Gratz Area Fire Company #1

4/22/21- 2 incidents handled. First was at 1253, as Company 27 dispatched to Lubolds School Road and Schoafbuck Road for an MVA with injuries. 2 vehicles, one with minor injuries. Units out about 90 minutes, 12 men present. The 2nd incident was a medical assist in the Boro, dispatched at 2248. A total of (11) men present assisted Life Lion EMS as needed. Rescue 27 out approximately 30 minutes.

4/20/21- Co. 27 dispatched at 2149 to the area of Specktown Road and Airport Road for an MVA with entrapment. Units arrived with one vehicle on its roof, one confined, one self-extricated, with a PPL pole sheared off. Crew assessed and packaged both patients, turned them over to EMS upon their arrival. Thanks to PSP, Peifer’s Towing , Life Team, and Millersburg EMS. Units out one hour, 26 members present.

4/8-4/9- Busy 12 hours. First incident, Rescue 27 dispatched @ 2119 to relocate to Station 29 (Halifax), as they assisted Co. 216, (Fisherville) on a mountain fire. Rescue 27 w/7 men stood by with Tanker 35 (Linglestown) until released at 0550 the following morning. Incident #2, at 2200 Engine 27 dispatched to 714 Deitrich Road to assist 216 with the same mountain fire. A crew of 10 men assisted until released @ 0115 the following morning. Incident #3, shortly after returni...ng, at 0200, Engine 27 dispatched to assist Schuykill Co. 14 (Sacramento) with a working vehicle fire endangering a structure. Engine 27 responded with a crew of 5 but was placed available a few minutes later. The final incident had Engine & Tanker 27 dispatched at 0308 to West Mountain Road, Hegins Twp, to assist on a working residential structure fire. Engine 27 took in the 2nd due Engine assignment, Tanker 27 took in water supply. Units cleared at 0800, a total of 12 men present. Thanks to Schuykill Engine 58-15 (Pine Grove North End) and Rescue 28 (Pillow), for covering our first-due during the overnight hours. Also, thanks to both the Dauphin County and Schuykill County 911 centers for a job well done. Another case of TEAMWORK at its finest. See more

4/6/21- Training last evening was a refresher on all hose lines and associated appliances. Total of 21 men present.

3/29/21- Training tonight was a tour of SK Lumber & Building Materials in the 2 box. Crew toured the lumber yard and the construction business, both having some heavy and could-be challenging fire loads. Thanks to SK for their hospitality. 19 men out approximately 2 hours.

3/29/21- Engine 27 dispatched at 0808 to Rumshtown Road and Lake Drive for a tree down. Crew removed the tree and went available, 7 men out about 45 minutes.

Tonight for training, members refreshed on tool placement and familiarization on all of the rigs. Ending with something fun, a couple of games of Jenga were played using a hydraulic spreader and 4x4 cribbing. Overall team building was the goal, goal achieved! 15 members participated.

See these? Do you know what they are and what they represent? They are the shoes of volunteer firefighters.... They are the comfortable shoes, worn at home, running errands, taking the dog out, raking the leaves. They were shed without hesitation to don heavy uncomfortable boots and bunker gear designed to offer at least some protection from fire, broken glass, and jagged metal. Clothing whose sole purpose is to protect..... those who protect you. Local guys. They work in the oil patch, the local ag supplier, trucking company, phone company or area farms. Some are even retired but just not smart enough to stay that way. They leave their wives, children, parents or whomever to come to complete strangers aid. 12 noon, 3pm, 2 am, it makes no difference. And their families want little more than to see them put their shoes back on at the end of the call. There are no words to describe the task of picking up that pair of shoes after a call, knowing the man or woman who put them there will not be returning to do it themselves. Pay attention. Get off the fricking phone. Move over. Help them put their shoes back on

DELAYED POST- Friday morning @ 0241, Co. 27, along with mutual-aid, were dispatched to 496 Luxemburg Road in the township Gessner Logging, for a commercial structure fire. Chief 27 AOS with a large sawmill with fire throughout. E-27 & R-28 both laid 5 supply lines and initially set up master streams. Trucks 20 & 22 AOS and used elevated master streams to knockdown the majority of the fire. Mill was a total loss, our thoughts are with the Gessner family at this time. Mutual aid once again was outstanding, as always teamwork is the best when needed the most.

Please keep the officers and members of the Halifax Fire Department in your thoughts and prayers today. They lost one of their own in a tragic accident last evening. Please, when coming upon the scene of an emergency incident, slow down, move over, and stay careful. Tow drivers, Police, EMS, Fire, the ones sent out to assist someone need to make it home to their families too.

Busy past few days for Station 27. Thursday 6/11, Rescue 27 with a crew of 6 stood by at Station 38, Dauphin Middle-Paxton, as their company attended the funeral of former Chief Sam Keim Jr. Saturday 6/13, Tanker 27 with an assist from Engine 22, performed a standby at a control burn at Si-Nora campground on the northern border of the township. Meanwhile, at Station 27, a crew of 12 performed preventative maintenance on Engine 27 which included unpacking and repacking all hose on the rig. Finally, for scheduled drill this evening, drafting and rural water movement was the topic, with 16 members present.

Busy ending to Friday for Company 27. Engine 27 handled a tree down on North Crossroads Road at approximately 1915, 10 members assisted. At 2245, Company 27 along with mutual aid were dispatched to 820 Luxemburg Road for a tractor trailer fire with extension into a commercial building. Strong work by all present limited damages to the building. All units cleared at 0239 hours, Company 27 with 22 members present.