 LAWRENCE ROAD FIRE CO.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS |
| STRUCTURE FIRE |
| Date & Time: Monday, April 7, 2008 – 1:09 p.m. |
| Location: Homasote Co., 900 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing Township, N.J. |
| Details: Crews from all three Ewing Township fire companies were dispatched at 1:08 p.m. on Box 33-10 for a possible fire at the Homasote plant. Ewing police arrived on scene moments later and reported fire showing from the roof. With confirmation of a working fire, Mercer County Central immediately redispatched all three Ewing fire companies and also dispatched Lawrence Road’s Rescue 22 to the scene for rapid intervention team duties. Engine 33 arrived at 1:13 p.m. to find Homasote employees already trying to fight the fire with a hoseline. The blaze originated in the area of one of the paper recycling plant’s industrial dryers and spread to the roof via the exhaust ducts. Rescue 22 responded at 1:13 p.m. and reached the scene at 1:21 p.m. Rescue 22’s crew set up as the RIT and stood by as Ewing firefighters tackled the blaze. The fire was officially declared under control at 1:42 p.m. Rescue 22 was recalled at 1:53 p.m. and was back in quarters by 2:04 p.m. Apparatus that operated at the scene included: Engine 33, Engine 32, Rescue 32, Ladder Tower 31, Engine 31, and Rescue 22. |
| Responding LRFC Personnel |
| Rescue 22 |
| Officer: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr. | Driver: Paid Driver Robert Santello |
| Crew: Capt. Michael Byrd | Crew: Ff. Sean Ryan |
| Crew: Ff. Matthew Farletta | Crew: Ff. Keith Kent |
| LIVE BURN TRAINING EXERCISE |
| Date & Time: Saturday, April 12, 2008 |
| Location: Middlesex County Fire Academy, 1001 Fire Academy Drive, Sayreville, N.J. |
| Details: A crew of Lawrence Road Fire Co. volunteers, manning Telesquirt 22, took part in a live burn training exercise with members of the Slackwood and Lawrenceville fire companies on the grounds of Middlesex County Fire Academy. Taking part were Ffs. Shaun Dlabik, Matthew Farletta, Ryan Dlabik, Theresa Androvett, Keith Kent and Michael Guala. |
| SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT |
| Date & Time: Sunday, April 13, 2008 |
| Location: National Guard Armory, Eggerts Crossing Road, Lawrence Township, N.J. |
| Details: A crew of Lawrence Road Fire Co. volunteers, manning Engine 22, provided support during a “Support the Troops” pancake breakfast held at the armory. Taking part were Safety Officer James Yates, Capt. Michael Byrd, and Ffs. Shaun Dlabik, Andrew Fosina, and Ryan Dlabik. |
| COVER ASSIGNMENT |
| Date & Time: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 – 09:52 a.m. |
| Location: Engine Co. #1, 460 Calhoun Street, City of Trenton, N.J. |
| Details: At 9:52 a.m. Mercer County Central dispatched the Lawrence Road and Slackwood fire companies with a request for Rescue 22 and Snorkel 21 to relocate to the City of Trenton’s Calhoun Street firehouse to cover Engine 1 and Ladder 1. At the time, Trenton firefighters were busy battling a two-alarm fire. The blaze, which was reported about 9:25 a.m., damaged a row of five houses in the 100 block of Sweets Avenue. Rescue 22 arrived at the Calhoun Street firehouse at 10:05 a.m., followed by Snorkel 21 at 10:07 a.m. Both units stood by there, without receiving any emergency assignments, until they were recalled at 12:24 p.m. Rescue 22 was back in quarters by 12:32 p.m. |
| Responding LRFC Personnel |
| Rescue 22 |
| Officer: Capt. Ed Budzinski | Driver: Ff. Matthew Farletta |
| Crew: Capt. Michael Byrd | Crew: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr. |
| Crew: Ff. Sean Ryan | Crew: Ff. Adam Rivera |
| STRUCTURE FIRE |
| Date & Time: Thursday, April 17, 2008 – 3:09 a.m. |
| Location: 1601 Scenic Drive, Ewing Township, N.J. |
| Details: At 2:55 a.m. all three Ewing Township fire companies were dispatched on Box 33-10 by Mercer County Central for a possible structure fire. First-arriving firefighters reported a smoke condition inside the apartment, then discovered a working fire. As crews stretched a hoseline into the apartment, Mercer County Central at 3:09 a.m. redispatched all three Ewing fire companies and also dispatched Lawrence Road’s Rescue 22 as the rapid intervention team. Rescue 22 responded at 3:14 a.m. and arrived on scene at 3:24 a.m. Rescue 22’s crew assembled their tools and took a standby position as the RIT near the command post. The blaze was contained to the one apartment and was placed under control at 3:31 a.m. Rescue 22 was relieved of RIT duties and recalled at 4:01 a.m. Rescue 22 was back in quarters by 4:10 a.m. Apparatus that operated at scene included: Engine 33, Ladder Tower 33, Ladder Tower 31, Squirt 31, Engine 31, Telesquirt 32, Rescue 32, and Rescue 22. |
| Responding LRFC Personnel |
| Rescue 22 |
| Officer: Lt. Richard Laird III | Driver: Ff. Shaun Dlabik |
| Crew: Capt. Michael Byrd | Crew: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr. |
| Crew: Ff. Matthew Farletta | Crew: Ff. Ryan Dlabik |
| Crew: Ff. Michael Guala |
| STRUCTURE FIRE |
| Date & Time: Monday, April 28, 2008 – 6:46 a.m. |
| Location: 4 Burning Tree Lane, Lawrence Township, N.J. |
| Details: At 6:46 a.m. Mercer County Central transmitted Box 22-20 and dispatched the Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville and Slackwood fire companies to 4 Burning Tree Lane for a possible structure fire. Township police officers arrived on the scene moments later and discovered a working fire in the kitchen. As residents fled to safety, Officer Michael Smith attempted to combat the blaze with a dry chemical extinguisher. Telesquirt 22 reached the scene at 6:52 a.m. and its crew stretched a 1.75-inch hoseline into the dwelling. They encountered a heavy smoke condition but soon found that the bulk of the fire had been knocked down by police. Ladder Tower 23 arrived at 6:55 a.m., followed by Engine 22 at 6:56 a.m., Engine 21 at 6:57 a.m., Snorkel 21 at 6:58 a.m. and Telesquirt 23 at 6:59 a.m. Firefighters finished extinguishing the blaze, then opened up part of a wall and used a thermal imaging camera to check for hot spots and fire extension. Investigators later determined that the blaze started when an electric space heater in the kitchen ignited a cat's scratching post. Both the space heater and scratching post were completely destroyed and the flames spread to the wall and cabinets nearby before the fire was extinguished. The entire kitchen sustained major smoke and heat damage, while the rest of the house sustained moderate smoke damage. Fans were used to vent the smoke from the house. Police Officer Smith was transported to the hospital as a precaution to be treated for smoke inhalation. All firefighters cleared the scene by 7:49 a.m. and were back in quarters by 7:54 a.m. |
| Responding LRFC Personnel |
| Telesquirt 22 |
| Officer: Capt. Edward Kitchen | Driver: Ff. Andrew Fosina |
| Crew: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr. | Crew: Ff. Keith Kent |
| Crew: Ff. Ryan Dlabik |
| Engine 22 |
| Officer: Capt. Ed Budzinski | Driver: Deputy Chief John Fleming |
| Crew: Ff. Michael Guala |
| Car 22 |
| Chief Richard Farletta |