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Congratulations!

On Thursday, January 19th, the graduation ceremony for the Fall 2011 Firefighter and EMT-B programs was held at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg. Company 1 had six members participating in the festivities:

While all of Company 1's students performed very well in the programs, FF/EMT-B Jack Kearney received special recognition. He was namded top student in the EMT-B program! Not bad for a firefighter! Congratulations to all our graduates. We appreciate the sacrifices you made over the past six to twelve months while obtaining these certifications.

'Tis the Season...

...for broken water pipes!

With the recent extreme cold snap, frozen water pipes are becoming a significant risk for Loudoun residents. Every year, fire companies across the area run numerous calls for burst pipes, usually as a result of extreme cold weather. By the time a homeowner or business person is calling the fire department, most of the damage is already done. Here's how you can minimize your chances of being affected:

Turn off outside water spigots INSIDE the house and drain the water from the pipe. This should have been done early in the winter season, but it may not be too late. You'll need to find the shut-off valves inside the house that control the flow of water to your external spigots. Turn them off and then open the outside valve to let any residual water drain. Once the water is drained, close the spigot to keep the cold air from entering the pipe.
Insulate!!! Pipes in exterior walls are a huge problem this time of year. Usually, builders try to avoid running pipes in exterior walls, but sometimes there is no choice. If you know you have pipes in an exterior wall, try to determine how well insulated the wall is. Caulk any cracks in the exterior of you home to keep cold air outside. If you have pipes running on an outside wall to a sink or fixture in a cabinet, consider opening the cabinet doors to allow heated interior air into the cabinet space to keep the pipes warm.
Wrap pipes in insulation. This will be impossible for pipes inside wall cavities, but anywhere pipes are exposed, consider wrapping them in pipe insulation.

If you open a tap and no water comes out, there's a good chance your pipes have frozen. NEVER use open flame to try to thaw pipes. If you think something is frozen, find you main water valve and turn it off. A pipe that is frozen solid doesn't leak, but once things warm up and water starts flowing, water will be everywhere! Securing the water supply at the first sign of trouble can save you a lot of water damage. With the water off, you should consider contacting a plumber for help. They should be able to figure out where the frozen line is, get it thawed for you, and check your water system for damage. A single service call will be MUCH cheaper than having a burst pipe leaking inside your home.

If prevention doesn't work and you find water leaking, immediately turn off your water. If you think the water is getting into electrical equipment, find your electrical panel and turn off electricity to your home. (If your electrical service panel is affected by the water leak, or there is water on the floor near the panel, DO NOT operate any of the breakers. Call either a qualified electrician or 911, depending on the severity of the hazard.)

As with all things safety related, prevention is the key. Know where your water valves are located, know how to operate them, drain and turn off your exterior water spigots, and know the location of all your electrical service panels. Keep the numbers for your plumber and electrician handy so you can call quickly when you need them. If in doubt, call 911 and your local fire company will assist you.

Accident With Entrapment

Duty Crew 6 had a very busy night on Tuesday, December 27th. Early in the evening, they responded to a chimney fire in Co. 5's area, then a first due box alarm for an apartment fire. Later in the night, they were dispatched for an auto accident on the Leesburg Bypass at its intersection with Sycolin Road. As the first units responded, more 911 calls were received with reports of entrapment. The call was upgraded to include an extrication unit.

Company 1 responded with Engine 601, Tanker 601, and Truck 601. A/C 601 (Cook) was the officer on Engine 601 and upon arrival, established command. There were two vehicles, each with one occupant entrapped. Using the combi-tool carried on Truck 601, crews began the extrication, quickly gaining access to one patient. As other units arrived, the second patient was extricated and turned over to EMS units from Company 13 and Company 6.

Pictures courtesy of Photo 601, Steve Kusterer.

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Annual Fund Drive Underway

On Monday, October 3rd, residents of Company 1's first due service area will begin receiving flyers for our annual fund raising campaign. This effort provides critical funding needed to help continue our tradition of service to Leesburg and the surrounding communities.

We urge everyone in our service area to make as generous a contribution as they can. As mentioned in the flyer, we continue to grow our membership base in order to serve you better. Between our modernized fleet of vehicles and the costs associated with outfitting new firefighters, we need your financial support.

Thank you for your past generosity. We hope you'll continue to support us through your tax-deductible donation during our annual campaign.

NIMS Training

As mentioned at our last company meeting, all members of the fire company need to obtain certification in NIMS courses. These courses teach public safety personnel how to use and interact with the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Having all public safety personnel fluent in the language of this plan enhances our own operations, as well as operations that involve other public safety entities.

Please visit this link to register for and take NIMS classes online. There is no cost to public safety personnel. The courses we should take, at a minimum, are:

IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System
IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), an Introduction
IS-800.B National Response Framework, an Introduction

You'll need to register before taking the classes, but it can all be done online. If you experience problems or need more information, please contact your officer or one of the chiefs. When you obtain certifications, please place copies in the secretary's and chief's mailbox.

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