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Avoca
Emergency Services
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Technical Rescue Team Conducts Training Session...
Members of the Technical Rescue Team held a training session on March 14th at the Avoca Station. Members attending had to demonstrate proficient skills for each training station. Over 25 team members attended the training session. Companies Respond to Main St. Structure Fire... Area firefighters handled a structure fire on Main Street. The building was a 2 1/2 story unoccupied residential structure. Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire showing from side 3 of the building, with heavy smoke throughout the remainder of the building. Crews encountered heavy fire on all floors as winds gusted to over 40 m.p.h. During this incident, a second structure fire was reported in Moosic Borough, less than a mile from this fire. Chief 98, Rescue 98, and Engine 933 were released from this incident so they could respond to the second fire along with their 2nd alarm companies. Click here for the photo story. Members Complete Terrorism Training... Members of both the fire department and ambulance association recently completed a 16-hour training course on responses to terrorism. The class was designed to teach responders how to recognize a terrorism incident, work with multiple agencies, and provide for a safe environment for responders. The class was sponsored by the Avoca Ambulance Association, and taught by Kevin O'brien from the Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency. 71 Crews handle tanker roll over... A truck carrying 6,800 gallons of home heating oil flipped onto its side entering Interstate 81 in Avoca. Local crews worked feverishly to prevent the product from entering nearby drainage systems, preventing the incident from further escalating. With the Northbound lanes completely shut down, holiday traffic was snarled for hours. Pa. State Police and local Fire Police crews worked to detour travelers onto other roadways. 71 crews were assisted by Engine 96-1 (Germania), Rescue 98 (Greenwood), Echo 3 (W-B/Scr Airport), Luzerne County EMA, and Datom Haz Mat. Christmas Tree Sale a Huge Success... Once again, the department's annual Christmas Tree sale was a very successful fundraiser. The department sold 235 trees in a little over three weeks. The members would like to thank everyone who supported this fundraising activity. FD tallies 277 calls as of Oct 31, 2001 The fire department responded to 42 calls during the month of October, bringing the total calls for the year to 277. The department responded to a total of 306 calls for all of 2000. This year's final report will be posted in January 2002. Main Street Buildings Damaged by Fire. Two buildings in the 800 block of Main Street were damaged by an early morning fire. The fire left a family homeless, and one firefighter slightly injured. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the State Police Fire Marshal's office. For more info on the fire, see our Special Report.
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Ambulance Places AED in Service... The Avoca Ambulance has placed an Automatic External Defibrillator in service recently. All members of the Ambulance and Fire Department recently underwent a certification process on its use, and the new equipment is now in service. The AED allows local responders to enhance the care given to patients in the event of a cardiac arrest. Now, local responders have the ability to defibrillate a patient prior to the arrival of paramedics in certain situations. The latest facts released show that early defibrillation increases the chances of survival quite dramatically for patients. Fire Dept. handles record number of calls in 2001... The Fire Dept. responded to 334 emergency calls during 2001. This represents the second straight year that 71 members responded to a record number of responses. The company responded to 306 calls during 2000, which was the previous record. F.D. Prepares for Upcoming FIRE Grants... Members of the Fire Department are preparing their application for the upcoming FIRE grants. Grant applications will be accepted starting on March 1, 2002. The FIRE Act is funded by the Federal Government, and is designed to assist local level responders with obtaining funding for firefighter gear and equipment, training, fitness equipment, and fire prevention services. Additional details about the grant are available at: the USFA website. New Fire Police vehicle to be put in service... You can expect to see a new addition to the 71 vehicle roster. Recently, the fire department took delivery of a used Chevrolet cargo van for use by the fire police. The van was donated by the Craft Oil Corporation in Avoca, and is expected to be in service in the next few months. The van will be used to assist the fire police in carrying out their duties by carrying flares, traffic cones, and detour horses. The van may also carry additional supplies for the FD such as extra oil dry and absorbent materials for future Haz Mat incidents. New Ambulance Arrives... The Avoca Ambulance Association is proud to announce the delivery of its newest medical care chariot. The new ambulance was delivered to the organization on October 5th, by LifeLine Inc. The new bus features an F-450 Ford Chassis and is 4 WD ready. The upgrade to 4wd ensures the ability of the ambulance organization to deliver care safely in all weather conditions. Members of the ambulance association welcome all residents to stop in and inspect the new unit, which will be placed in service on October 9th.
Monthly Meetings... The Ambulance Association holds its regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at the Emergency Services Building. All members are urged to attend. The Avoca Fire Department holds its regular monthly meetings on the third Monday of each month at the Emergency Services Building. All members are urged to attend.
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