Sterling Volunteer Fire Company

The Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company suggest the following items be added to your spring cleaning routine. These steps will help keep you and your family safe.

• Clean and test your smoke detectors
• Clean and test your CO alarm
• Check your fire extinguishers
• Make sure electrical outlets and extension cords are not overloaded
• Have your air conditioner checked by a licensed professional
• Review and practice your family escape plan, remembering things like two ways out of every room, meeting place, etc.
• Make sure any exits or escape routes are clear of debris and not blocked off, both inside and outside
• Inspect your grill before using it
• Spread mulch at least one foot away from structures, with a non-combustible barrier in between
• When you’re finished with the rest of your spring cleaning make sure all cleaning products are properly stored (in child safety latched drawers or cabinets, in the original labeled container

Stay safe, and have a happy spring!

After an exciting afternoon of running NOTHING, Sterling units were alerted for the House fire in the 42000 Block of Conquest Cir in Ashburn. Engine 11 was dispatched 4th Due, Truck 11 was the third special service. On the outer border of our service area, this alarm took us over 10 miles from our firehouse (unusual for our suburban setting) First arriving units found smoke showing from all 4 sides, and heavy fire on the number 1 and 2 floors of a large 2 story wood frame single family dwelling (a.k.a. McMansion). Units from South Riding and Arcola mounted an aggressive interior attack, while the second alarm was being sounded by the 3rd Battalion Fire Chief bringing Engine 18. Truck 11 negotiated themselves to a position on side A, laddered the roof, and assisted other units with outside ventilation. Engine and Truck 11 were then assigned as Division 2, preformed overhaul operations and extinguished hotspots. Engine 18 staffed the staging area, keeping it safe and hazard free. Sterling units cleared the scene in just less than 2 hours.

Box Alarm: E9, E19, E6, E11, TL19, T6, T11 BFC 3

Second Alarm: E23, E18,E415, E380, R13, BFC2

By FF Al Pacifico:

Engine 611 dispatched to an outside fire at 0034 on 03/12/2009. Before the dispatch was completed, the call was immediately upgraded to a structure fire. Engines 611, 618,623 and 606 from Ashburn, Truck 611, Quint 611 and Truck 338 from Dulles Airport were dispatched. BC602 and Chief 11 responded as command officers on Locomotive Terrace. As E611, E623 and T611 arrived fire was noted to be extending from bushes up the exterior wall of the apartment complex and beginning to impinge on the 2nd floor window. The first floor window had already blown out and concern was extension of fire into the second floor. A single attack line was pulled from Engine 611 and backup line was stretched to the second floor. Forcible entry was used to gain access into the apartment above the fire to check for extension. The fire was quickly extinguished and minor overhaul was done to clear smoldering landscaping away from the building.

While we were doing overhaul, the gentleman who lived in the apartment above the fire stopped, shook DC Opett’s hand and said “Thank you for saving our homes” and walked away.

That is what makes this job worthwhile

It was a busy weekend for the men and women of Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. One of the many things SVFC prides itself on is our dedication to training, and our members certainly followed through on that over the last few days. Starting Friday night at the station duty crews 1, 2 and 4 had a variety of training to include basic firefighter skills of hose line pulling, some driver pump operator scenarios, and auto extrication equipment familiarization amongst other drills. Meanwhile many of our members were engaged in more formalized training:

The Spring 2009 EMT-B class spent 8 hours on Saturday learning about patient lifting and moving techniques. They practiced emergency drags and carries, the use of different types of stretchers such as the Reeves and Scoop, learned about relocating patients up and down stairs using the stairchair, and also practiced loading patients on a cot into the back of an ambulance. (Students: Lieutenant Jeff Lindstrom, Firefighter Peter Slattery, Firefighter Matt Solomon)

The Spring 2009 Firefighter I-II class met on Sunday and learned all about basic building construction. This information is vital to new and experienced firefighters as it allows for a deeper understanding of how the building itself will behave if compromised by fire or structural damage. The students also learned about Incident Command System in order to better prepare them for how large scale calls are run. (Firefighter I-II Students: Taylor Bagnall, Andrew Engelken, Matt Gallegos, Louis Glazer, Dennis Haeberle, Bobby Halouska, Jackson Haskell, Jeff Murray, Tanner Purnhagen, Mark Rabideau, Andrew Sullivan. Firefighter II Students: Firefighter Lano Avila, Firefighter Ken Krohn).

EMT-B and Firefighter I-II comprise the bulk of basic training for members of the SVFC. However, that is only the beginning for most members as there is a wide variety of advanced level classes available through the individual stations, the County, State programs as well as other jurisdictions.

Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue is currently hosting an Instructor I class. This class does exactly what it sounds like: it teaches people how to teach. It is an introductory class on how to present a lesson plan utilizing the visual aid of choice – the powerpoint. Once finished with this class students can continue on to take more focused classes to become certified as a Fire School Instructor amongst other things. It also lays the foundation for anyone who wishes to become an Officer in the future. (Instructor I Students: Lieutenant Dan Ketcham, Master Technician Dan Gregory, Firefighter Kirk Picou).

Loudoun County Fire-Rescue presents a series of Leadership classes every Spring. This year’s series kicked off with Leadership I this past weekend. This course is a very engaging discussion geared towards furthering the student’s self awareness and ability to be successful on a company level. This class will be followed up later this month and next with Leadership II and Leadership III. (Leadership I Students: Master Technician Scott Newcomer, Firefighter Chris Ouellette, Firefighter Christina Goodman).

Virginia Department of Fire Programs sent instructors up from all parts of Virginia this weekend to present a class at the LCFR Training Academy on Heavy Vehicle Rescue. This course certifies students as a Heavy Tactical Rescue-Vehicle Rescue Technician and expands upon the basics of passenger car extrication techniques to include things like tractor-trailers, garbage trucks, school buses, etc. Students got to practice cribbing and cutting, lifting heavy vehicles off of passenger cars, controlled roll overs, and many other skills. (HTR-VR Extrication Technician Students: Lieutenant Bill Graham, Technician Tim Duckworth, Technician Becca Welsch, Technician Chris Sutherland, Firefighter John Javelle, Firefighter Kevin Young).

Just a few feet from the Extrication class, Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company held a training session of their own, utilizing the burn building for training burns. They ran practice response scenarios with live fire inside the burn building in order to practice skills and help train new up and coming firefighters. Helping the LVFC with these burns were two of our own members, Lieutenant Dan Ketcham and Master Technician Geoff Davis. Participating in the burns was David Fierstein who is a firefighting member of both companies.

Photos courtesy of Tech Tim Duckworth and FF Jon Hickman

Crew 2 doing some rural water and master stream training


Engine 18s crew: Lt Jason Carlo, Tech Grant Serbousek, FF Jon Hickman, RFF Rafael Coelho and RFF Jeff Murray


Tipping over SVFC’s old Canteen unit so the Extrication class could practice lifting it back up


The class taught cribbing and lifting techniques designed for multi-ton vehicles


School bus after crews extracted a passenger car from underneath it


Heavy wreckers were brought in to demonstrate their capabilities


Part of the course involved awkward patient removal scenarios such as this tilted garbage truck cab


Lt Graham and FF Javelle watch as a controlled rollover is demonstrated using a winch


Tech Sutherland and Tech Welsch taking a ride in the car as it is rolled back over


Tech Sutherland getting a little too close and personal with the extrication equipment

After a fairly busy day for Crew 2, including an electrocution, an EMS call in Fairfax County, a chimney fire in Sterling Park, and an outside fire in Sugarland, plus regular training, maintenance, and paperwork, crews were only half way through their shift at 6:30pm. Just before 8:00pm Engines 611, 618, and Truck 611 from Sterling, Engines 623, 606, and Truck 606 from Ashburn and Ambulance 15 from Sterling Rescue were alerted for a townhouse fire in Sterling. Units were responding, along with two command officers and Quint 611 from Sterling, Chief 6 from Ashburn, and a Battalion Chief from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Deputy Chief 618 arrived first in Command 618 and reported visible fire from the roof in a middle unit townhouse. Quint 618, running as Truck 611, arrived next and began a search, looking for the fire and any occupants still in the structure. Command requested a 2nd alarm assignment, bringing an additional four engines, two trucks, more EMS units and more command officers. This was done in case the fire was able to spread via the attic space to multiple units. Quick action by the truck crew and other arriving units knocked down the fire before it was able to spread to neighboring townhomes. The second alarm units were released and other units began to pack up and return to service after they made sure the fire was completely extinguished.

Photos by: Capt David Short, Tech Jeff Brown, and Associate Lauren Opett

Fire through the roof when DC618 arrived

Crew 2 members discuss the incident

Deputy Chiefs 18 and 11 at the command post

Quint 618 running as Truck 611

Engine 618