Shooting in Laurel
April 29, 2006

Shortly after 2PM on Saturday, April 29, 2006, units from Laurel and Calverton were alerted to the vicinity of Old Gunpowder and Van Dusen Roads in Laurel for a report of one person shot. As units were responding to the area, information became sketchy as to the exact location of the patient. Some reports indicated that the patient may be in the gravel pits, whereas others indicated that the patient was on a trail closer to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s headquarters on Sweitzer Lane. In the end, after thoroughly checking the area and the call taker at Communications thoroughly questioning the caller, the patient was found to be in the area of the end of Chevy Chase Drive.

Medic 49 arrived with the patient after PG County police secured the scene and discovered a patient with several gunshots from a reported smaller caliber gun. The patient was classified as a priority 1 trauma and Maryland State Police, Aviation Division was requested for a medevac mission. Trooper 8 responded, and the transported the patient to an area trauma center. Engine 104 split their crew, with half providing EMS support to Medic 49, EMS 11 and Ambulance 419, and the other half handled the landing zone, which was at the scene.

Brush Fire in the Pits
April 25, 2006

As Tuesday night’s duty crew was preparing to begin on April 25, 2006, a local alarm was dispatched for Van Dusen Road near Old Gunpowder Road for a brush fire off of a dirt road off Van Dusen Road.

As the crew from E104 predicted, this was a working brush fire seated deep inside the pits, with access by most engine company nearly impossible. This in mind, Sgt. Thaxton special called a brush truck (BX31) to meet us at Virginia Manor & Van Dusen. For the second time in one day, BX31 was up the challenge, and came to play in Laurel once again. Chief 41A (Tomlins) also responded.

Upon arriving at the actual scene of the fire (which was between 1/2 - 1 mile in the pits), Chief 41A special called 3 additional brush trucks (BX70, BX72, BX78) due to the conditions and size of the fire, which appeared to have been burning for a good deal of time. Communications were then switched to channel 10 for communications purposes, and 41A established the Van Dusen Road command.

Companies 10 and 31 got the fire under control in a short amount of time, and held BX70 to assist in mopping up. The other 2 BX units that were specialed were returned to service. Company 41 was transferred to 10 while we were out.

First Due Crash with Multiple Patients
April 16, 2006

In the early afternoon of Easter 2006, members of the LVFD were releaxing and enjoying beautiful weather on Easter Sunday. Just about 3PM, the rescue assignment was sounded for the report of a van overturned near route 198 (Sandy Spring Road). As units were responding, further information advised of a van overturned with possible patients entrapped, and the assignment was upgraded to reflect the reported entrapment. However, upon their arrival, firefighters were quickly able to confirm that no one was trapped or pinned.

Command was established and, in the end, 3 BLS ambulances and 1 medic unit operated on the scene. A total of 7 patients were transported to local hospitals. One patient was transported to an area trauma center as a precuation. Ambulance 499 was placed out of service on the scene due to being struck by a vehicle leaving the scene.

Engine Runs Howard 3rd Alarm House Fire
April 13, 2006

In the early morning of April 13, 2006, units from Scaggsville (Howard County company 11) and surrounding areas were alerted for a reported house fire. The first arriving unit, E-111, arrived and found fire on side charlie, in the balcony area. A fire task force was struck, bringing E-103, as well as many additional units from Howard and surrounding counties. A second, then third, alarm was struck out to assist with water supply, as the house is in a non-hydranted portion of the western part of Scaggsville's first due area.

E-103 was initially assigned to the fill site, to fill tankers as they shuttled water, and was then relocated into staging. The wagon cleared staging shortly before 0600.

Large Brush Fire in Laurel
March 10, 2006

In the wee hours (shortly after 1 AM) of March 10, 2006, Chief 48A (West Lanham Hills VFD) called in an large fire in the woods at the end of Cinder Road (off of Virginia Manor Road), and requested 2 engines due to the size of the fire and the wind blowing as hard as it was. Units from Laurel and Beltsville worked the fire until shortly after 0600, and returned later in the day for another portion of the fire, which had not been controlled. Many of the same units operated on the day time portion of the fire. The cause of the incident is believed to be an auto fire.

House Fire in West Laurel
February 24, 2006

At 2119 hours on February 24, 2006, just as the Friday night duty crew was sitting down to enjoy some Red Hot & Blue, a box alarm was sounded for the 7300 block of Brooklyn Bridge Road. The first arriving unit, Chief 49B from Laurel Rescue, advised of fire through the roof with a report of people still inside. The fire was quickly knocked down by the crew from E103, but units were held for approximately 2 hours to clean up. No injuries were reported.

2nd Alarm Apartment Fire in Laurel
February 3, 2006

At approximately 11:45 on the morning of February 3, 2006, units from Laurel and the surrounding area were alerted for a reported apartment building fire in the 8800 block of Hunting Lane. First arrving A-496 arrived to find smoke showing from the third floor on side alpha. Battalion Chief 6 arrived shortly thereafter, and confirmed the smoke showing, and requested a second alarm. E-101, with the career staff, cleared shortly after they were scheduled to get off work . 16 residents were displaced, and were assisted by Prince George's County Office of Emergency Management.

2nd Alarm Asphalt Fire in Jessup
January 30, 2006

At 5:33 PM on Monday, January 30, 2006, units from Howard and Prince George's Counties were dispatched to the intersection of Patuxent Range Road and Dorsey Run Road for a report of an explosion with fire and reported injured persons. First arriving units found an explosion in an asphalt pot at the Trumbell Asphalt plant, where asphalt is used to manufacture roofing shingles. A fire task force and second alarm was quickly requested, as well as BWI Airport's Rescue 431 (aircraft rescue firefighting, or ARFF - crash truck). In the end, 3 towers (our tower, as well as Howard County Towers 7 and 10) and 1 truck (Truck 6) were utilized to cool the tank, so as to prevent the fire spread. The fire was knocked quickly once Rescue 431 applied Purple K, a smothering agent which starved the fire of it's oxygen.

Fatal House Fire in West Laurel
January 23, 2006

Shortly after 10:00 AM on Monday, January 23, 2006, units from Laurel and surrounding areas were dispatched for a reported house on fire in the 15700 block of Jera Place, with the fire being reported in the garage portion of the house. First arriving Engine 103, with the career staff from the LVFD on board, found fire showing from the garage, which was attached to the house. As they were attacking the fire in the garage, they came across the body of a 69 year old male. The body was left in place, so as to preserve the scene for investigators. The bulk of the fire was quickly knocked, with no extention to the remainder of the house. No injuries, other than the one male, were reported.