09:30: Stations 11, 16*, and 99 dispatched to 243 Powell Road in Penn Township for a report of a vacuum pump on fire inside of a 50’x100′ dairy barn full of hay and livestock.
*This is technically the second active call for Station 16 — they had been requested at 09:18 to assist Stations 42 and 19 with a gas odor permeating into a residence on North Pointe Circle in Seven Fields Boro. When there was no response from 16 for that call, Chief 19-2 had requested a unit from Station 22 for the fill instead.
09:31: Lieutenant 11-3 is responding to his station. Control is advising him that Middlesex Township PD is reporting heavy smoke visible from Route 8.
09:33: The second alarm is now being requested by Lieutenant 11-2.
09:34: Stations 16 (second alert), 3, 15, and 20, and Tankers 10 and 241 (Allegheny) are being alerted on the 2nd alarm for a working barn fire. Rescue 3 is en route.
09:36: All units are advised that PD is reporting a very large barn with a working fire. Tanker 11 is responding.
09:37: Second alert for Stations 20 and 10; Station 15 acknowledged while the 2nd alert was going out. Engine 15-2 is on the road. Chief 21 out of Cranberry Township is advising TN-11 that he’s at the end of Brownsdale Road and is offering to respond to assist; the response is “go ahead and respond.”
09:38: Station 20 has the call. Control is advising TN-11 that they also have RQ-3, Tanker 3, and EN-15-2 showing as en route. TN-11 is checking the status of Allegheny 241 and Control advises no word from them. Station 10 acknowledges. Tanker 20 is now en route.
09:39: Control is advising C-21 he has been added to the incident. C-21 is advising that, if needed, Tanker 19 and Rescue 22 have both cleared from their prior calls for possible Tanker/manpower assistance. TN-11 copied that directly and is requesting TN-19. TN-19 is on the air and is advising Control that they’ll call in by phone with additional information.
09:40: Control is now advising that Allegheny County has called back reporting that 241-Tanker is out of service.
09:41: Station 45 requested by the 99 ambulance for their rehab trailer to the scene. TN-19 is advising that they can respond over with an extended ETA coming from the Turnpike; TN-11 requests they start toward this incident. Ladder 3 is responding.
09:42: Two large (field/fuel? tanks) endangered per Control.
09:43: Station 27 is being placed on standby for Station 15. (TN-3 is on location?)
09:44: Porta-tank to be set up at the end of the driveway.
09:45: RQ-3 on location, laying supply line down the driveway. 99-10 is on scene.
09:46: TN-19 is marking en route.
09:49: EN-15-2 is on scene.
09:50: All incoming units are to stage on Powell Road and send their manpower to TN-11. (TN-3?) is reporting on location.
09:51: Ladder 3 is on location; they’re to park out of the way and leave room for tankers.
09:52: RQ-3 is advised they have water coming. Chief 21 out of Cranberry Township has arrived on scene and now assumed Command of this incident.
09:58: Station 12 has been alerted by requested of Incident Command for their Tanker. West Penn Power gave a 1-2 hour ETA for a crew. All Tankers should come in off Brownsdale.
10:01: The second alert for Station 12 is going out due to no acknowledgment.
10:02: Chief 16-2 is the first acknowledgment out of Station 16.
10:03: Command is asking Water Supply if they’re established because they still don’t have water. WS advises water is on its way.
10:05: Chief 12 is acknowledging for his Station.
10:06: Command is instructing Water Supply to continue to increase their pressure.
10:07: Command still needs more pressure to specific apparatus, but Water Supply reports they’re sending all they’ve got already.
10:09: C-19-2 is advising Command they currently have a line stretched into position but they’re waiting for water on it.
10:10: TN-19 is approaching the scene on Powell Road.
10:12: Command is good for water. Water Supply is now just waiting for Tankers to return from the hydrant (to refill the porta-tank?).
10:15: (Water Supply?) is out of Tankers and will they’ll be out of water until apparatus return. Command is requesting assistance from the road department; they’ll still have a lot of hay that will need pulled apart.
10:17: Water Supply (seems to urgently) need an Engine to pump the hydrant; they are not getting enough pressure out of it.
10:18: Control is advising Command of possible secondary hydrant locations to check (the map is not always current).
10:19: FIRE FIGHTER DOWN DUE TO PARTIAL COLLAPSE. EMS NEEDED TO TANKER 11 NOW.
10:20: Next due Engine needed dispatched for pumping hydrant.
10:22: The additional ambulance, 99-3, is now being cancelled per the ambulance on scene, 99-10. Tanker 16 on location.
10:25: Command requests Station 13 for another Tanker; they’re being toned out.
10:27: Command is advising all units that the silo is reported to be empty. Road department machinery is incoming to assist in pulling apart hay.
10:28: Neighbors are going to assist with a skid-loader, as well, per C-3. Command is verifying exposures are controlled on all 4 sides at this time and C-3 is confirming.
10:30: At the one-hour benchmark, Command reports they have the main fire under control; they’re mostly working on tearing apart the hay. They have 6 hand lines in operation, and they’re working on controlling exposures.
10:33: Command advises that PD is attempting to free up some officers working traffic control and are looking for Fire Police to work the intersections of Powell @ Brownsdale and Powell @ Rt 8. Control advises he’ll re-alert (15?) and try the countywide FP activation as well.
10:40: Command is checking with Water Supply about the possibility of a 2nd porta-tank.
10:41: Command advises that Rehab has been established next to TN-11. Incoming units are now being instructed to stage and assist with relieving manpower as crews have been operating over an hour now.
10:42: Water supply and pressure is still an ongoing issue and someone is saying to set up another porta-tank, but they’re being told there aren’t enough tankers on scene for that.
10:45: Command needs more tankers to the scene; he’s at least 3 deep in the run card, requesting 35, Allegheny Stations 290, 241. Beaver Station 52 since 241 already reported out of service.
10:46: Stations 35 and 27 alerted for additional tankers.
10:48: Station 36 toned out to stand by for the Buffalo Twp area.
10:52: TN-13 is approaching.
10:52: Allegheny 169 is requested to cover all of 15 and 27’s areas for the duration of the incident as 220 is also on this call and unavailable to stand by.
10:53: A front-end loader has arrived.
14:55: The scene remains active. The fill site can be shut down now. TN-12 is the latest unit calling back in service.
15:22: All remaining units from Station 15 are clear from the scene, and TN-27 is released from their standby at Station 15.