10/30/07 Truck Snags Wires on Evesham Road - closed for hours

At about 2:30 pm, a tractor trailer was coming out of an office facility's driveway on Evesham Road, just west of Springdale and snagged the overhead wires on the top of the truck's cab. The accident pulled down wires and the pole they were attached to. The driver managed to escape unharmed. There were no other vehicles involved. There were no injuries reported.

The Cherry Hill Fire Department responded as a precaution because of the wires burning and the fact that they were down on a vehicle. Voorhees and Cherry Hill Police kept Evesham Road blocked between Springdale and Berlin Roads for several hours (still at 6 pm) while PSE & G cut power to the downed wires, and restored service - during the afternoon rush hour. Several hundred public utility customers had periodic disruption in their services.

Capital Bond Update, 10/07 - Fleet Improvements

Our recent success in garnering bond funds to address fleet needs is starting to take hold in genuine fashion. Plans for a new pumper, a new ladder, and two new Squrts, are in process and there are dates firming up for expected deliveries in 2008.

In early October, we found CHFD Mechanic, Keith Smith, working on the Squrt unit we will be sending to Pierce Manufacturing to be outfitted on a new chassis and with a new body. A “Squrt” is an aerial device used to direct firefighting master streams (large volume streams) on large fires. They are also very applicable in a suburban setting, like Cherry Hill, for their ability to get the streams close in to a building easily, without the need for personnel at the tip of a ladder or in a bucket. The device is operated entirely on the ground by the Driver/Operator. Also, the articulating (sections are hinged, elbow like) Squrts concept that CHFD uses, with two sections, can also be directed to work “below grade”, like in a basement window for instance. And according to Captain Parks, “is much easier to rebuild than many other aerial devices. Basically, with the exception of a few NFPA regulations, the Squrts of today are nearly identical”.

The used Squrt unit Smith was working on was purchased with this idea from the beginning. According to Captain Parks at the CHFD Motor Maintenance Shop, “We planned on using two refurbished Squrt devices, instead of two new, expensive and more heavily regulated Squrts, from the beginning”. The 54 foot, 1971 Squrt device seen was purchased via a vendor from the Colwyn Fire Co, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania for a mere $5,000. New Squrt devices can cost as much as $170,000 and can only be placed on American LaFrance fire apparatus. A refurbished Squrt only has to meet the requirements of the year it was built, and can be placed on any manufacturer’s fire apparatus allowing fire departments to shop for the best unit for their money.

The CHFD Motor Maintenance Shop will be entirely removing the Squrt device from the chassis and sending it to the Pierce Manufacturing plant in Appelton, Wisconsin to be placed on a new Pierce fire truck chassis and outfitted with a new body. Parks elaborated; “We anticipate re-building costs to be less than half that of purchasing a new Squrt apparatus”.

CHFD plans include using this refurbished Squrt, and that of their own 1987 Squrt device, also set to be refurbished, expanding their fleet to 2 Squrts, and re-utilizing them for about 15 more years. A “pre-construction trip” to Wisconsin, for discussions on all these fleet changes, is expected during the week of October 22nd, 2007. Expected delivery of the new pumper and ladder trucks is currently for late March or April of 2008, and late May or early June for the two refurbished Squrts. “Of course, these dates are subject to change”, added Captain Parks.

10-15-07 - Retired Chief Ulshafer visits CHFD

Retired Fire Chief, Roger Ulshafer, and his wife Marge enjoyed a recent visit to Cherry Hill to catch up with the latest happenings within the fire department. Chief Ulshafer toured Garden State Park and the projected new fire station site. In addition, Ladder Co. 2B gave the Chief and his wife a warm welcome and tour of their new quarters. Station 2 was Chief Ulshafer's first post in Cherry Hill, a significant departure from 3rd and Spring Garden.

Later in the day, there was a visit to Fire Station 3 where Chief Ulshafer was briefed on the new Recruit Fire Academy course of instruction, background investigation process and "CHFD REAL" firefighter programs. Recruit Class 07-01 had the privilege to form up in the classroom for some words of wisdom from the 40 year fire service leader. After that, a quick stop at the CHFD Motor Maintenance Shop where Chief Ulshafer caught up with Tom, Emil and Keith. He was enthused with the Squrt refurb and remarked of the great success he experienced using the Squrt device at many extra alarm fires in Philadelphia.

10/07/07 CHFD Hazardous Materials unit responds to Camden City

Cherry Hill Hazardous Materials Unit was called to Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital to assist the Camden City Fire Department with a 125 lb Freon Cylinder that was leaking in the basement. Members of both Cherry Hill and Camden Fire Departments removed the cylinder from the basement and stopped the leak by using sidewall patches. The cylinder was then placed into the Cherry Hill Fire Departments containment vessel. The Hospital was thoroughly checked and metered to ensure that there was no threat to the patients and faculty. A small amount of product was released into the building with no threat to the hospital .