Windber Fire Department, Windber Pennsylvania, USA

Windber Fire Department - Protecting the community of Windber Pennsylvania since 1899

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Welcome To The WFD's Website

The WFD has been providing volunteer fire-rescue services to the community of Windber since its formation in 1899. We currently utilize five vehicles to provide a wide range of emergency and nonemergency services to those in Windber Borough, Paint Township, Ogle Township, and vicinity. Check back often, as our site is updated regularly in order to provide you with up-to-date information about what the WFD does and what it is all about.

Happy Halloween - Parade & Trick or Treat Info

Fire Prevention Week - October 5-11, 2008

The WFD At Work

Fire Prevention Week - Prevent Home Fires!

October 9 - As Fire Prevention Week continues, Windber firefighters spent several hours today conducting fire safety classes for the children enrolled in the day care at the Windber Library. After the fire safety lessons, the kids saw what a firefighter looks like in protective clothing and SCBA and got to climb through a fire engine.

Fully-Involved Dumpster Fire in Ogletown

October 7 - The WFD's first call of the day was a motorcycle accident with injury at 9^th Street/Somerset Avenue at 0929 hours. Engine 611-1's crew assisted with patient care and traffic control before clearing debris from the road. Engine 611-1 was back in service within a ½ hour.

Then at 2038 hours, the WFD was dispatched for a controlled burn now out of control on Mount Carmel Drive in Ogletown. Assistant 611 arrived to find a commercial dumpster in the driveway fully-involved in fire. Engine 611-1 was instructed to initiate fire attack as Engine 611-2 and Truck 611 responded with additional water. After initial knockdown, a backhoe was used to empty the dumpster so firefighters could wet down the debris and ensure the fire was extinguished. While the engines went to refill with water in Rummel, Tanker 38-21 (Alum Bank) was dispatched to assist. Approximately 2500 gallons of water was used. All 611 units returned to service at 2249 hours.

Truck Assists School District

October 3 - Truck 611 assisted the Windber Area School District for 1½ hours starting at 0900 hours. The truck's aerial device was used to check the internet connections at the elementary school and the high school/middle school.

WFD Investigates Odor

October 2 - The WFD was dispatched at 2041 hours to investigate an odor of home heating fuel that was present in the basements of three Cambria Avenue residences. Truck 611, Engine 611-1, and Assistant 611 responded. Crews checked the affected residences along with nearby manholes and residences to determine the source and affected area. Crews then flushed the sewer system, ventilated the basements, and returned to service at 2152 hours after the odor was no longer present.

More Training

September 28 - Firefighters spent the afternoon going over the vehicle rescue equipment and what operations need performed at a vehicle accident.

Windber Area High School's Homecoming

September 24 - Windber firefighters spent the evening at the Homecoming activities of the Windber Area High School. Crews from Engine 611-1, Engine 611-2, Truck 611, and Squad 611 lit the bonfire at the Windber Recreation Park and stood by. Truck 611 then provided fire watch duties for the fireworks display.

Engine Transfer

September 22 - At 1804 hours, Engine 611-1 was dispatched to stand by at the Alum Bank fire station. The engine stood by without handling any additional calls and returned to Windber at 2056 hours.

Fire Alarm & Vehicle Overturned

September 21 - The WFD's first call of the day was a vehicle accident with rollover on Shady Lane in Paint Township at 0043 hours. Engine 611-1 responded and found one car on its roof with the driver self-extricated. The engine crew provided lighting, checked for hazards and cleared debris before returning to service at 0143 hours. Then at 1750 hours, units were dispatched to a commercial fire alarm on Pomroys Drive; Truck 611 and Chief 611 investigated the alarm and were in service at 1806 hours.

Kids Day America™

September 20 - Starting at noon, the WFD hosted Kids Day America. The four hour event was sponsored by Dr Jason Zablotney from the Windber Chiropractic Clinic and is dedicated to children's health, safety, and environmental awareness. Kids Day featured health screenings, spiderman, facepainting, clowns, a magic show, a gymnastics show, a police K9 demonstration, police fingerprinting, fire apparatus displays, safety handouts, games and much more.

For a short time during Kids Day, Squad 611, Deputy 611, and Captain Stiffler handled a traffic control detail for a motorcycle run near the Bunker Inn.

Below are some pictures of the work detail held to clean up the firehouse in preparation for the Kids' Day America event.

Minor Accident

September 12 - In the mid-afternoon hours, the WFD was dispatched to a vehicle accident with injuries at Jefferson Avenue & 8^th Street after EMS found the accident in our first due (EMS was responding to the incident which was originally reported as being in neighboring fire district 616). Engine 611-1 arrived to find a single vehicle involved with no injuries. The engine crew checked for hazards and assisted Squad 611 with traffic control for a short time until the vehicle was removed from traffic lanes.

Three Calls For The Day

September 10 - At 0926 hours, the WFD was sent back to the scene of the Louella Drive structure fire after the lone standing wall fell onto hot embers and ignited. Engine 611-1's crew extinguished the rekindle and returned to service at 1030 hours. Note: The smoking tree in the left picture was struck by lightning and was hollowed out by the resulting fire which also spread to the vacant house.

A blast from the past,
Engineer Mark Moore

Then, at 1436, the WFD was dispatched to assist police with cleanup of paint thinner that was spilled onto the Westbound lanes of Route 56 just west of 21^st Street. Fire police arrived on scene first and cancelled Squad 611 because a road construction crew was handling the cleanup. A short time later, units were dispatched at 1455 hours for a flue fire on Church Drive in Paint Township. Truck 611 arrived to find normal conditions at a two-story single family house. Upon investigation, the homeowner thought he had a flue fire when he fired up his furnace and thick black smoke poured from the chimney. Truck 611 cleared at 1517 hours.

Standby & First Due Structure Fire

September 9 - The day started at 0443 hours when Engine 611-1 was dispatched to transfer to Richland Township's headquarters fire station for standby while they were operating at a structure fire. Engine 611-1 returned an hour later.

A half hour later, the WFD was dispatched to an unknown type fire on Louella Drive in Paint Township. Police arrived first to report a working structure fire in an abandoned two-story house. At that time, Engine 611-1 had the first alarm assignment dispatched. Since the structure was abandoned and with fire coming from the roof and a window on side bravo upon Engine 611-1's arrival, the engine crew began an exterior attack with a 2½" attack line.

Truck 611 arrived next and provided its water to Engine 611-1 which was able to knock down most of the fire until running out of water (nearest hydrant was nearly one mile away). Engine 616-1 established a fill site at a pond a ½ mile away for a tanker shuttle. Once the shuttle was established and mutual aid companies arrived, additional attack lines were pulled. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a nearby water source, the structure was a total loss. Crews remained on scene for nearly six hours and dumped approximately 20,000 gallons of water. All 611 units returned to service at 1145 hours.

Minor Vehicle Accident

September 8 - At 1256 hours, units were dispatched to a vehicle accident at Somerset Avenue & 7^th Street. Engine 611-1 and Squad 611 responded and arrived to find two vehicles involved with everyone out of the vehicles. Crews secured the vehicles and checked for hazards before returning to service at 1308 hours.

20^th Annual Dog Run

September 5 & 6 - This weekend, thousands of motorcyclists were in Windber for the 20^th Annual Windber Dog Run. The annual charity motorcycle ride features an Early Registration Party on Friday evening in the downtown area of Windber and the Dog Run Party at the Windber Recreation Park on Saturday night following the motorcycle ride. Visit the Dog Run website for more information on this event.

During Friday evening, Windber firefighters operated one of the two pubs for the pre-registration party. On Saturday, Truck 611 and Central City FD's Truck 626 formed an arch with their aerial ladders (with the American flag waving below) for the motorcyclists to ride underneath while Engine 611-1 and Squad 611 assisted police and fire police with traffic control for the ride. Engine 611-1 then stood by at the dog run party's fireworks display from 2115 hours until 2250 hours.