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Linglestown fire fighters are up for anything |
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Training and experience in all areas of public safety allows the Linglestown fire dept. to respond to any type of emergency.
By
KELLY A. NAGURNY |
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HARRISBURG, Pa.—Dirty brown protective gear and yellow helmets dulled by frequent, heavy use hang neatly in matching compartments along a long wall. Wooden plaques bear each man’s name above his compartment, and each item has been precisely placed. The clean blue and white trucks sit silently in the calm atmosphere of the station. A slight smell of gasoline falls over the station. As the fire alarm rings out through the station the firefighters rush to get their gear, and claim their place on the trucks. In the aftermath of this event the station is no longer neatly organized and calm as it once was. This is the scene at the Linglestown Fire Department, where Craig Shaknis, 46, has been a volunteer firefighter since November 2001. The Linglestown Fire Department, which currently has approximately 30 active firefighters, works mutually with the Paxtonia and Colonial Park Fire Departments in Lower Paxton Township. Volunteers constitute all three departments, which respond to calls as serious as structure fires and as minor as broken plumbing. Ninety-eight percent of the department’s calls are non-emergency, said Shaknis. When a firefighter’s pager alerts him of an emergency, he rushes to the station, listening to a police scanner for constant updates. At the station, he furiously dresses in his protective pants, coat, boots, mask and helmet and jumps on the fire engine, squad truck or ladder truck that sprint him to the scene. On the way, he listens for updates. During a true emergency, such as a structure fire, each firefighter is assigned a specific role by the chief of the station or commanding officer. For example, the firefighters in one engine might be in charge of operating a nearby fire hydrant, while others are sent into the burning structure. At many fires and other disasters, the media come to cover the story. While the Linglestown Fire Department has no official media policy, there is an understanding that the media should not interfere with rescue efforts, said Shaknis. Local police also sometimes help to keep the media at a safe distance. “After it’s all under control, they’ll come in and ask what happened, what we think the cause of the fire was, if anybody was hurt,” said Shaknis. When the fire has been extinguished, the fire marshal then examines the remaining structure to determine the cause. “He wants to find out if there’s an arson and if it’s a crime scene or not,” said Shaknis. Firefighters then look for places that might still be burning, known as hot spots. From that point if the firefighters feel the fire has been extinguished, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clean up, as long as the structure is secure and no one can get hurt. After returning to the station, each firefighter who was at the scene signs a log book. The commander also files an incident report. “They report who responded, the owner, the type of call that it was and when they got control,” said Shaknis. At the same time, the firefighters clean their apparatus, replace tools, refill oxygen tanks and roll up hoses. Records on victims and causes of fires are kept by the fire marshal. Fires are not the only incidents the Linglestown Fire Department responds to. Other disasters, such as floods, car accidents and fuel spills also require the help of firefighters. The fire department has the materials necessary to sop up and contain a spill. Likewise, it has many of the tools needed to get a victim out of a wrecked car. Other public safety agencies, such as the police or emergency medical service, frequently step in for cases like these, especially if they are more equipped to handle the specific emergency. For example, if a major flood occurs, local fire departments might work in conjunction with the federal emergency management agency to control damage and make rescues. The police also frequently assist the fire department. Since they are usually first on the scene, local police and fire police can give firefighters an assessment of the situation and can help direct traffic. When an evacuation is necessary, the firefighters follow the evacuation plan of the individual building. Although there is no specific fire department evacuation procedure, the firefighters do follow the regular process of wearing protective gear and going to the scene in department vehicles. One of the best parts of firefighting, said Shaknis, is the satisfaction of knowing you are giving back to your community. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual authors. You may email comments about this story to: kxn163@psu.edu
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