Fire Protection

A long-delayed comprehensive fire protection plan for Washington County, with the aim of increasing efficiency of operations while accommodating future growth, is under way, according to Kevin Lewis, director of the county's Division of Emergency Services (DES). “We have to look into the future,” Lewis said Friday, noting the county's goal of ensuring that “the same programs that are being delivered in one area are being delivered across all areas.” “It's imperative that this is not just a DES initiative,” he said.

A fire-protection company currently located in Hagerstown is expected to move into the former Red Barron furniture and bedding store at 415 S. Conococheague St. in Williamsport, according to one of the owners of the building. Noel's Fire Protection LLC of 654 Frederick St. is expected to move into the Williamsport location around Sept. 1, Greg Snook said. Noel's Fire Protection specializes in fire-prevention systems for commercial and residential buildings, Snook said.   Paul Crampton Contractors Inc., which is based near Funkstown, bought the Red Barron building for $1.25 million, according to a 2007 story in The Herald-Mail.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - The Waynesboro Borough Council and Quincy Township Supervisors reached an agreement Wednesday that will provide the township with one more year of fire protection services. The two boards had differed on how much Quincy should contribute for fire service in 2008. They have now set that amount at $13,000 and agreed to negotiate for the future. The Quincy Township Supervisors had proposed drastically cutting their annual contribution in coming years. Waynesboro's fire department serves as the first responder for 21 percent of Quincy's homes.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. ? Quincy Township will start 2008 without a fire protection agreement in place for one in five of its homes. The Waynesboro Fire Department will continue to serve those homes under the old agreement while a new one is negotiated, Township Supervisor Robert "Bob" Gunder said. He said he believes a new agreement can be signed by the end of January. "They decided it's probably best to sit down with us," said Craig Newcomer, president of the Waynesboro Borough Council.

During the Christmas season, buyers need to beware, even when trying to equip their homes with adequate fire protection, authorities warn. Hagerstown Fire Marshal Tom Brown recently became aware of a situation in which an 80-year-old city resident signed a contract to have installed in her home three smoke detectors and four heat detectors at a cost of $2,000. To make matters worse, the purchase was financed at a high interest rate, which means the bottom line cost will exceed $3,000, Brown said.

All those weeks going door to door during the hottest days last summer paid off big Wednesday for Lowe's of Hagerstown and the Hagerstown Fire Department. A coveted national $10,000 grand prize was awarded to the Lowe's Heroes team, which promptly donated it to the fire department. "This has always been a great family store," said Nick Canter, senior vice president of the 550-store home improvement chain. "I'm proud of what we've done to serve this community. " More than 30 Lowe's employees joined with fire department personnel to visit nearly 4,000 Hagerstown homes in one month, checking and often replacing smoke detectors at Lowe's expense.

Four Washington County volunteer fire companies recently received grants totaling almost $6,000 from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service. The following companies received grants: ·: Hancock - $2,000 · Williamsport - $1,761 · Maugansville - $1,100 · Sharpsburg - $1,085 The grants will be used to focus on increasing capacity for wildland fire suppression needs in rural communities. Projects will include wildland personal protective equipment, skid units for building brush trucks, replacing small diameter fire hose, upgrading communications equipment, purchase of Class A foam, installation of dry fire hydrants, and other equipment to enhance wildfire suppression.

photos: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer By BRENDAN KIRBY / Staff Writer FORT RITCHIE - If a fire breaks out anywhere on this base's 638 acres, the Army puts it out. If someone commits a crime here, the military police investigate it. In a little more than two months, the Army will be gone. --cont from news -- The resulting void has Washington County officials scrambling to figure out who will provide those basic public safety services.

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. - An effort is under way to establish a volunteer fire department in Middleway, W.Va. Mike Mood, who is proposing the new department, told the Jefferson County Commission last week that firefighters take as long as 30 minutes to get to a fire in the Middleway area, which can give fire plenty of time to cause major damage to a house. A 30-minute response time is rare and the average is about 14 minutes, which is still long, Mood said. Mood also pointed to Middleway's ISO rating between 8 and 9, "which is bad," Commission President Frances Morgan said.

Hagerstown Fire Chief W. Kyd Dieterich likens the financial complexity of the city's firefighting operations to what he says is “an example everybody can relate to - toilet paper.” Some time ago, Dieterich said, a man at one of the city's volunteer-owned fire companies raised a basic question. The man knew that city government pays the salaries of a core group of career firefighters it assigns to each of the volunteer-run stations. So, Dieterich said, “he asked me, 'Why do we (volunteers)

A long-delayed comprehensive fire protection plan for Washington County, with the aim of increasing efficiency of operations while accommodating future growth, is under way, according to Kevin Lewis, director of the county's Division of Emergency Services (DES). “We have to look into the future,” Lewis said Friday, noting the county's goal of ensuring that “the same programs that are being delivered in one area are being delivered across all areas.” “It's imperative that this is not just a DES initiative,” he said.

Washington County Emergency Service Director Kevin Lewis said he was “somewhat surprised,” but not totally shocked by the County Commissioners decision Tuesday to no longer recognize the Fairplay Volunteer Fire Co. Dale Hill, president of the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, said he was concerned the commissioners “totally disregarded” recommendations from a task force the commissioners put in place last summer to...

Colorado is a popular place, known for gorgeous mountain vistas, rugged terrain, winter sports and the like. It is not usually considered a place for surfers to catch a wave. That's what makes so unusual Evan Patronik's decision to help found a company making wooden surfboards and stand-up paddleboards in Lyons, Colo., just outside Boulder. But then Patronik's long been an unusual and a quirky kind of guy. And nontraditional challenges don't faze Patronik in the least. The Hagerstown native has an undergraduate and master's degree from the University of Maryland in fire protection engineering.

Three people were bitten by two pit bulls in the area of East and Mulberry avenues Sunday afternoon and a Hagerstown Police officer shot and wounded the animals when one tried to bite him, officials said. Both animals were later euthanized, according to an email sent Monday afternoon from Washington County Humane Society spokeswoman Katherine Cooker. The dogs were a 3-year-old male and a 3-month-old male, and both will be tested for rabies, Cooker wrote in the email. A man, woman and girl were taken to Meritus Medical Center for treatment after the attacks, but the police officer did not need medical treatment, the release said.

Among the basic duties that are still prescribed to government, austerity or no, is fire protection. It's a life-or-death task that depends on discipline and dependability. That's why the Washington County Board of Commissioners could not afford to toy around any longer while the Fairplay Volunteer Fire Co. attempted to get its act together. The commissioners properly voted 4-1 to suspend operations at Fairplay this week, while a task force reorganizes the failing department.

Hagerstown Fire Chief W. Kyd Dieterich likens the financial complexity of the city's firefighting operations to what he says is “an example everybody can relate to - toilet paper.” Some time ago, Dieterich said, a man at one of the city's volunteer-owned fire companies raised a basic question. The man knew that city government pays the salaries of a core group of career firefighters it assigns to each of the volunteer-run stations. So, Dieterich said, “he asked me, 'Why do we (volunteers)

A fire-protection company currently located in Hagerstown is expected to move into the former Red Barron furniture and bedding store at 415 S. Conococheague St. in Williamsport, according to one of the owners of the building. Noel's Fire Protection LLC of 654 Frederick St. is expected to move into the Williamsport location around Sept. 1, Greg Snook said. Noel's Fire Protection specializes in fire-prevention systems for commercial and residential buildings, Snook said.   Paul Crampton Contractors Inc., which is based near Funkstown, bought the Red Barron building for $1.25 million, according to a 2007 story in The Herald-Mail.

"I've lived in Hagerstown for 71 years. I was born here. I think the city and the county is gonna go broke. They’re in the real estate business, both of them. They had 1,200-and-some people move in here — there’s no jobs. Look around at all the empty buildings you got ... so I hope they pass bills, instead of passing bills that cost money, and quit buying real estate, so we don’t have to keep paying higher taxes.” — Hagerstown “If I’m not paying taxes for fire protection and police protection, exactly what am I paying taxes for?

FAIRPLAY -- The Washington County Division of Fire and Rescue Services is investigating whether the Fairplay Volunteer Fire Company can continue to adequately provide services after the memberships of several firefighters were not renewed Tuesday. The situation could "potentially affect service delivery," said Kevin Lewis, director of the county's Fire and Rescue Services division. Officials will take "whatever actions necessary to ensure delivery," which might include working with mutual aid departments in the surrounding area to cover Fairplay, Lewis said.

We asked our Opinion Club members: With the price of energy and other necessities increasing, the average household is trimming its expenses. Should local government do the same? If your answer is "yes," can you suggest any areas for possible cutbacks? Their responses: · Many local governments keep solicitors (attorneys) on the payroll and pay them hourly for their services to arbitrate meetings, provide legal counsel where necessary, etc. Some of them are being paid up to $150 an hour to preside at meetings that often last several unnecessary hours because of stalemates, indecision, etc. Wouldn't it be more cost efficient to have meetings end at a prescribed hour thereby eliminating excessive or redundant solicitors' fees?