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Monday, February 1, 2010 - Around 7:40 pm, Sunday night, Companies 37 (Upper Darby) & 36 (Cardington-Stonehurst), Engine 26-1 (Highland Park), Tower 74 (Primos-Secane), RIT 20, and Medic 103-7A (DCMH Paramedics) were dispatched to the Korean Church in the 7200 block of Terminal Square, for a building fire. Upper Darby Police and Medic 103 arrived seconds later to find heavy smoke blowing out of the front door of the 3 story commercial building housing the church. Fireboard then advised all units that a second call was received reporting possible entrapment of a female. Medic 103 advised that he removed the female and was continuing a search with police. Medic 103 discovered the fire in a third floor room and advised fireboard of the working fire. Engine 37-1 arrived and stretched an 1 3/4" handline into the building for the room well involved. Several arriving firefighters handjacked 37-1's supply line back to the hydrant, as other units began arriving and assisting in fire supression, searches, and ventilation. Rescue 20 arrived, under the command of D/C 20-9A (M. Morgan), and the crew set-up RIT equipment, sized-up the building, and threw ground ladders. Because of limited manpower on the fireground and a full crew on Rescue 20, the RIT crew was split with several members assisting in interior operations, while the others stood by as RIT. Crews faced several live electrical wires in the building, hampering efforts to control the fire which extended into the roof. Tower 74's crew cut several holes in the roof in an attempt to prevent the flames from spreading any further and PECO was notified for a priority response to secure utilities. All visible fire was knocked in about 25 minutes and the fire was under control a short time later. Crews then began extensive overhaul and Rescue 20 was released from the fireground. Earlier that day the Company handled a wires call on the 3800 block of Marshall Rd. Engine 20-2 made the response finding multiple high voltage power lines down in the street, with several brush fires on several front lawns. The crew from 20-2 quickly radioed fireboard to notify PECO of the situation and to have them expedite their response. PECO arrived within 45 minutes to shut down the numerous power lines in the street, as 20-2 began to extinguish the multiple brush fires that were still burning. 20-2 was back in station after an hour and a half of securing the scene. The Drexel Hill Volunteers would be out several other times after the church fire throughout the night and the next morning including an electrical fire at 4446 Rosemont Ave, a building fire investigation at 845 Windemere Ave, an automatic fire alarm at 1040 Lindale Ave, and an accident at 700 Burmont Rd, where crews from Rescue 20 performed CPR on a driver in cardiac arrest. The driver was later transported to a nearby hospital and Company 20 was finally back in station for the rest of the day. Korean Church Pictures courtesy of Dannon Voight and Adam Drabinski
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