The officers and members of the Pennsburg Fire Company wish to express our deepest sympathy to the Latshaw family for their recent loss.  Last Sunday afternoon, Tom and Beverly Latshaw were on a motorcycle ride in upstate PA when a vehicle turned in front of them.  They were both thrown from the motorcycle.  Beverly succumb to her injuries at the scene and Tom was air lifted to a trauma center receiving critical injuries.  Tom is the former chief of East Greenville Fire Company and his nephew Dennis, is our current Assistant Chief.  Please keep the Latshaw family as well as both fire companies in your thoughts and prayers over these difficult times.  No information is available as of yet for services for Beverly.

Some members of Station 65 went to Quakertown to pick up the new Special Service 65.  Awhile back, the members voted to purchase the former Chemical 17 from Quakertown Fire Company #1 for an undisclosed amount.  Over the next few weeks, members will design and mount all of the equipment that will fill the compartments.  The special service will hold rescue tools, rescue cribbing, rope rescue equipment, air cascade, additional lighting, a plasma cutter, extra air chisel equipment, confined space equipment and much more.  Pictures will be posted as progress is made.

Squad 65 was dispatched to assist Bucks Station 57/75 on a vehicle rescue at Route 663 and Kumry Road in Milford Township Bucks County.  Chief 65 (Seip) arrived and advised of a 2 vehicle accident with one pinned and a door and roof to go.  Squad 65 and Asst. 65-2 (Sink) responded with 6 and acknowledged the orders.  The Squad arrived and went in service with the O Cutter, bumper MOC Combi and Paladin tool removing the roof and passenger door.  Bucks Engine 75 crews stabilized the care and set up a LZ in front of station 75.  Within 12 minutes, the female patient was extricated.  Crews assisted Medic 108 with packaging and transporting the patient to the helicopter.  Crews assisted with clean up and were released by Bucks Chief 57.  Fire Police assisted with traffic flow around the scene.

Ladder 65 was alerted around 1230 hours to assist Berks Station 58 on a building fire at Poor Richards Tavern off Route 100.  Chief 58 arrived and found smoke showing from a 3rd floor room above the Tavern. This added 65 full company to the response.  Berks Tanker 58 arrived and advanced an attack line to the 3rd floor for suppression.  Ladder 65 arrived and was given orders to ladder side A (alpha) and ventilate the roof.  Engine 38 arrived and laid a supply line to Side C (charlie).  65 crews ventilated the roof and assisted with overhaul. Squad 71 was set up on side A (alpha) for RIT duties.  Engine 65 arrived and assisted with overhaul duties. The fire was contained within 30 minutes and placed under control shortly there after.  Multiple companies were called in to assist due to the extreme heat.  Berks 505 provided EMS services and had a Rehab area set up on side B (bravo).  One firefighter was taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.  Canteen 41 from Montco was called and set up near the command post.  Crews worked for about 2 hours with overhaul of the building and were returned to service. Traffic 65 and Fire Police directed traffic along busy Route 100.

Squad 65 was alerted to cover Bucks Station 56 while they operated at a vehicle accident on Old Bethlehem Pike in Richland Township.  Squad and Chief 65 (Seip) went enroute with 5 and stood by until they were released by LT 56 (Mangle).  While crews were on stand by, curiosity got the best of some.  A phantom mysteriously gained access to the LCD sign program and welcomed Squad 65 to their firehouse.  Crews cover for about 3 hours.

Station 65 was alerted to a vehicle fire on Pottstown Ave in the borough.  Chief 65 arrived to find a pick up truck with the passenger compartment well involved.  Squad 65 arrived and went in service with the bumper 1-3/4" line and forcible entry tools.  The vehicle was still running so crews secured that and the battery.  Crews worked for about 15 minutes extinguishing the fire and overhauling the truck.  Crews also had to cool mulch that was being transported in the bed.  Station 65 was returned to service in about 30 minutes.

Engine 65 was alerted around 1530 hours by MCEOC to assist 68 and 37 on a working Barn Fire.  Chief 37 arrived and found a working hay barn fire with exposures to multiple other buildings.  He set up command and requested 2 additional engines and 6 additional tankers.  E65 arrived 3rd in and sent the crew to assist 37 and 67 crews with ground monitors to slow the fire spread. L37 was flowing it's ladder pipe deep into the fire.  Command requested Berks Ladder 15 to assist on the second barn that was on fire.  Crews continued to work pulling the tin walls and roof off the hay piles while multiple lines flowed.  Draft operations were shut down to open the roads and E68 was relocated to a creek to draft.  E68 shut down due to mechanical issues and E65 was relocated to draft.  Crews worked until around 2030 hours and were returned to service. 

Squad 65 was alerted to assist Medic 369 on scene of a cardiac arrest In a  vehicle on East Buck Road in Upper Hanover Township.  Crews arrived and assisted the medics with CPR.  After a few shocks, the patient was revived and transported Class 1 to the hospital. Station 65 personnel assisted the medics by driving the ambulance and assisting in the back of the rig.  Crew members included; Chief Scott Seip, Assistant Chief Eric Gibbs, Captain Greg Young, Firefighter Matt Hinkle and Firefighter Chris Lord.  Congrats to all involved who helped bring this person a second chance on life.

Ladder 65 was called to assist Berks County Company 58 on a chimney fire around 1240 hours on Orthaus Road in hereford Township.  Ladder 65 and Assistant 65-2 (Sink) responded to the call and were given orders to set up the main to the chimney and ground ladders to the roof.  Crews used the chimney chains and brushes to remove the soot build up in the stack.  Chief 58 had command and crews from Engine 58 and 38 took interior to remove the remains of the fire in the fireplace.  Crews worked for about an hour and were returned for service.  Traffic 65 also responded on the call and directed traffic around the scene.

Station 65 was dispatched around 0800 hours for a vehicle accident with injuries at Kutztown and Church roads in Upper Hanover.  Chief 65 arrived in the area but couldn't find the incident.  Further investigation revealed the accident down Church Road about 1/4" with 2 vehicles into a PPL pole and one victim trapped.  The call was upgraded to a rescue adding Station 38 as well as a helicopter on stand by.  Squad 65 arrived and went inservice removing the drivers side doors and Squad 38 arrived and went inservice on the passengers side.  Engine 65 and Engine 38 arrived and provided support as well as the LZ for Mid Atlantic 3.  The patient was extricated and moved to Medic 369.  Crews assisted EMS with packaging and transport to the helo.  Fire Police Closed Church Road for about an hour while crews worked.

Station 65 was alerted around 0715 hours for a vehicle fire on Montgomery Ave in Pennsburg.  Chief 65 arrived and found a vehcile well involved at 8th and Montgomery Ave in Upper Hanover Township with exposure to primary service wires.  Squad 65 arrived and went in service.  FM87 was called to investigate.  Crews cleared within an hour.

Ladder and Engine 65 were dispatched around noon to assist Station 67 (Gilbertsville) on a working fire at Miller and Henry Roads in Douglass Township.  Asst. 67 (Duncan) arrived to find a 2 1/2 story stone farmhouse heavily involved.  Squad 67 and Ladder 65 arrived at the same time and went in service.  Squad crews pulled a line to the porch side of the dwelling and Ladder and Engine 65 crews pulled multiple lines to the street side as well as threw ladders and ventilated.  Crews worked shortly inside to darken down the structure and also worked on the roof to open up the tin and cedar shake roof for ventilation.  Engine 38 arrived and assisted with entry into the 2nd floor to control the fire spread.  eventually the fire was brought under control.  Numerous companies were used to overhaul the structure. Berks Station 15 were called for RIT then put in service.  Bucks Tower 18, who were in Station 65 were called in to handle RIT once Berks 15 went in service.  65 crews were returned to service around 1830 hours.  Thank you to Bucks Engine 56, Tower 74 who stood by and covered an accident with injuries on Route 663 as well as helped out with putting our company back in service.

Pictures will be uploaded once released from PSP FM.

Squad 65 was alerted to assist Station 71 on a vehicle rescue at 5th and Main Street in Red Hill Boro.  Deputy 71 arrived to find a one vehicle accident with multiple people entrapped.  Squad 71 and Squad 65 arrived and went into service with hydraulic tools and stabilization.  Medic 369 put multiple helicopters on stand by.  Crews extricated multiple patients and all but one were transported to the helos.  Fire Police directed traffic around the scene from 0800 until after 1200 hrs.  The LZ was set up at Station 71.  Squad 65 also ran an additonal call for Station 71 while on scene.  Crews cleared around 1230hrs.

Ladder 65 was alerted for a cover assignment for Bucks Station 18 while they operated at a working dwelling fire in Richland Township.  While enroute, Chief 65 (Seip) was alerted that Squad 65 was due as an additional RIT company on the assignment.  Before the Squad responded Bucks Radio advised that Quakertown Command did not need the additional RIT so Ladder 65 responded to cover 18's.  The Ladder with a crew of 6 stood by for about 4 hours before returning to service in Pennsburg.  While on cover, 65's was alerted for a smoke in the area call.  Asst. 65-1 (Latshaw) investigated but could not find any problem.

Squad 65 was alerted to cover Bucks Station 18 while they operated at a dwelling fire/stand off in the borough.  Squad 65 and Asst. 65-2 (Sink) responded to 18's.  While backing in to Station 18 Bucks County Radio alerted the Squad to take in a Decon assignment at St. Lukes Hospital to decon a subject involved in the incident that Quakertown Fire was handling.  After about 3 hours of being quarantined at the hospital, Haz Mat crews determined there was not a need for further decon, to the delight of the crew from Medic 108.  Crews returned to Station 18 and were formed into a task force with Bucks Tower 27, Bucks Rescue 49 and Bucks Engine 36 (@ Station 17).  Crews were alerted for an accident on Route 309 northbound in the area of the Salvation Army.  Chief 65 (Seip) arrived to find a 2 vehicle accident with multiple injuries.  Due to the other incident, EMS was hard to come by.  Crews from Medic 142 and Montco 339 responded to handle the assignment.  Crews from Squad 65 and Tower 27 took vehicle 1 and crews from rescue 49 and Engine 36 took the second vehicle.  All units were returned to service in about an hour.  A total of 6 hours were spent in service.  Fire Police were also dispatched to assist at the incident in the borough.