Woodlawn Fire Department

Due to the large amounts of snow from Winter Storm Olena, when traveling please be cautious if you cannot see the road or traffic clearly. Please be especially... cautious at an intersection because of piles of snow or other obstructions. When turning, edge forward slowly until you can see past whatever is blocking your view. Once the intersection is clear or traffic signals indicate you may proceed, continue driving with care. Also, other drivers may have difficulty seeing you. The South Whitehall Township Public Works Department is attempting to clear these obstructions as soon as possible. See more

With our area now only about halfway through this storm, Woodlawn has a few important reminders: - Make sure any fire hydrants on or near your property are cleared of snow to about three feet radius. This makes them easier to find and much easier to access in an emergency. - South Whitehall Township is under a Snow Emergency, which means vehicles must be removed from Snow Emergency Routes (see the township website for further details). - There are many EMS calls bein...g dispatched today for medical emergencies after shoveling snow, including breathing problems and chest pain. If you aren’t healthy enough to be shoveling several Inches of heavy snow, ask for help; if someone you know shouldn’t be shoveling and you are able to help, please do so. Response and transport times are significantly extended for ambulances due to the weather, so don’t let yourself become a statistic. - If you don’t NEED to be on the roads, stay home! Plows are on the road today (South Whitehall Township maintains a map of street clearing conditions, see their website) but stranded vehicles slow that process. Four-wheel and all-wheel drive only means there’s four wheels spinning on snow and ice when you get stuck instead of two. The Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until Tuesday at 1pm, and the heaviest snow is forecast for later today and tonight. Woodlawn continues to staff several volunteers at the station for emergency calls.

Parking Requests and Trash Pickup Information: South Whitehall Township Public Works Department is requesting that vehicles park on one side of the below street...s. This is requested so plow trucks can fit through the streets. The streets are: - Grove St. (Columbia St. to the dead end) - Lindberg Ave. (Alma Dr. to the Cul-de-sac) - Sterling St. (Broadway to Chew St.) - Scenic St (Broadway to Chew St.) Advanced Disposal has cancelled trash and recycling collection for Monday, February 1. If trash is able to be collected on Tuesday, residents who normally put their trash to the curb for Monday collection will now be collected on Tuesday. All other trash collection will be delayed one day. If trash is unable to be collected on Tuesday because of the snow, residents with a routine Monday or Tuesday collection will receive pick up the following week on their normally scheduled day. Please check back on Monday, February 1 at 2:00pm for updates on Tuesdays collection and the remaining week’s collection schedule.

If you don’t need to go out, then don’t go out. Conditions are deteriorating and will continue to worsen through tomorrow. Woodlawn will have members staffing the station for the duration of the storm.

Winter Weather Pet Preparedness Don’t forget to protect your pets from cold air exposure. Despite the fur, they too need a warm place to stay. Remember, if it’...s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet, so keep your animals inside. Follow these tips from the Humane Society of the United States to keep your pets safe and comfortable during winter weather: Keep your pets inside with you. Cats should not be left outdoors, even if they roam outside during other seasons. Dogs are happy with frequent walks and being kept inside the rest of the time. Just like us, wind-chill can threaten your pet’s life. Exposed skin, ears, and paw pads are at risk for frostbite and hypothermia during extreme cold. Most dogs feel more comfortable wearing a sweater. After walks, wipe all paws with a damp towel before your pet licks them. Products such as rock salt used to melt snow and ice can irritate paw pads and their mouth. The ASPCA also provides tips to prevent winter weather from affecting your pet’s health: Coming out of the cold into the dry heat of your home can cause itchy, flaking skin. Towel dry your pet as soon as they come inside, especially your pet’s feet and in between their paw pads. Never shave your dog down to the skin in the winter. The longer their coat is, the warmer they will be. Try to avoid bath time for your pet during cold spells. Washing too often can remove essential oils and increase the chance of developing dry, flaky skin. During the wintertime, pets burn extra energy by trying to stay warm. Feeding your pet a little bit more during winter weather can provide much-needed calories. Make sure there is fresh water to keep them hydrated and their skin moisturized. DO NOT leave your pets alone in a car during winter weather. During the winter, cars can act as refrigerators that hold in the cold and cause animals to freeze to death. The Humane Society of the United States ASPCA Lost & Found Pets - Lehigh Valley Lehigh Valley Lost Pets Or Pets In Need Of A Furever Home Lost & Found Pets - Lehigh Valley pets found and lost in lehigh valley

Woodlawn is proud to announce and congratulate our leadership roster for 2021: Fire Chief 3201: Barry Search Assistant Chief 3202: Rich Tice Assistant Chief 3203: Chris Mariner... Assistant Chief 3204: Russ Held Captain 3205: Ed Gleason Captain 3206: John Carl Captain 3207: Adam Cramsey Specialist: Jason Fetterhoff Sr. Specialist: Jason Fetterhoff Jr. Specialist: Harley Kriebel Specialist: Jon Van Horn Fire Police Captain 3209: James Gilleo Fire Police Lieutenant 3210: Shoukat Mughal Fire Police Specialist: Noah Miller Chief Engineer: Dwayne Shellhammer Medical Director: Dr. Matthew Palilonis, DO PHP See more

Please see the attached press release regarding a shooting in the direction of a residence during an attempted theft this morning.

For the month of November, Woodlawn volunteers responded to 42 calls for service. Our year-to-date total as of today is 594. Thank you for your continued support!

Woodlawn Fire Department joins Cetronia Volunteer Fire Department in mourning the loss of Fire Police Captain William Kordilla. Captain Kordilla assisted our team frequently, especially in support of our active Fire Police members. This included taking place in several recent training activities and special events. Rest In Peace Bill, you will be missed!

Despite the obstacles and challenges of this year, Woodlawn joins our neighbors and friends in giving thanks for what we have this season. We want you to give special thanks to Jaindl Farms and D.E. Cressman Insurance Agency for each generously donating 15 Jaindl turkeys to our volunteers and their families. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Awesome news for EMS colleagues in Lehigh Valley! Thank you #LVHN and #EasternPAEMSCouncil for making this possible for our fire department and all frontline workers in the Lehigh Valley region!!!

We want to thank our good friends Cetronia Volunteer Fire Department, Woodlawn Fire Department and Greenawalds Fire/ Rescue Station 11 for coming to inspect an unusual odor in our facility last night! All is good. We thank you for your service to the community!

In addition to our township police patrols, trick-or-treaters along Whitehall Avenue are invited to stop at Woodlawn this Friday evening. Our not-as-scary firefighters will be staffing the station with a big bag of candy....and our dentist won’t be happy if we finish it by ourselves.

*UPDATED*: 10/22 1500-all traffic lights are now functional and most power has be restored. Several businesses may still be affected. Thank you to PPL for your quick response! IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Please use caution in the area of Cedar Crest BLVD and Walbert avenue, Office Center Road, Winchester Road and Route 22. There is a large power outage in the area that has affected several traffic lights due to a power line down. PPL is working to correct the issue. Our police, fire police, and public works department will be controlling traffic in the area. More information to follow.

Woodlawn has members staffing the station and available to respond from home throughout tonight’s winter weather. We also will be accompanying Cetronia Ambulance Corps or any mutual aid squads responding into our first-due area to provide assistance with patient care and extrication to the ambulance. That said, please use good judgement tonight: - don’t travel unless you absolutely must - if the power goes out, keep generators away from your home to reduce CO exposure risk... - assure that fire hydrants on or near your property are shoveled clear to about a three foot radius - remember that medical and traumatic emergencies often increase AFTER the snow finishes as people over exert themselves shoveling or trying to clear a snowblower chute, so use caution and watch out for your neighbors See more

Please consider this when you’re clearing snow from your property, and even during the storm. Time spent digging out a hydrant is time we can’t put water on a fire.

Avoid Route 22 Westbound from 145 to Cedar Crest BLVD. Route 22 is closed. Woodlawn’s Fire Police are assisting PA State Police with ramp closures at 15th street. Find alternate routes and use caution on neighborhood streets in the area as traffic volume may increase.

Several Woodlawn volunteers participated in some fantastic training last night with our other township companies.

We’re proud to support our police department’s effort to support our local food bank!

Remember to MOVE OVER and SLOW DOWN for emergency vehicles operating on the roadway or shoulder!

With snow in the forecast starting tomorrow, we encourage you to stay home if possible but be prepared if you must travel.

Help keep first responders and highway personnel safe!

Woodlawn Fire Department would like to thank National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Domino's Pizza for the $100 gift card to Domino’s! Woodlawn was randomly selected during a nationwide sweepstakes for National Fire Prevention Week to thank local departments for keeping their communities safe year round. Shout-out to our own Firefighter John Carl for entering our department! Our volunteers will enjoy the treat!! Thank you again!

Woodlawn Fire Department came out to turn some fast laps on the track today! They even took some time to enjoy our latest addition, Go Axe !! It was a pleasure hosting you all. Thank you for all you do for the community!!

A thought-provoking breakdown, courtesy of Syracuse Fire Fighters Local 280 I.A.F.F. and the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Congratulations Dave and good luck in your retirement! Everyone at Woodlawn is proud to have worked alongside you all these years!

You probably won’t hear PFD’s sirens in South Whitehall, but this is a great reminder during Fire Prevention Week for you and your family to discuss and practice safely evacuating from your home. Fires can double in size every 30 seconds so knowing how to rapidly escape and having a backup plan can save your life. Make sure to check your smoke and carbon monoxide (if applicable) detectors, both that they all work and that you have enough throughout your home.

Woodlawn volunteers responded to 70 calls for service in September, bringing the year to date total for 2020 to 487. Thank you for your continued support! Interested in joining Woodlawn? It's not only interior firefighters, we have many opportunities to serve your community, including fire police, medical and administrative roles, and more. Stop in any Monday night at 7pm to meet the team and observe a drill night, or contact us for more information.

Please consider donating to support one of our community’s first responders! On the night of September 19th, Cetronia Paramedic Sam Yerkes finally returned to the station after being on one of the many ambulances that quickly responded into the Lehigh Valley Mall active shooter incident. Sam put on his protective equipment, got onto his motorcycle and headed for home after an extremely challenging day. After traveling less than a mile away from the station, he was struck by a... vehicle and thrown 25-30 feet from his bike. Sam was quickly transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest by his fellow co-workers. Sam suffered 2 fractures in his right femur on either end of the bone and a crushed patella amongst other, smaller injuries. Sam has and will continue to undergo multiples surgeries to repair his injuries and will endure months of rehabilitation. Sam is in good spirits and despite everything that has happened this weekend for him, he still has a smile on his face. https://www.gofundme.com/f/go-ham-for-sam