews assisted with traffic control and officer staging while the incident played out.  At approximately 5am, the SRT made entry into the home and took the subject into custody.  Engine 105's crew provided ventilation to clear the riot control agents used during the operation.

FALL ON TRAIL CREATES PHYSICAL RESCUE, LZ
4/6/10-- As crews wrapped up at the station after a brush fire in Cedar Creek County Park, The Rescue Truck was called back to the park to assist EMS with a physical rescue.  A male had been hiking with his children on the Cedar Creek Gorge Trail when he suffered a fall.  The Gorge Trail winds approximately 1½ miles from the Youghiogheny River Trail, following a stream in a deep ravine.  The victim attempted to make his own way out of the woods but found his injuries too severe to continue.  County Park Police arrived on scene and requested additional resources due to the difficult-to-access location.  Fire crews assisted EMS with gaining access to the area and then used a Stokes basket to extricate the patient approximately ¾ mile to the trail head.  Rescue 105 moved to set up a landing zone for LifeFlight 5 at the park ballfield.  Station 17 (Smithton) assisted at the LZ.

BUILDING FIRE IN MONESSEN
4/1/10-- A building caught fire in the 100 block of Schoonmaker Avenue, Monessen, shortly after 8am.  Both Monessen companies responded on the first alarm and provided initial fire attack.  Chief 81 (Billick) requested additional resources from 105 and 174 (Donora) as two neighboring buildings were endangered.  Truck and Engine 105 responded from the Fellsburg central station.  Truck 105 set up in the rear, providing elevated waterway attack and access for crews above the first floor, while Engine 105 established a water supply.  Shortly after clearing the fire, Rescue 105 was called to fill Station 155 (Blaine Hill) in Elizabeth Twp. while they assisted on an MVA involving hazmat in Forward Twp., Allegheny County.

TRUCK ASSISTS ON RT 31 CHIMNEY FIRE
2/26/10-- Truck 105 was called to assist on a chimney fire at 2382 Mount Pleasant Road, South Huntingdon Twp.  The South Huntingdon companies arrived and began to assess the situation.  Chief 107 requested Truck 105 to set up and work to clear debris from the flue and extinguish the fire.  The Truck's crew used dry chemical powder to knock down the flames.  The fire was contained without extension and no injuries were reported.  Companies at the scene included 107 (Turkeytown), 19 (Yukon), 17 (Smithton), and 103 (Collinsburg).
     

ROOF COLLAPSE AT ICE GARDEN
2/14/10-- A roof collapse caused major structural damage to the Rostraver Ice Garden on Gallitin Road.  Initial calls around 3:30pm indicated a collapse in the ice arena area with multiple patients trapped, bringing the Rostraver companies and RIT 11 (Sutersville).  Rescue 105 arrived first and made entry to the building.  Crews began to work to make access with saws to search for potential victims.  Chief 105 requested Rescues 139 (Washington Twp), 81-1 (Monessen), and 82 (West Newton) to stage at Station 105.  Rostraver Police interviewed the evacuated occupants and found no reports of missing persons.  As primary searches proved negative, personnel from the PA USAR Strike Team 1 arrived and began to mobilize additional resources to conduct secondary searches.  PA ST-1 provided search dogs and a remote camera system to check the inaccessible void areas.  Secondary searches also came up negative.  Miraculously, through the quick action of Ice Garden staff, no injuries were reported.

View a photo gallery of the incident HERE


HOUSE FIRE IN WEBSTER HOLLOW
2/9/10-- Township companies were dispatched for a house on fire at 701 Webster Hollow Road.  PennDOT crews in the area confirmed a working fire and plowed accumulated snow from the road for easier access.  Engine 105 arrived first, deploying an attack crew and backup line.  Crews located the seat of the fire and had it under control quickly.  Chief 31 also requested crews from 81-1 (Monessen), Tanker 139 (Washington Twp), and RIT 11 (Sutersville) to assist the Rostraver companies.
     

SNOW BURIES REGION
2/5/10-- Western Pennsylvania experienced its worst winter storm since the 1990s when nearly 2 feet of snow blanketed the area.  Storm-related calls began to pour in around 6:30pm on February 5th.  Over the next 12 hours, crews from 105 fielded nearly 50 calls for assistance, with storm related call totals eventually topping 100 by mid-week.  Personnel manned the fire station around-the-clock for several days as a state of emergency was declared in Rostraver Township, answering a myriad of calls including those to assist stranded residents.  Angel's World of Cycles, located on Route 51, provided a generous donation of four Kawasaki ATVs for fire crews to use.  In addition, Allegheny Power utilized Station 105's social hall to feed and coordinate the out of state power company crews assisting with outages.  Trucks from as far away as Kentucky and Virginia were seen in the area.  Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help during the storm.

TWO FLOWN FROM RT 51 CRASH
1/22/10-- Just before 10am, two cars collided at Route 51 and Vernon Drive.  Rescue 105's crew assisted EMS with patient packaging and cleared debris from the roadway.  Rostraver EMS transported the most serious victim to Rostraver Airport to be airlifted by LifeFlight 5.  As paramedics evaluated the other patients, they determined another medical helicopter was necessary.  Rescue 105 responded to the EMS base on Pleasant Valley Blvd to land STAT MedEvac.  All units cleared in approximately 1 hour.

TRUCK ASSISTS AT DICK'S WAREHOUSE
1/11/10-- Truck 105 was dispatched with the first alarm assignment to Dick's Sporting Goods warehouse in South Huntingdon Twp for an automatic fire alarm.  While enroute, calls from the warehouse indicated some type of fire at the complex.  E-17 (Smithton) arrived to find a trash compactor on fire in the loading area.  The compactor had been attached to the building when it ignited and created a smoke condition in the building.  Truck 105 arrived next with E-107 (Turkeytown) and sent a crew to the interior to check for extension.  The fire was confined to the compactor unit and command requested the vent unit from Westmoreland City to assist.  Truck 105 was released shortly after and filled Station 17.

FURNACE FIRE IN WEBSTER
1/10/10-- Township companies responded to 641 Webster Hollow Road for a reported furnace fire.  E-31 (Webster) arrived and reported a possible malfunction with the unit requiring ventilation.  Engine 105's crew started positive pressure ventilation on the 1st floor.  As the furnace was re-fired, the defective unit caused buildup inside the flue to ignite.  Crews doused the fire with an extinguisher and checked on the other floors for extension.  All units cleared in just over an hour.  EMS transported one occupant of the residence who complained of smoke inhalation.

FURNACE FIRE, 105 AREA
1/4/10-- The residents of 1290 Rostraver Road awoke to their house filled with smoke and called 911 for the fire department.  Chief 105 arrived first, reporting a possible furnace fire and requested a line to the front door.  Crews from 105 located the malfunction, shut down the unit, and checked for extension.  Truck 105 arrived next and started ventilation, assisted by crews from 31 (Webster).  E-103 (Collinsburg) and RIT 11 (Sutersville) were returned before arriving.  Rostraver EMS evaluated the occupants for symptoms of smoke inhalation.  105 units returned to station within an hour.

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