From the Harford County Fire and EMS Association:
At 9:28 a.m. Tuesday, January 12, 2016, Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company along with mutual aide from Fallston Volunteer Fire Company, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, Baltimore County Station 47 (Jacksonville), and York County Fawn Grove were dispatched on the initial alarm to the 2000 block of Baldwin Mill Road in Fallston. A second alarm assignment brought additional units from Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company and Norrisville Volunteer Fire Company to the scene. Baltimore County Rehab unit 155 was also requested to the scene.
Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company arrived at 9:35 a.m. with fire through the roof of the residence and requested the 2nd alarm at 9:39 a.m. No one was home at the time of the incident and reports indicate the neighbors called in the fire to the Harford County 911 center. The family dog was able to get out of the house with out incident and there are no injuries civilian or FD personnel. A family of four has been displaced from this fire.
FD units cleared at 1222 hours, Baldwin Mill RD was shut down between Putnam Rd and Charles St. The roadway is back open at this time.
Office of the State Fire Marshal made the preliminary determination that the fire, which is estimated to have caused $150,000 to the dwelling and its contents, originated in the woodstove flue pipe due to a malfunction of flue pipe. A smoke alarm was present, but did not activate due to fire originating on exterior of home (flue).
Photo courtesy of Jarrettsville VFC
Taking pictures instead of fighting the fire?
Some FD now have a photographer or PIO that takes pictures for the agency. These people usually are someone who wants to volunteer but either has no desire to be trained as a fire fighter or is not capable to be trained as a fire fighter.
Incident photography is pretty crucial training, public relations/social media tool in today’s culture.
You, yourself gawked at the picture.
We don’t know the circumstance of the photographer, perhaps it was a first arriving Fire Officer awaiting his engines and crews? Perhaps it was a designated company photographer? Perhaps a fire fighter personnel who’s job isn’t actually holding the “hose” or other task like that?
Maybe you should contact Jarrettsville VFC about it if you need more information because I doubt the likelihood of authentic and complete accuracy to your question can be answered other than a specific original source.
I was actually caught in traffic at the scene at exactly the same time the FD responded. It looked like the key stone cops with fire hoses at the driveway entrance. If you view a larger uncropped picture you will see hoses at the scene fully charged yet nothing working when the photo was taken. When they did finally start actually fighting the fire they were nearly hitting 165 with the water, blowing through the flames and getting zero water on the actual fire. Kinda looked like old faithful with a big ass fire base. What was really funny was the sheriff that told us all to turn around , “It’s a dwelling fire and it’s gonna be a while”…. well duh… yer kiddin me.
I know these people are volunteers but it really was a sad display and a good reason we need a paid county department.
Yeah, because paid fire fighting solves what problem? As far as I know, they all get training from the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute.
You were there? Of course you were.
Why don’t you join a fire department and show them how to do it?
Ungrateul and uneducated people should not be allowed to post commentary. The fire departements that were called to the scene do an excellent job. I believe there were 9 total engines lined up to help supply water at the scene. Since there is no public water in the area, there are no fire hydrants. Be careful what you comment because karma is a real b*tch!
Our community is grateful for the volunteer firefighters and all the hard work they do.
Go back to NJ and don’t let the door hit you in the arse.
What does a fire in Fallston have to do with New Jersey??
Where do you get smoke detectors that work on the exterior of your home and how do you install them?
I have many reasons to be grateful to both the Fallston and the Jarrettsville VFDs. They have wonderful ambulance crews that are well trained, compassionate, and courteous.
Thank you to both of them for being there when they are needed.
Get a load of this guy, what does a “career (not paid)” fire fighter do better than a volunteer? Please cite examples and specifics as to why Hartford County needs this change, and not E-blab about how the “water wasn’t hitting the fire” or a thousand other irrelevant ‘moment in time’ examples.
I think Harford County’s fire fighting volunteers are some of the best, if not, person’s that are lacking would be volunteered out of the department, no?