On August 24, 2008 the Orwigsburg Fire Department will be holding it’s 2nd Annual Auto & Bike Show on center square. The day’s events will consist of registration from 3:30PM-5PM at the South Warren street entrance and judging of all registered motorcycles and collectable cars and trucks from 5PM-7:30PM. There will be a free multi-tool for the first 25 registered participants. Also, there will be free goody bags and t-shirts for the first 100 registered participants. Our corporate sponsors for the day will include Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson and Max’s Classic cars. Sales areas from our sponsors will be set up with the latest in their 2008 inventory and products. This year’s event will have activities such as The Moon bounce donated by Ark Rentals, The Fire Prevention Smoke Trailer and Sparky the Fire Dog for the kids. There will be two 50/50 drawings and free tours of Bob Greens car museum located on East Market Street. There will be race cars from Ken’s Tire Company and Pioneer Pole Buildings on display for all who attend and the food will be provided by the Orwigsburg Lions Club. The entire community is asked to come out and enjoy the show, the music and all the activities going on the day of.
Additional Sponsors:Pinebrook Prudential Realty
*Event and department t-shirts will be for sale the day of the event.
Questions: Contact Frank 570-527-0040

At 3:00 p.m. Company 56 was dispatched as part of the mutual aid assignment for a working Structure Fire on Pottsville St. in Cressona. OFD joined a large contingent of Schuylkill County firefighters in battling the blaze which caused heavy damage to the residence.

Rescue 56 and Co. 47 were dispatched at 2:30 p.m. to a report of an injured motorcyclist on a mountain trail off of Ranch Road in N. Manheim Twp. A 15 year old had struck a tree while riding a dirt bike. A command post was established at 136 Ranch Road and a team from Rescue 56, accompanied by EMS personnel were able to reach the scene via an all terrain vehicle. The victim was stabilized and transported to the staging area. He was transferred by an Orwigsburg EMS unit to a landing zone at Blue Mountain High School where a Medevac helicopter was waiting to fly him to a Trauma Center. Landingville Engine 4710 handled the landing zone. OFD units cleared the scene in about 90 minutes.

On Saturday, June 21, 2008, runners lined up for the fourth annual McFit & Able road race. The course started at the softball fields behind Russo’s Pizza and continued through the Deer Lake Industrial Park. Runners had the choice to finish a 5K distance or run the entire loop again to finish a 10K distance. Congratulations to all of the award winners! Thank you to the local Girl Scouts and Orwigsburg Volunteer Firefighters for all of the help on race day to make this another successful fundraising event!

On Friday June 20 a crew along with E56-10 attended the, end of the week, vacation bible school celebration at The Lighthouse church. Members provided multiple tours of the apparatus to the kids and a little preventative fire suppression for the on lookers.
Photo By: Doug Wo

Today, the OFD handled two incidents. The first incident took place during the morning, when the department was dispatched along Rt. 61 for a minor MVA. Then later in the afternoon, the OFD was tapped out to assist the police department in removing a large tree from S. Liberty St.

Early Sunday afternoon, the OFD was dispatched to the Blue Mountain High School to establish a helicopter landing zone. The crew of Engine 56-10 took care of the LZ and 56-93 (Bonner) was the landing zone officer.

Shortly after 01:00 hrs the department was dispatched along Second Mtn. Rd for a reported MVA with unknown injuries. Asst. Chief 56-01 (Zimmerman) arrived on scene to find one car on its’ side with one occupant still in the vehicle. Rescue 56 arrived and began vehicle stabilization and then continued with patient extrication by cutting both "B" and "C" posts and then using the spreader to move the roof. Once this was complete, EMS was able to immobilize and remove the patient.

At 2:18 a.m. Company 56 was dispatched to a report of a vehicle fire on Deer Trail Drive in N. Manheim Twp. The engine compartment of the vehicle was fully involved when OFD units arrived. The fire was quickly extinguished with one handline from Engine 5610. There were no injuries. OFD cleared the scene in about one hour, after PSP concluded their investigation.

Recently, Asst. Chief Jesse Zimmerman, Engine Capt. Scott Rarick, and Lieut. Thomas Bonner. successfully completed the PA State Fire Officer I Certification. Good Intent Fire Company of Pottsville hosted the PA State Fire Academy Fire Officer I on the Road Program. The course carried over through several weekends, which included practical skill evaluations and a written test.

Shortly before noon, Rescue 56 was tapped out on an MVA with reported entrapment along with Company 42 (Deer Lake). Rescue 56 and Engine 56-10 arrived on scene to find a pick up truck with one occupant trapped. OFD personnel extricated the patient by taking the driver side door, roof and steering wheel off. The vehicle was transporting a tote of asphalt tar and some of the contents had spilled making the extrication a little more difficult.

Left - FF Sinitsky and Right - FF Miller

On Friday, two members of the OFD were part of the Blue Mountain High School - Graduation Class of 2008. Firefighters Zak Miller and Michael Sinitsky will now embark on new endeavors. Zak will be attending Harrisburg Area Community College to major in Fire Science and Michael will be enlisting in the United States Air Force to serve as a firefighter. Again, congratulations and good luck guys.

Monday morning, members of the OFD along with many other Mutual Aid fire companies participated in the annual Memorial Day Parade. As always, the OFD remembers the tremendous sacrifices made by all of our men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

The OFD along with Companies 42 (Deer Lake), 47 (Landingville), SHFD - Stations 1 (Rainbow) and 2 (Schuylkill Hose) and Pottsville Fire Department (Good Intent and American Hose for RIT) were dispatched for a reported house fire along Second Mountain Road in West Brunswick Twp. Asst Chief 56-01 arrived on scene to find a small fire that was in the walls. The fire had been extinguished prior to arrival by the property owner, so 56 and 42 personnel performed salvage and overhaul. 56-01 had command, 56-93 had operations, and Chief 42 investigated.

On Saturday, FF Douglas Wo graduated from Pennsylvania State University receiving a degree in Criminal Justice. His mother made the trip over to the United States from Hong Kong to see her son graduate. Congratulations Douglas!

Saturday evening, two members of the OFD along with their dates took part in the 2008 Blue Mountain High School Prom. FF Michael Sinitsky with Emmy Andrefski and FF Zak Miller with Shannon Shappell were chauffered to the Prom in Rescue 56.

Twelve members of the OFD travelled to the Schuylkill County Fire School in Frackville to complete a 16 hour Structural Burn Class. The program gives new firefighters an opportunity to experience the challenge of facing a building fire, while the veterens get a chance to sharpen their skills. Scenarios that we practiced included fires on two floors of the burn building and a missing firefighter Mayday. Special Thanks to lead intructors Bill Dewald and Angie Ventresca and to all of the adjunct instructors who helped make the course possible. OFD would also like to offer a sincere "thank you" to Mr. and Mrs. Jim Patton from the Market Place for providing free lunch for the participants in the Structural Burn Class.

On Monday, May 5th the members of several organizations got together to stage a Mock DUI accident at the Blue Mt. High School. This program is to remind the students to "Make the Right Choice". Every 15 minutes there is a motor vehicle collision, somewhere in the Country, involving drugs and/or alcohol. There was also an inside presentation that stressed the law aspects of drinking and driving and how excessive speed kills. The Mock DUI Committee would like the following participants for making this year’s program another success.

ALL THE BLUE MT. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BODY
Students Participants - Vikki Glogg, Kyle Briggs, Erin Wolfe, Eric Greenawalt, Ali Bair
Blue Mt. High School Administration
Orwigsburg Fire Department
Orwigsburg EMS
Schuylkill Haven / Pottsville EMS
Lehigh Valley Medevac
Chief David Franke - Dougglas Twp PD
Troopers Luckenbill / Williard - State Police Schuylkill Haven
Detweiler Towing
Joseph Lipsett - Schuylkill County Coroner
Diane Rowland - Schuylkill County Drug & Alcohol Program
Pottsville Republican Newspaper