While filling in Co. 8 Hse 3 for Joppa-Magnolias banquet, Co4, Co3, Co8 and Station 12 were alerted for a 406 fire-rescue box in the 700 block of Lombard Court.  E112 called en route with 4 from Co. 8. Before units arrived, dispatch advised an off-duty police officer was at location with smoke and fire showing.

A491 arrived with smoke showing, 30 seconds later E112 arrived with a 2 story single family dwelling, fire visible from rear and smoke from all 4 sides.  While the crew from E112 stretched 200' of 1 3/4 inch into the structure, neighbors reported an elderly disabled male on second floor.  The driver from E112 threw ground ladders and the crew found fire in the bedroom and bathroom, they then split up, and made an aggressive attack.  The fire was under control within 5 minutes of arrival. Ch. 4 assumed command.

During a primary search, a deceased male subject was found on the 2nd floor.  Crews awaited FM and assisted with investigation.  A complete overhaul of fire rooms was done. 

E112 Crew:

Driver- Ch1-1 Dan Hawkins

Officer- Lt. Clinton Polk

FF- Clay Jackson

FF- Mike Towles

Units/Personal On Scene (by order of arrival):

A491, E112, E412, Ch4, E1211, T831, U871, T431, A494, Ch3-1, E414, E315, E211, Ch4-2, E412, E312, U472, U471, E415, FM41

Level VFC provided an EMS stand by crew each evening that the Legends of the Fog Haunted Attraction was open for the 2011 season.  "We take the Scare out of EMS Care"

On Saturday afternoon Level VFC was alerted for a vehicle accident with entrapment. Upon arrival of Rescue 151 two vehicles were involved with entrapment in each one. The crews from Rescue 151 and Engine 111 utilized tools from both units to extricate both patients. Engine 112 established a near by landing zone and transported the flight paramedic to the scene. MSP Trooper 2 flew one patient while Paramedic 191 transported the other patient to area hospitals.

Units on scene:

Rescue 151

Engines 111,112,213

Ambulances 191 and 192

Paramedic 1 and 14

MSP Trooper 2

MSP, HCSO

The Circus is coming to Level!
 World celebrated Kelly-Miller Circus brings thrills, chills, and fabulous, affordable family fun to Level!  Tigers, Elephants, Camels, Clowns, Dogs, Ponies, Aerialists, Acrobats and much, much more make  marvelous magic in America’s one-ring wonder.  The local appearance of Kelly-Miller Circus is sponsored by the Aldino Sod Farm, home of the Legends of the Fog Haunted Attraction and will benefit Level Volunteer Fire Company’s Fire & Injury Prevention programs.  The Circus will be held ONE DAY ONLY, June 9, 2012 at 2:00 and 5:30 PM,at the Legends of the Fog Show Grounds, 500 Carsins Run Road. 

Below are some safety tips for using portable generators from the consumer energy center. Please take a few minutes to read and make suggestions to neighbors that may be relying on generators from the power outages.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATOR SAFETY

According to the the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the misuse of the portable power sources killed at least five people and sickened dozens more after Hurricane Katrina.

The Associated Press reported on October 13, 2005, that many people relied on portable generators after the hurricane knocked out most of the power in the Gulf Region. And that was deadly for those who did not use their generator properly.

AP said, "The five deaths were among fifty-one cases of carbon monoxide poisoning reported in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after the hurricane, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of these cases involved the misuse of portable generators, except for one that involved a gasoline-powered pressure washer. Four deaths occurred in one Louisiana house where a generator was used. The fifth death occurred in a Louisiana house where a generator was used in an attached garage."

All of these portable generator-related deaths could have been prevented.

Here are some basics regarding portable generators. But the first thing to do is Read the Instruction Booklet or Manual that came with the generator. If the manual is lost or missing, contact the generator's manufacturer.


Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage.

A portable generator is an internal combustion engine that exhausts a deadly gas called carbon monoxide or CO. CO is odorless and colorless, and you can be overcome if the generator is indoors.

Be sure to place the generator outside where exhaust fumes will not enter into enclosed spaces. Only operate a generator outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from air intakes to the home. The generator should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow.


Don't connect your generator directly to your home's wiring.

Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly. A generator that is directly connected to your home's wiring can 'backfeed' into the power lines connected to your home.

Utility transformers can then increase this lower electrical voltage to thousands of volts. That's more than enough to kill a utility lineman making outage repairs many miles away. You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.

If you wish to hard-wire a generator to your home, it should be installed by a licensed electrician with an approved cut-off switch that will automatically disconnect the home from the power grid when the generator is being used. Please check with your local utility company before installing a hard-wired generator.


Don't plug a portable generator into an electrical outlet in your home or garage.

If a generator is plugged into your home's electrical circuits, it can still 'backfeed' power into the utility company lines, which can injure or kill utility workers fixing on the downed power lines.

The correct way to use a generator is to connect a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated power cord to the generator. Appliances can then be connected to the power cord.

Make sure that the outdoor-rated power cord has a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.


Don't overload the generator.

All generators have a power rating. they should be used only when necessary and only to power a limited number of appliances or equipment.

The total wattage used by the appliances should be less than the output rating of the generator. If you put too many appliances on the generator, it could seriously damage the appliances and electronics. Overloading the generator could also cause fires in the power cord.


Make sure your generator is properly grounded to avoid electrical shocks.

Check the generator owner's manual for correct grounding information.


Do not store gasoline for the generator indoors.

Gasoline should be stored in approved, non-glass safety containers.

Don't store gasoline in a garage if there's a water heater or other fuel-burning appliance in the garage. Vapor from gasoline is heavier than air and can travel invisibly along the floor. It could be ignited by a pilot light or other source of flame, such as an electric spark.

Extinguish all flames or cigarettes when handling gasoline or the generator.

Shut off the generator before refueling. Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.

Always have a fully charged, approved fire extinguisher located near the generator.


Read and adhere to the manufacturer's directions for safe operation.

Read the owner's manual before you operate the generator. If you've lost the manual, contact the manufacturer for another copy. You can often download the manual from a manufacturer's Web site. Keep the owner's manual with the generator in a zip-lock bag to keep it dry.


Final Tips

Many generator parts are hot enough to burn you during operation. Stay away from the muffler and other hot areas.

Keep children away from portable electric generators at all times.

This weekend a tropical weather system is expected to impact Maryland. We will have crews staffing units for the duration of the storm. We would like to remind everyone to take a few minutes and make your homes hurricane ready. Please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes for tips on preparing yourself and homes for these events. Harford County Emergency Operations will have their Emergency Operations Center activated during this event. Please remember that all calls for service need to be requested through the 911 system and not calling the firehouse directly.

The Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association Training Committee invites all fire & EMS personnel to  attend a dynamic, educational, and informative seminar presented by Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O., Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD, Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIRE-RESCUE, FIREHOUSE, FIREHOUSE.COM, monthly columnist: Firehouse Magazine's "CLOSE CALLS" and co-host of www.firefighterclosecalls.com
 
 This seminar, entitled “Fireground Injury and Death: not EVERYONE Goes Home! 2011 Fire Officers and Fire Fighters Survival Program” to be held on Thursday November 17, 2011 from 4:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. will be hosted by and at the Aberdeen Fire Department, 21 North Rogers Street in Aberdeen, Maryland. The agenda is as follows:
 
   1600 hours – 1800 hours   
    Dinner  and Equipment/Vendor Display
 
    1800 hours -     Seminar
 
 This seminar is FREE to all interested members of the fire service, however class size is limited to the first 250 pre-registered attendees.
 
This is guaranteed to be a very informative seminar and you will not be disappointed!
 
 To register click on the link here http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2064459855

Saturday, the Level Volunteers, along with multiple other companies in Harford, Cecil and Baltimore county's set up along multiple overpasses along I-95. Baltimore City Fire Department was receiving a piece of metal from the World Trade Center to go at the memorial in the city. Levels members met at the station and loaded up on Engine 112, 113, Rescue 151 and Tanker 121 and made their way to 3 different overpasses in the first due. Engine 113 staged at Lapidum Rd, Rescue 151 and Tanker 121 staged at 155 while Engine 112 staged at Earlton Rd. Susquehanna Hose Company units were also staged with the level units. The ride, which consisted of Baltimore city chase units, over 300 motorcycles, and chase units from the FDNY, made its way through the area around 1245pm. The ride was over 4 miles long. Level VFC is very proud to have been a part of this historical event. A few pictures from the ride are attached.

The 18th annual "Play it Safe" Safety Camp was held July 6-8, 2011.  106 elementary aged children enjoyed the fun filled three day camp.  Campers were taught lessons in; Stop, Drop & Roll, E.D.I.T.H., Water & Boater Safety, Pedestrian Safety, Wildlife Safety, 9-1-1 emergencies and more.

The children enjoyed activities such as; fire engine rides, squirting water from a fire hose, fire fighter competitions and Hector the Fire Safety Clown.  each day the children made projects and enjoyed snacks.

It takes approximately 45 volunteers to make the camp successful.  Many thanks to all the Level VFC members, community volunteers and mutual aid fire companies for their continued support. 

Level VFC would also like to acknowledge and thank the following for their support;

Northeast Photo Network, Susquehanna Hose Company (Captain Bill Reeder & Dive Team members), Dispatch Supervisor Kim Stritzinger from Harford County Division of Emergency Operations, APG Fire and Emergency Services, Hector the Fire Safety Clown, Wildlife Adventures, Harford County Fire Prevention Ambassadors(Stacey, Lena & Heather), and Maryland Fire Chief 1st Runer-Up Matthew Saylor.

Saturday night, Level was alerted for a 10-50Pi w/ Rescue in the area of Carsins Run Rd and SRT 22. Rescue 151 w/8 and IV 192 called enroute shortly after alert, followed by Engine 111, Engine 113 and Medic 191. Units enroute were advised that the updated location was going to be in the area of Stepney Rd and SRT 22. The Rescue arrived to find a 2 vehicle MVC with one entrapped. The crew separated and quickly placed a hand line in service, Cribbed the vehicle and began the extrication. The drivers side door, Roof and Windshield were removed to extricate the victim. After the patient was extricated the patient was turned over to awaiting Medics and the patient was transported to a local hospital. During this time, the other medic unit handled 2 patients from the other vehicle who were also transported to a local hospital. Units cleared a short time later.

Units on scene:

R151

E111

E113

M191

M192

MSP

Command: Chief 1-2 Polk