Monday brings Wires Down, First Due Water Source Inspections, a Gas Leak, and a Power Outage

On Monday, June 18, at 1:30 PM, Engine 4-9-1 responded to wires down call on Plank Road. A tractor trailer had pulled down electric & telephone wires and a pole transformer. The pole was also split at the bottom and required attention. Oil from inside the downed transformer also required clean up. 4-9 units cleared the Plank Road scene at 3:32 PM.\
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Later that evening, Engines 4-9-1 & 4-9-2 were loaded up with crews and split up to go inspect and test water flows at various water sources in our first due area in Salisbury Township. Due to there being no pressurized fire hydrants in our first due response area, in the event of a large fire we are forced to obtain water from various cisterns, creeks and ponds in the area.\
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Engine 4-9-1’s crew inspected and checked flows at fill sites on Churchtown Road, Mount Vernon Road, and Blank Road; Engine 4-9-2’s crew inspected and checked flows at fill sites on Spring Garden Road, Buena Vista Road, and Elam Road.\
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Later, at 9:07 PM, the fire company and ambulance were dispatched to the 5700 block of Kingsfield Drive in the Glen Oaks Development in Salisbury Township for a gas leak. The caller was reporting a gas leak in the basement. Upon arrival of the responding units, it was traced to a faulty fireplace. Ambulance 4-9 checked one resident whom was exposed to the gas. The patient thankfully did not require transport to the hospital. Station 4-9 units cleared the scene at 10:03 PM.\
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Just as units were returning to the station after the gas leak, two large transformers in the PPL Electric substation located behind the Kinzer Fire Station failed, and knocked out power to an approximate 5 to 6 mile radius, including Gap and White Horse. Our newly-installed emergency generator at our fire station automatically activated and worked as expected. This generator enables the fire station to be under electric power at all times and enables the fire station, if needed, to be used as an emergency shelter & emergency operations center in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.\
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