Cochranton Volunteer Fire Dept & Emergency Service

Have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Already hearing several accidents being reported in. Please do not go out unless needed. Stay safe and enjoy a Very Merry Christmas.

Here is the full winners list and prizes. Thank you again for the support for our department.

These are our winners for tonight. Thank you to everyone for your support. We wouldn't be able to provide our exemplary services without it.

Along with our main ticket items, we have received a Shooting Bench donated by Dell and Ruth Neely. Thank you.

Don't forget to watch our live stream at 7pm for our Raffle Drawing. We will be selling last minute tickets from 11am to 7pm if you have not been able to reach us previously. Good luck to all.Don't forget to watch our live stream at 7pm for our Raffle Drawing. We will be selling last minute tickets from 11am to 7pm if you have not been able to reach us previously. Good luck to all.

About 8pm last night, the Cochranton VFD, along with other neighboring departments, were called to assist Sandy Lake with a structure fire to a residence. We arrived, with crews in our Engine, Tanker, and Medical Unit, to an active interior fire. Luckily there was no one in the home at the time of the incident. Thank you to West Mead #28, who was able to stand by at our station while we were on scene.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday.

Just before 9 pm the Cochranton VFD was called, along with several other departments, to assist Vernon Central with a barn fire. One of our Lieutenants, Jason Hudson, was passing by the area and was able to relay to Dept 23 the strength and size of the fire. Thank you to our firefighter Doug Sekerski for providing the earlier pictures. The damage from the fire appeared to be a total loss for the barn and the equipment inside. Our photographer was able to arrive later and get a few aerial photos, and some of our men and women in action.

Cochranton firemen are assisting Vernon Central at a barn fire evening off of Kennedy Hill. Details to follow...

Be aware of debris or wires down on the roads. There were some good wind gusts with the storm and the whole county is having these issues. If you need to go out on the roads, please slow down.

In the past few days there have been several Brush Fires throughout our county. Today the Cochranton VFD was dispatched to assist another department, and again for one in our area. The fire, located just off of Sugar Lake, was caused by someone attempting to burn some debris. Unfortunately, it got out of hand too fast. Please be sure to use caution with any burning this time of year due to the dry conditions. We were very grateful for the assists we received from the Cooperstown and Utica fire departments, as well as West Mead#1 who were standing by.

With the snowfall we received last night, and possibly more today, please be extra cautious on the roads. Slow down, leave early, lights on, and be aware of others.With the snowfall we received last night, and possibly more today, please be extra cautious on the roads. Slow down, leave early, lights on, and be aware of others.

On February 5, 2017 the Cochranton VFD was dispatched for a water rescue of a gentleman who had fallen through the ice attempting to go ice fishing. Upon arrival, we used one of our ladders for the gentleman to hold until the Crawford County Scuba Team could remove him safely. The gentleman survived after a brief stay at the hospital, but lost his fishing sled and a few personal possessions, along with our ladder. The scuba team was able to find a few of those item durin...g a dive drill that spring, but the other items including our ladder were believed lost. Today the Scuba team was on Sugar Lake again, training with their new Side Scan System. This system is used along with the sonar to better locate items under the surface, and hopefully decrease search times. With the use of this new system today they were able to find our lost ladder. Excellent job to the Crawford County Scuba Team. See more

Tonight the Cochranton VFD was dispatched, along with the Crawford County Scuba Team, Blooming Valley Water Rescue, and Meadville Ambulance for a overturned canoe with people in the water. Both father and son are doing well. The canoe was also able to be brought to shore. We would like to give a special "Thank You" to the woman who was able to paddle out on a kayak, bringing both persons to shore so that they could be ready for EMS arrival. She essentially saved both their lives. THANK YOU!

Attention all Cochranton High School Seniors. The Cochranton Volunteer Fire and Medical Services offers TWO $500.00 Scholarships each year. These scholarships are available through the school's Guidance Counselor. All of the information for the application process, and any questions, can be answered there. Good luck to all of you.

With much anticipation, our annual Raffle tickets have arrived and are on sale. Due to the unfortunate circumstances with the government mandated guidelines for gathering, we will not be able to hold our annual event as usual. We will be streaming the drawing live over our Facebook page for all to follow along. If you would like to purchase tickets, all of our department personnel will be selling them individually. We will have tickets available for purchase at Station 4 Bar & Grille. There will also be someone in front of our department on Tuesday nights from 6pm - 8pm and Saturday mornings 9am - 11am. If none of these options work with your availability, our Department President will personally meet with anyone willing to purchase. You can contact Shane Neff at (814) 332-0145. Good luck to all.

WAS JUST NOTIFIED THAT THE HELMET HAS BEEN RETURNED. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. Yesterday, on the way to a call, on of our Firefighters helmet came free of the compartment it was in and is missing. We believe it has fallen out somewhere on 285 between 173 and Kelley Rd. As this is an essential piece of equipment, if anyone who lives in that area could please check their property along the roadside. The culverts and ditches made it quite difficult for us to see from our ...vehicles. It should fluoresce with the use of a flashlight on the yellow patchwork, not to mention its glossy appearance. If you do happen to find it, either message our page here, call the department at (814) 425-2111 and leave a message, or drop it at the department in the front entryway. We will check it frequently do to the situation. Thank you for all your help. See more

We had some lines pulled down by a passing vehicle in front of the Fire Department and Municipal building. Adam St is currently blocked from the intersection to 322.

Today about 1:00 pm we will have a group of riders coming through our town for their annual Saeler Solkovy Memorial Run. They will be coming up 173 over the bridge, through town, and crossing 322 on their way to the Sugar Lake Hotel. We will be having our Fire Police assisting them on their journey to help everything move safely and smoothly for everyone. The Fire Police will be located at the Adams/Franklin intersection and at 322 to aide with crossing the State Highway. Please be aware that traffic may stop briefly for the safety of all involved. Thank you.

Yesterday our department was called for a vehicle accident where our members were informed by the driver that her extra special passenger had gotten free due to his cage coming open during the event. Our members searched the scene with no luck. This morning two of our members decided to try again. With luck on there side, our little new friend was found and returned to his owner. So glad our members know how to go above and beyond.

Just had some hard winds come through our area. If you see any road blockage, pleae dial emergency services.

We are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. Possibly hail, lightning, and strong winds. If you need to go out be cautious of flooded roads or fallen trees.We are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. Possibly hail, lightning, and strong winds. If you need to go out be cautious of flooded roads or fallen trees.

We would like to remind people to be responsible in your adventures today. If you are enjoying our lovely French Creek, please stay with a group or have a check in spot to be sure all are accounted for. With all campfires and barbecuing, be cautious of all open flames. Fireworks should have responsible adult supervision. We care greatly for our community and hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

322 and Smith Heath Rd. will be closed for some time due to a Vehicle Accident. We will have it opened as soon as possible, but please detour if possible.

Tomorrow, June 5th at 7pm the Cochranton Volunteer Fire Department will be escorting our 2020 graduating class, including our own Junior Firefighter, on a celebratory march in their cap and gowns. We will be traveling from Adam St down South Franklin to the Cochranton Elementary School. We will be closing this route for a short time to aid for this event. We believe that some of the parents and families will be wanting photos/videos. So please remember if you decide join us in the celebration, to be responsible with social distancing. We would also like to Thank you again for all the support you have given to your community.

We are excited to announce the re-opening of Station 4 Bar & Grille. They will be opening tomorrow, Tuesday at 3 pm. Please remember, thet will have a lower occupancy, with spaced out seating, and outside seating available. Please check out their Facebook page for all the information on hours and requirements. Be sure to check out some of the new photos of the brave men and women of our department. They work hard for our community, and are very grateful for your support.

Today our team was called out due to a brush fire. Upon arriving we found an area with fire on the ground, as well as a nearby tree. Our team worked quickly to gain control using several different methods. We unfortunately had to remove a large portion of the trunk to extinguish the embers. We would like to remind everyone that with the weather (Hopefully) warming up, it is important to be cautious when burning. Make sure there is no other nearby brush that is dried out or dead, and always be aware of wind conditions. The best time to burn any debris is on a windless day, and always be sure to have a water source nearby.

We are happy to share some videos of our Bell Across Pennsylvania parade this evening. Thank you to Joe Vilkie of Erie News Now for sending them to us. Thank you for coming out and showing all the support you have for us.

Want to let everyone know we will be following the same parade route we use during fair week. Thank you for all of your support.

A little history lesson. Pictured is our fire dept band at a parade in Meadville in the 1940's. Back in the day, many, many volunteer fire dept had bands, they would do the parade schedule much as we take trucks to the parades today. It was as much a competition between bands as are our trucks or water battles. There are still a few depts around the state that have marching bands today.

We look back to the 1980s. The guys and gals working on the new lounge and bay addition at the station are taking a break to watch some tv and hang out as the family we are.

Please be cautious in any travels this morning. With the storm earlier, we have several of our roadways that have some flooding and debris. There will be work crews out soon for repair for lines down on 285. We have also reports of flooding on Townhall Rd. and North St. If you come across any area with apparent flooding, please take an alternate route. Keep an eye out and take extra caution for our teams in these areas, or any area with flares out on the roads.

A throwback photo to Nov 1978. Frank Gehres and Rick Babbit operating Engine 2.

This weekend some of our team were able to travel to Monroeville for the Pittsburgh FireRescue and EMS expo. We were honored that one of our apparatuses was requested to be on display. Our tanker 4-25 was one of the first vehicles to be seen as you came into the convention center. So proud to see our vehicle represented for our Cochranton department.

Lee Dorchester, one of our past Ambulance Chiefs standing next to one of the units at the station. 1978.

A look back to the past...June of 1986. Our Brush Truck #7, Engine #8 and Eng/Tanker #9.

Cochranton crews woke up this morning at 05:30 for a Machinery Barn Fire on County Line Road. Crews arrived to find the barn fully involved. Our first Engine in was not able to make it up the drive due to the snow and ice, and multiple hose lines had to be hand laid to the fire. Crews kept the fire from the spreading to the house and other barns near by. Water supply was established at a pond in front of the farm by West Mead 1 firemen. Multiple tankers were called to assist until the water supply was established. Crews worked in the very cold and snowy weather to extinguish the fire. Assisting Cochranton was, West Mead 1 & 2, Utica, Randolph, Rocky Grove, East Mead, Cooperstown, Greenwood and Sandy Lake VFDs. No injuries, no animals lost. All crews did a great job considering all the conditions we had to work in.

Had the chance to attend the Cochranton Fire Department Installation dinner this evening with Commissioner Soff. This small department in Southeastern Crawford... County ran over 300 calls last year. It has served the Cochranton area since 1932. Despite purchasing three new apparatus in the last three years and over one hundred thousand dollars in air bottles this year, they are completely debt free. Just another fine example of hard working, dedicated volunteers who bust their tails to raise money and answer calls at minimal cost to the tax payer. Congratulations to chief Scott Schell and all the officers and firefighters of Cochranton. Thank you for your service to the area. See more

ROAD SAFETY With the winter weather advisory we have this weekend, Road Safety felt like a good topic for this month. The first thing anyone must be aware of is : During any form of precipitation (Rain, Sleet, and Snow) please make sure to turn on your headlights. Yes, you may be able to see just fine, but others will be able see You more clearly. Next, slow down. The roads will be slick and dangerous, and if you must drive anywhere, give yourself extra time. People wil...l understand if you are late. Please do not risk your life or anyone else. After this, probably the most important, PAY ATTENTION. If you see anything with any kind of FLASHING LIGHTS / FLARES slow down even more. These are people doing their jobs, please don't put their lives at risk. The types of vehicles with these type of light are: Emergency Responder Police / Fire Police Tow Trucks Plow Trucks School Buses (DO NOT PASS!) Mail Carriers ( in some areas) If you are capable of moving to another lane (Highways especially) please do so. Give them as much room as they need. Lastly, if possible, keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. You can put one together yourself, but some are available for purchase at most auto supply stores and Walmart. Some items include: reflective vest, flares, bottled water, jumper cables, tire pressure gauge, and blankets for winter weather. If you don't need to exit your vehicle, as you are far enough off the road and services are coming, please don't. Always keep in mind your safety, as well as others, when traveling. Thank you. See more

Cochranton VFD assisted Sandy Lake VFD this evening just before 8pm on Georgetown Road for a house fire. Coch. Engine 421 was second due engine with its 5 man crew. Crews stretched 3 hand lines from Sandy Lake Engine 84. Cochranton, Stoneboro, and Sandy Lake crews made the attack. Interior crews made access and pushed into the house to knock the fire down on both floors. The metal roof kept a lot of the fire inside until 76 crews opened up the roof, while interior crews pulled ceilings inside. The main fire was knocked down in about 30 minutes and overhaul took several hours. All crews on scene did an outstanding job, unfortunately the house is a total loss. No injuries, the homeowner is safe. Depts on scene, Sandy Lake, Stoneboro, Cochranton, Sheaklyville, Polk, Jackson Center, Vernon Central and Life Force Ambulance.

Cochranton VFD along with Sandy Lake are currently working a house fire on Georgetown Road. Cochranton firemen are preparing tomake an aggressive interior attack on the fire. More info to follow...

Wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas.

FIRE POLICE These men and women are an essential part of the Fire Department crew. They are tasked to provide safety to emergency personnel as well as you during your travels. The reason they are needed is to direct traffic away from emergency scenes. Often times, we are required to reduce traffic or close down a road due to accidents, fires, or unsafe road conditions. During this time of year roads get slick, so we ask you to keep an eye out and be cautious. These men ...and women will not always be with an emergency vehicle due to it being needed elsewhere. You will see them using various other items to keep them visible and safe. 1. Reflective Vest 4. Reflective Flags 2. Light Baton 5. Traffic Cones 3. Road Flares If you do see these men and women, please reduce speed and follow their directions. We want to get to your destination quickly, but safely. Thank you. See more

Glad our FireFighter, Collette, and Department Member, Jerami could visit today. They always enjoy being Santa's helpers and teaching our young ones about 911 and not being afraid of firefighters during an emergency. We are also very thankful of the students generosity with their cookies. They will gladly enjoy them all at our Christmas Party.

A little piece of Cochranton FD history. The dept use to have a band that would travel to parades and other events and compete with other fire dept bands. This was very common during this time period with many depts having marching bands. These photos show CVFD band at a parade in Meadville in the late 1940s.

A little look back to the past...we take a look at a couple of our Ambulances from the 1970's.

On Sunday we held our annual Gun Raffle / Feather Party. As most of you know, we usually hold this event on the Saturday evening before rifle season begins. This year we had to accommodate and move the event due to the opening date being now scheduled on Saturday. We were delightfully surprised with the amount of support we received with our attendance. We would like, first and foremost, to give a special "Thank You" to the following companies..... Guns provided by: Griff...in Arms Donated for Side Raffle Guns: Patterson Auto Wrecking, JMG Energy / Jason Gilliland McDade Vending / Joe McDade, and Station 4 Firehouse Grille We do thank all of you whom have attended this year, and any prior. It is your support that makes us able to do what needs to be done.We would also like to thank the members and their families who donated their time. Thank you all, and we hope to see you again next year.

We'd like to remind everyone to stay safe tomorrow for 1st day deer rifle season. Here are a few things to consider for safety... 1. Tell a loved one a general area and time frame of where you will be. If there's an emergency, we want to find you. 2. Be aware of your surroundings. There might be other hunters or animals in that area. 3. Wear your safety colors (Orange) to stand out. ... 4. Most importantly, always stay calm. 5. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY.........HAVE FUN. See more

Hoping everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Just a reminder...THIS IS NOT the way to cook your turkey this week! Outside if you plan on deep frying.

This afternoon Cochranton Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to Venango County to assist with a barn fire. Our crew arrived at the scene in Cooperstown and joined their fire department along with teams from Utica, Oakland, and Rocky Grove. Community Ambulance was also on scene to assist with medical, if needed. Though there were no human injuries, we were informed that the family did unfortunately lose the life of a beloved pet rabbit. The departments did assist in capturing their 16 chickens so they could be moved to a new location.

Okay folks, the moment you've all been waiting for! We found our first Responder of the Week!! Meet Cody Turner from Cochranton, PA! When Cody is not working h...is full time job at Smith Gray's, he is working at his part time job at Conneaut Lake Ambulance Service (CLAAS). He is a volunteer firefighter with Cochranton Fire Department where he is Assistant EMS Chief. Adding to the long list of things he is doing, he is also a member of the Crawford County Scuba Team. When ever Cody is working at his full time job, he will run calls with Vernon Central Hose Company. Cody has been with Cochranton Fire for 7 years, Vernon Central for 2, SCUBA for 4, and with CLAAS for 4. Amazingly with how much hard work Mr. Turner is doing, he still enjoys being a member of the Allegheny Highland Pulling Association where he pulls his two garden pulling tractors all summer long. Some other activities he enjoys are hunting and tent camping. His mother said to me, "He goes above and beyond and it has been weeks since he has a day off. He is a great kid and would do anything for anyone and has a great passion for fire and EMS. It is so special to him because he followed his papa's footsteps." We went to his work today accompanied by his mother to present him this certificate. Everyone give a big round of applause to Mr. Cody Turner!

As the cold weather approaches Please be cautious when starting up your fireplaces and stoves. Please have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually..

Cochranton crews assisted Vernon Central last night at a working fire at the UCIP Building on Cussewago Road. Cochranton responded with Engine 421,423 and Tanker 425. Eng 421 laid 1000 ft of 4' supply line and assisted with pumping water to the fire. Engine 423 was positioned out front and operated master streams to the front of the building and Tanker 425 shuttled water along with other tankers. Coch crews under direction of Asst Chief 4-10 and 4-20 worked the inside on the fire floors with fire suppression, rotating multiple crews from various assisting companies inside to contain the fire. All hands worked hard to contain the fire and all companies on scene did a great job working together. Crews were on scene for over 6 hours.

Assist to Vernon Central Fire Dept with garage fire at Lake Road Auto.

School starts tomorrow, please be cautious in your travels, as many kids will be walking, catching the bus and driving to school. Please be alert! Have a great 1st day of school tomorrow!

Great night at the Cochranton Community Fair. Tonight was parade night and we would like to thank all the departments who participate in the parade. Parade results were: Best Appearance Engine: Greenwood VFD Tanker: Townville VFD Brush Tk: Fallowfield VFD Rescue: Sheakleyville VFD... Ambulance: Meadville Longest Distance travel: Cambridge Springs And best use of a Tower Ladder goes to my friends at West Mead 2 for giving us a ride in the bucket for an arial view of the grounds. Thanks 29!! Thanks for coming and supporting our community! See more

Little controlled burn this evening for drill night. Some old corn cribs a home owner wanted gone. They burnt up into a nice little pile with very little cleanup for the owner. Glad to be able to help our neighbors.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Seventy-five years ago, 160,000 Allied soldiers stormed 50 miles of beaches in Normandy, France. #dday #onthisday

Eagle Nest Pizza in Linesville this morning.

Cochranton crews assisted West Mead 1 with a house fire on Pettis Road this afternoon. Heavy fire was showing when first crews arrived on scene. Cochranton responded with Engine 421 and E425. No injuries but the home suffered heavy fire and smoke damage. Good job to all depts on scene.

Another tragic fire in Cambridge Springs last night. I flew over on my lunch break and the fire must have started back up. I was there to see the fire departm...ent arrive. Here are some pictures. I’ll have a video up later today. Great job to all of the firefighters and first responders that worked on putting this blaze out!

Cochranton sent 4 members to a live burn class this past weekend. The weekend class covered a lot of techniques with Truck work, Engine work and Fire Fighter Survival skills. Sunday was the live burn day where they could put there skills to work. Always training and always ready to serve our community.