Newsletter

Friday, October 12, 2012  For the past week, members of North Penn Volunteer Fire Company during the day and at night have been meeting with students of schools, day cares and bear scouts to inform them about fire safety. Students have been taught about smoke detectors, the 9-1-1 system, escape plans and what to do in case of a fire. Thursday evening, all of the fire prevention talks paid off.

     First, North Penn responded to a kitchen fire. Upon arrival the family was found safely outside the residence. Also the family remembered that they were not suppose to go back inside for any reason. This included the family pet. The search crew quickly retrieved the home owner's dog for them and brought him safely out while the hose team made a knock on the fire.

     A few hours later, North Penn responded into Upper Gwynedd Township to a building with a smoke condition. Again, thanks to Fire Prevention Week and a student who remembered what he learned earlier in the week, the family knew to get out of the house and go to their meeting place in their front yard to await the arrival of the fire units.

     This is a reminder to everyone to take fire safety seriously, to check your smoke detectors every month, replace the batteries every 6 months, to practice a family escape plan and to have a meeting place in case of an emergency. 

Monday, September 10, 2012  If you were listening to Fire Dispatch at 7:00 am yesterday morning, you would have heard several engines, squads and a pipeline being dispatched for a combined LDH drill. LDH stands for Large Diameter Hose, and in the case of the Eastern Large Diameter Strike Force that met yesterday, the large diameter hose used was 5 inch hose.

     The Eastern Large Diameter Strike Force is made up of 7 fire companies: Barren Hill Fire Company Station 29, Colmar Fire Company Station 12, Fort Washington Fire Company Station 88, Horsham Fire Company Station 15, North Penn Fire Company Station 62, Oreland Fire Company Station 700 and Wissahickon Fire Company Station 7.

     The goal of the ELDSF is for each truck to lay 1,000 feet of 5 inch hose and to relay water flow from one truck to another, stretching from a water source to the destination up to 7,000 feet away and maintain a water flow of 1,000 gallons per minute. The purpose of this is to get a water source to a fire that may not be in an area of fire hydrants, or if a secondary water source is needed from another hydrant system.

     The drill took place at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Lower Gwynedd Township of Station 7's local. Chief 7 assumed LDH Lead for the drill. LDH Lead is the person in charge of the ELDSF and over sees the operations, including intake and discharge water pressures of all trucks during operation, insuring the water source is adequate, maintaining water flow and fuel of the trucks.

     The drill was organized by Chief 700 Dan Supplee and Asst. Chief 7 Skip Urban.

Monday, August 20, 2012   The weekend began for North Penn with a work day on Saturday. The work day was used for projects that included painting, cleaning and fixing throughout and around the Main Street station. Along with the 28 Active and Contributing Members that came out to lend a hand, there was also 16 adult/young adult community members and 8 kids helping out. Many of the scheduled projects were completed or nearly completed as well as some impromptu projects. To thank the 52 individuals who came out Saturday morning, North Penn had a cookout for everyone.

     The weekend continued from there with 2 fires on Sunday. One in 62's local and another in 33's. Early Sunday morning 62 responded to a fire alarm in Lower Gwynedd Township and ended up with a small trash fire that required a line to be stretched from Squad 62. Later that day Squad 62 responded into Whitpain as the FAST Team for a fire on Skippack Pike. The FAST Team stood by ready, but was never activated. Both fires were controlled and extinguished quickly.

Sunday, August 19, 2012  FALL CRAFT SHOW

September 15, 2012

9am to 2pm

At North Penn Vol. Fire Co.
141 South Main Street
North Wales, PA 19454

Food, crafts, bake sale and raffle

Help support the Ladies Auxiliary

Tuesday, July 31, 2012  Last night, the volunteer firefighters of North Penn had the privilege of attending a drill at Abington Fire Company's training facility. In attendance with North Penn were members from stations 345, 82 and 100. The companies worked together to rescue a simulated patient from scaffolding. An aerial ladder was used to send crews to the simulation patient. Throughout the scenarios, the same aerial ladder was used to lower the simulation patient in a stokes basket safely to the ground using systems of ropes. 

Monday, July 16, 2012  This Saturday is the 5th Fire District's annual Water Battle. This year the hosting team is Perseverance Fire Company of Souderton. The registration starts at 9:00 am and the competitions begin at 9:30 am. If you would like to go and cheer on North Penn's "NuT HoUSe" Team while they compete with 14 other teams, you will find the Perseverance Fire Company at 266 North Second Street, Souderton PA 18964.

     The NuT HoUSe Team has been practicing day and night for Saturday, and won't be given up first place without a fight. Come cheer on your local heroes this Saturday!

     The events include Tug of War, Bucket Brigade, Midnight Run, Barrel on a Wire and a mystery event, dreamed up by the hosting team every year. Don't know what some of these events are? Find out Saturday, starting at 9:30 am.

     Don't think it's just for firefighters anymore. There's also a team of medical personnel and another of police officers.

     We'll see you Saturday! ....and don't forget to stay hydrated.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012  Yesterday Station 62, Squad 80, Squad 14 and Ladder 18 were dispatched to 3rd Street in North Wales for a residential building fire. The report was for active flames and smoke in the basement with everyone evacuating. Squad and Captain 62 arrived on scene with smoke showing. An 1 3/4" handline was stretched and taken to side C to the rear access. Chief 62 assumed 62 command and 83 was dispatched as the FAST Team, as well as a ladder from 7 and engine from 76 for covers in Station 62 A. 12 stood by in Station 14. Rescue 345 was also on the assignment. The handline was stretched into the home and the fire was extinguished. Hydraulic ventilation was preformed until fans were placed in service to push the smoke out. As the scene was cleaned up, crews began to take up.

     North Penn didn't end there. Later that day, they had a joint drill at the Montgomery County Fire Academy with Station 14. 62 and 14 used the Fire Academy's burn building, practicing Engine and Truck Company work in a commercial building setting. The companies worked together as they went through several evaluations.