Incidents

January 2004

Afternoon Building Fire for the 6th Battalion

On January 28th Squad 49 was alerted for fire coming out of 14022 Vista Drive. Units arrived on the scene and had fire coming out on a corner unit behind a electrical box. Utilities were secured and the fire was extinguished on the outside of the condo. Squad 49 operated on the interior by performing overhaul and ventilation. Squad 49 cleared in approximately 2 hours. No injuries were reported.

Attic Fire on Brooklyn Bridge Road

Photo courtesy of laurelvfd.org

On January 26, 2003 a street assignment was struck for 7311 Brooklyn Bridge Road for the house fire. First arriving units on the scene encounter smoke showing from the top level. Squad 49 operated in the structure and did a primary and secondary search, and venting operations by cutting holes into the roof. Extensive overhaul was required due to the small confined space in the attic. Units from 49 cleared in approximately 3 hours. One firefighter was injured and transported to local area hospital and was later released.

Searching for Life - Against Time, Without Sight

Assistant Volunteer Chief Eric Globerman, left, and Volunteer Firefighters Daniel Dodd, center, and Brendan Gill, right,
demonstrate the use of Laurel Rescue Squad's thermal imaging device.
The group recently used the imager to locate two fire victims on Montrose Avenue in Laurel, MD.
Photo By: Chauncey Bowers

On January 25, 2004, things would change quickly for Volunteer Firefighter Daniel Dodd. Responding to a routine house fire in Laurel, MD would quickly escalate into rescuing two people he had never seen before. Read More..

New Thermal Imagers Used in Rescue of Fire Victims.

Photo courtesy of laurelvfd.org

January 25, 2004. Just before 4pm fire fighters from the Laurel area were dispatched to 925 Montrose Ave. in Laurel for reported house on fire. Engine 103 was first on the scene and was told that the residents were still in the house. While the fire was being extinguished the crew from Squad 49 searched the first floor. Through the use of thermal imagers, the crews from Squad 49 located the two occupants. The occupants were removed from the house and transported to a Regional Burn Center.

Box Alarm Struck for 15629 Plaid Drive

Photo: Mark Brady

On Friday January 23 2004, Squad 49, Ambulances 499, 496 and Medic 49 were alerted for a report of fire coming from the second story window of 15629 Plaid Drive. The first arriving crews found heavy fire and smoke conditions coming from the second floor of the middle row townhouse. Crews from Laurel, Burtonsville and Beltsville quickly went to work extinguishing the blaze and protecting the surrounding structures. The fire was contained to the original townhouse and caused an estimated $35,000 in damages. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is thought to be a space heater left too close to combustible materials. Crews from 49 cleared in approximately 4 hours.

Working Fire in Beltsville

January 17 was a busy day for Laurel Rescue. Crews responded to 31 calls, with no end in sight when the night shift came in and took over. Saturday night crew responded to another working fire at 0159 AM on Sunday January, 18, 2004, making it the second fire of the night. Units from Beltsville, Greenbelt, Glendale, and others responded to the 9200 block of Power Mill Road for a report of smoke in the building. Engine 312 (Beltsville) arrived on the scene and had a building employee come up to them reporting that a basement room was on fire. Engine 312 put an initial knock on the fire, and at the same time a concern was raised about a possible asbestos insulation in the ceiling. Crews put the fire out and then stood by as the PGFD Haz Mat team came in and assessed the situation. Rescue Squad 49, A498 and C49 (Morgan) cleared the scene at approximately 5 AM. No injuries were reported.

Squad 49 Operates on Howard County Task Force Fire

On January 17 2004, Squad 49 and Ambulance 499 responded to 9703 Early Springway for a town house fire in Howard County. Howard County units from Savage (Engine 61 and Truck 6) arrived first on the scene with heavy fire showing. Command requested a fire task force and that brought Squad 49 and 499. Units from 49 were used as the RIC team (rapid intervention crew) and remained on the scene for approximately one hour. The fire was quickly put out and no injuries were reported.

Car Overturned in the Woods

In the early morning hours of January 13 2004, Squad 49, A498 and Medic 49 responded with units from 31 (Beltsville) to the Baltimore Washington Parkway near Powermill Road for a car off the road into the trees. Squad 49 arrived on the scene and found a car up a hill, into the woods and on its side. The driver was transported for a check up.from his injuries.

2004 Laurel Rescue Elections

Tuesday January 13 2004 was election night for the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad. Congratulations to the members chosen to lead our Company for the 2004 year. Dave Morgan, Mark Arsenault and Eric Globerman will continue to lead our organization as chiefs.

Click below to see the list of the rest of the operational officers.

Click here for a posting of all the officers.