Sterling Volunteer Fire Company

As the Sterling area is digging out from some extraordinary snow falls this weekend, we would would like to remind everyone to remember to dig out your nearest fire hydrant as well as your sidewalk and driveway. Hydrants can be easily buried by plow trucks and nobody wants to watch the fire department shovel snow to find a hyrdant when there is a real fire emergency.

The Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office offer winter weather safety tips that will help keep you safe during a winter storm.

Remember to dig out your hydrants!

Follow this link for the details.

On Saturday, January 23 the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company members, friends, family, and guests gathered for our annual Officer Installation Banquet. Following an opening prayer by Chaplain Charlie Grant and a meal catered by Outback Steakhouse our guest speaker, Chief Glenn A. Gaines of the U. S. Fire Administration spoke briefly about the future of the fire service and the USFA. Chief Gaines is also a Loudoun County resident and served for over 40 years in Fairfax County, starting as a volunteer firefighter and ending his 37 years with the Fire and Rescue Department as Chief. We appreciate Chief Gaines agreeing to speak on very short notice after our original guest speaker was deployed to Haiti. We then recognized some outstanding members of the department by presenting Firefighter Bobby Halouska with Recruit Firefighter of the Year, Technician Andy Brown with Firefighter of the Year, Lieutenant Bill Graham with Officer of the Year, and Chris Newcomer with Administrative Member of the Year. Congratulations to you all, and thanks to everybody for continued dedication to the community and the SVFC. The official program ended with the swearing in of the elected and appointed officers for 2010, followed by a closing prayer by Chaplain Grant. The SVFC would especially like to thank our friends and family whose support and dedication allow us to serve the community, enduring frequent absences, interrupted plans, and thrilling stories about fire alarms and EMS calls. We also extend our thanks to the members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company,the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company, and the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Company for staffing Engine and TowerLadder 611, Tanker 618, and Command 611 and protecting the citizens of Sterling while we enjoyed a night off.

Photo courtesy of: Berl Jones

Chief Gaines addressing the banquet

Just after 11pm on Friday Engine 618, Captain 611, Ambulance 625, and Rescue 615 were alerted for an auto accident with entrapment on Route 7. TowerLadder 611 also responded to provide manpower, and Chief 615 responded. The Sheriffs Office arrived on scene and reported no entrapment. Squad 615 was placed in service while the rest of the assignment continued. Arriving units arrived on scene and began patient care and vehicle stabilization. Captain 611 established command and requested an additional BLS unit, bringing Trauma 625 to the scene. While EMS units attended to the patients the crew from Engine 618 assisted them, stabilized the vehicles to reduce any hazards from the damaged vehicle, and provided scene lighting.

Photos by: David Short

Engine 618 protecting the scene from oncoming traffic and providing scene lighting

Significant damage to the rear of one vehicle

Matching damage to the front of the other vehicle

Around 9pm on Thursday night Medic 615 (SVRS) was dispatched to a home in Sterling Park for a medical call. Upon their arrival they found multiple victims and immediately called for additional help. Engine 611, Trauma 625, and Medic 623 (LCFR – Moorefield) were dispatched to assist. Units on scene advised they had 6-8 people with what appeared to be CO poisoning and Captain 611, TowerLadder 611, and Ambulance 615 were dispatched. E611 found dangerous levels of CO in the house during their investigation. Further investigation found extension cords throughout the house attached to a generator in the garage. Engine and TowerLadder 611 began to ventilate the house while the four EMS units treated and transported the victims. Medic 439 from Fairfax (Reston) was transferred to cover other calls in the area.

The SVFC would like to remind everybody that one part of safely operating a generator is to make sure it is operated outside or in a properly ventilated area. Also, a properly installed and maintained CO detector can help keep you safe. Visit the Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers page provided by the Consumer Product Safely Commission for further information.

The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company is primarily tasked with providing suppression services to our community. We also provide EMS services, but the primary provider of EMS to Sterling is the Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad. Both organizations work closely together to provide public safety services to the community. SVRS Chief Byron Andrews recently received the 2009 Governor’s Emergency Medical Services Award for Outstanding EMS Administrator – The Kent J. Weber Trophy. You can read more about this award, and other awards and recipients, at the 2009 Governor’s EMS awards page. The SVFC would like to offer or congratulations to Chief Andrews, and we look forward to the continued cooperation of our agencies in serving our community.

In the middle of the night on Friday, January 15th Engine 618, Ambulance 625 and Squad 615 from (SVRS), and AC611 were alerted for an auto accident in Algonkian Park. The caller was unsure of their location but dispatch used the callers cell phone GPS location to determine that they were in the Potomac River approximately 50 feet from the boat ramp. Due to the nature of the call Engine and TowerLadder 611 responded. AC611 arrived on scene and found that a vehicle had driven onto the frozen river and had fallen through the ice. The driver was confused but appeared otherwise OK. Crews were able to get the driver safely to shore before transporting them to the hospital for checkout., and then remained on scene while tow truck operators spent a few hours getting the car back on dry land.

Photos by: Johnny Bischoff

The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company is proud to offer our congratulations to Gold Life member and past Chief Tom Owens on his new position as Director of the Division of Fire and Rescue Services for Frederick County, Maryland. You can view the (PDF file) press release here.

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The Sterling Volunteer Fire Department and the citizens of Loudoun County, VA, benefited from 21 years of volunteer service (1969-1990) provided by Mr. Owens. He served in all operational capacities as he rose from the ranks of firefighter through Chief of the Department.

After Quint 618 went to Arcola earlier in the evening for a structure fire, Engines 611, 623 (LCFR – Ashburn), 404 (Fairfax – Herndon), Wagon 611, Quints 618 and 611 (running as trucks), Ambulance 615, Deputy Chief 611, and Battalion 602 (LCFR) were alerted for a house fire in Sterling Park. Battalion 401 from Fairfax also responded, and Engine 439 from Fairfax filled fire station 11 during the incident. Engine 611 and Quint 618 arrived on the scene first reporting smoke in the area, and then reporting smoke pushing from the roof of a single story house. Deputy Chief 611 established command and updated the situation to report heavy fire through the roof. Engine 611 laid out a supply line, which was picked up and supplied by Wagon 611, and began an interior attack. Quints 618 and 611 began searching and ventilating the structure. Engine 623 laid out a secondary supply line, which was picked up and supplied by Engine 404, then reported to the rear of the structure to report monitor conditions and to assist with fire attack. Engine 404 assumed Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) duties. Interior crews found fire in the attic and knocked it down in about 10 minutes. After extinguishing hot spots and doing overhaul the scene was turned over to the Fire Marshall’s office for investigation.

Photo by: Tim Duckworth

Quint 618 crew in Arcola waiting for an assignment