Sterling Volunteer Fire Company

Twitter users can follow us @SterlingFire and keep up with us as we answer calls in the community. Our Twitter feed also appears on our website. You may also want to follow @LoudounFire to see what’s going on in the rest of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue system, or @LoudounSheriff to see what the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is doing.

At 05:17 on Sunday morning, just before the end of a 23 hour shift, Engine and TowerLadder 611 were alerted for an inside gas leak between Sterling and Ashburn. About 10 minutes later Tanker 618, along with Reserve Engine 606, Engine 622, and TowerLadder 606 from Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Wagon 601 from Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, Rescue Squad 439 from Fairfax, Ambulance 615 from Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Battalion 602 from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue were alerted for a townhouse fire in Countryside. Captain 611 responded from Sterling, as did Quint 611 and Battalion 401 from Fairfax. As units were responding Engine and TowerLadder 611 were released from the inside gas leak call and responded to the townhouse fire. Tanker 618 arrived on scene and reported visible fire through the roof. After checking the rear of the structure the Tanker crew began an interior attack while Squad 439 began searching the structure to make sure all occupants were out safely. Arriving crews assisted in attacking the fire and checked neighboring townhomes to make sure that the fire wasn’t spreading. The fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes and crews continued to perform overhaul, making sure that the fire hadn’t spread and was completely extinguished. Chief 611 responded to assist command, and Canteen 611 also responded to provide refreshments to units operating in 10 degree weather.

The Loudoun County government is activating the Loudoun County Major Event Hotline for people who have non-emergency questions related to the record-setting snowstorm and the significant storm that is expected to arrive shortly.

The hotline, 703-737-8300, is intended for non-emergency calls. The hotline will be active throughout the current snow event. As always, people should call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.

Also, the county website has links to helpful storm-related information at www.loudoun.gov/snow.

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.

On Thursday, January 28th, the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Training Center held a graduation ceremony to recognize those who completed Firefighter I, Firefigter II, or EMT during the Fall 2009 session. As usual the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company was well represented. All of these classes take many hours (around 20 hours a week, for 3-6 months) of classroom lectures, training evolutions, and study and practice time away from class. Congratulations and thanks to all the students, instructors, and their friends and families for their support. SVFC members recognized were:

Firefighter 1-2 Certification School
Terry Canela
Ali Chohan
Trey Dean
Travis DeBorde
Chris DeVaughn
Jesse Flores
Chris Horne
Jared Miller
Philip Schoepfle
Mark Zegarra
**Patrick Smith (injured during final testing; retest imminent)

Firefighter 2
Dan Vlach

EMT Basic
Dee Cunningham
Bobby Halouska
Kirk Picou

Every graduation LCFR recognizes individuals as the “top student” of their class. For the Fall 2009 graduates Sterling Fire is extremely proud to have brought home three such awards. Congratulations go to Terry Canela and Trey Dean who share the honor for the Firefighter I-II class, and to Dee Cunningham who received this award for EMT-Basic.

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.