The annual Clark Deener and John Carr Fire and Rescue Awards Banquet was held Thursday, April 18th at the Moore Cadillac facility in Chantilly, Virginia. Company 1 was well represented at the invitation-only gala that recognizes the services provided by all members of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue system.
The awards started off with length of service recognition. In the 20 years of service category, Lt. David Fierstien was recognized. David has been a member of both the Sterling Volunteer Fire Department and the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company during his career. Congratulations to Lt. Fierstien!
Next up was 25 years of service. In that category, Master Firefighter Pete Comanduras was recognized. Pete has been a member of Company 1 for his entire Loudoun career. He's served in many capacities, including Deputy Chief, Captain, and member of the Board of Directors. Congratulations Pete!
In the 40 years of service category, there was only one recipient and it was Past Chief Terry Frye. In his long and illustrious career, Chief Frye served many years at the top operational spot in the fire company, and he has also served as president. Thanks for your service to Leesburg Terry!
After the conclusion of the length of service awards, the program moved to special awards for outstanding service. Once again, a Company 1 member was chosen to receive the John C. Carr, Jr. Memorial Award. Chief Jim Cook was this year's co-honoree, sharing the honor with Chief Melvin Byrne of the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Chief Cook was recognized for his outstanding commitment to Company 1 and to the county as a whole, for which he serves as the chairman of the Fire Advisory Council. Congratulations Chief Cook!
Since late in 2012, the number of vehicle accidents occurring in the 1300-1500 block of East Market Street (in the Westbound lanes) has skyrocketed. It seems that traffic slowing for the Battlefield Parkway interchange takes some drivers by surprise, resulting in many rear-end collisions. The latest one happened Monday, February 4th.
Engine 620, Truck 601, Captain 601 (Fazekas) and Medic 613 responded to this most recent crash. Units arrived to find a 4 car "fender bender" with one patient that needed transport to the hospital. The engine and truck crews packaged the patient, mitigated a few minor hazards and assisted with traffic control. Route 7 had only one lane open for about 45 minutes after the crash.
If you're driving through this area, please stay alert for car stopping in front of you, and cars behind you that aren't stopping!
Photos courtesy of Captain 601, Jim Fazekas.
At approximately 1843 hours on Wednesday, January 23rd hours, Engine 601, Truck 620, Captain 601 (Krueger), and a medic unit from LCVRS responded to an auto accident reported in the intersection of Edwards Ferry Road and Battlefield Parkway. Captain 1 arrived on scene first, established command and reported 1 patient trapped in the vehicle. Engine and Truck crews initiated a quick door pop, removing the driver's door and gaining access to the patient. The driver was extricated within minutes, and suffered only BLS injuries. Units then cleared the scene and returned to service
Photos and text courtesy of FF Hayden Campbell
The new command unit will look very similar to Command 620.
The lightbar will incorporate green LED lights on the corners to indicate the command post location. Additionally, the lightbar will house an Opticom emitter. The Opticom system is a traffic signal pre-emption device deployed at many Leesburg intersections. It provides an added margin of safety for responding emergency vehicles by changing the traffic signals to red for all traffic other than the emergency vehicle.
Delivery of Command 601 is expected in February, 2013.
On Sept 25th, 2012, members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, along with members from other county companies, took part in the practical portion of the Responding to Liquefied Petroleum Gas Emergencies class which was hosted at Station 1. In the practical portion of the class (held at the Loudoun County Fire Training Center), firefighters had to work as a team to simultaneously advance two hose lines to cool a simulated gas fire. The goal was to get close enough to the tank to manually shut off the gas at the source. Even though the drill was done in a controlled environment, the flames and heat were real. Each crew came within a few feet of temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees and were protected only by the water from the hoses and their turnout gear. A safety team stood by with a third hose line in case of a mishap; fortunately, they weren't needed. All crews did well and received full state certification.
Photos from the practical courtesy of Lt. Jim Fazekas.
In conjunction with our annual mail fund drive, we're kicking off a recruitment event as well. We hope you'll consider joining the ranks of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company as either an operational firefighting member or by playing a critical role as an administrative member. Were looking for great people to help us continue the tradition of neighbor helping neighbor in the community we love.
As a firefighter, you'll receive free training to gain certifications in fire suppression, emergency medical services, and hazardous materials to name a few. Training courses are offered at the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue training facility off Sycolin Road on evenings and weekends. If you've always had the dream of becoming a firefighter, we'd love to talk to you!
Maybe crawling around on your hands and knees in a smoke-filled environment isn't for you. That's okay with us; we need members to help us with administration, fundraising, public outreach, hall rental, special events, and fire ground support roles such as our canteen unit.
To get started on an amazing journey, just click here to go to our membership application page and fill out a brief online form. Submitted applications are received by our membership committee who will contact you within a day or two. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to meeting you soon.
At approximately 2230 hours on Saturday, August 25th, Engine and Truck 620, Chief 601, Wagon 605, Ambulance 613, and Safety 618 were dispatched to the 700 block of Childrens Center Road in Southwest Leesburg for a reported inside gas leak. Ambulance 613 arrived first, followed quickly by Engine and Truck 620 and Wagon 605. Units investigated and secured utilities to the structure. The EMS unit checked out residents of the house; no transports were made. With the hazard secured, units quickly returned to service.
Photos courtesy of MFF Ian Buchanan.
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Election Results in News
November 2012 BOD Meeting Minutes in the Members Section
Unusual Fire Stations of the World
Outside Fire and Vehicle Fire added
Duty Crew Calendar
Fire Company Events Calendar