Engine 24 Receives Certification for Rescue and Quick Response Srvice
August 13, 2008

The Officers and membership of the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Co. are proud to announce that its fire engine (Engine 24) is now certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as a licensed/certified Quick Response Service (QRS) and as a rescue at the responder level through the Pennsylvania voluntary rescue certification program. This certification process is unique in that most fire engines in our area are not certified as QRS or rescue vehicles.

What does this mean for the residents of Greenfield Township and its surrounding communities?

Greenfield responds to, on average, one emergency call every day. As such, there have been times when we have had “back to back” emergencies in the Township. When that occurs, neighboring communities respond to assist us (likewise, when it happens to them, we reciprocate). The QRS recognition allows Engine 24 to patient care, prior to the arrival of a mutual aide ambulance, when Greenfield Ambulance is unavailable for any reason (e.g., such as another call or maintenance).

While there were some significant costs to meet the rigid requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH), the membership felt that the ever-increasing demand for Greenfield Ambulance warranted alternate protection inside the Township that makes the QRS a valuable service. In order to be licensed/certified, Greenfield had to apply for the program through the Pennsylvania DOH. This process required months of work by officers and members. This included the application, documentation of training and certifications for all department members, driver rosters, operational policies, mutual aid agreements, vehicle inspection documents as well as checklists for all equipment carried.

In addition to required equipment, Greenfield firefighters had to prove that they met the extensive training requirements for both medical care and rescue responses. Greenfield has always taken the position that fire and ambulance staff should be cross-trained. That cross training coupled with our dedication to voluntary fire fighter certification provided the springboard to the QRS and Rescue license and certification.

Members of the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Company are very proud to meet the requirements to participate in the Voluntary Rescue Service Program. We also would like to thank the Staff of the Emergency Medical Services Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional (EMSNP) for their assistance in guiding us through the process and encouraging us to strive for excellence. Special thanks to Bucks County Community college for providing the training and national certifications that helped us meet this challenge and will allow us to better serve our community.

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Wayne County Structure Fire - September 18, 2008

Greenfield Firefighters made the trip into Wayne County as part of the two-alarm structure fire in Honesdale. Shortly after 4 PM on Thursday, Greenfield was dispatched to relocate a fire engine to Waymart Borough to cover the Borough and Canaan Township. Waymart was called into Honesdale to provide additional firefighters and assist in the water delivery operation. On the assignment in Waymart were Greenfield Engine and Jefferson Township Water Tender.

Greenfield Firefighters covered call in Waymart until shortly after 7 PM. While Greenfield was relocated, Clifford Fire Company was standing by to cover AM incidents in Greenfield Township.

See Wayne Independent for photos:

http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x154122130/Fire-destroys-East-Street-home

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U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,642,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,245 civilian fire fatalities, 16,400 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $11,307,000,000 in direct property loss. There was a civilian fire death every 162 minutes and a civilian fire injury every 32 minutes in 2006. Home fires caused 2,580, or 80%, of the civilian fire deaths. Fires accounted for seven percent of the 24,470,000 total calls. Nine percent of the calls were false alarms; sixty-two percent of the calls were for aid such as EMS. READ FULL REPORT