Please see below and contact your local PA Representative and PA State Senator and urge them to approve HB955. This bill reauthorizes the PA Fire Grant which provides approximately $12,000 - $15,000 in grant money to Fire & EMS Agencies on an annual basis. The Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company has been a proud recipient of this Grant Award several years in the past and most recently for 2011; which will allow us to purchase Water Rescue equipment to better serve our Community in that capacity.

HB955 would extend the VFCVASGP, (Volunteer Fire Company Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program) which is set to expire on June 30, 2012, through the end of June 2016. With the amendment approved by the committee, the total available funding in future years would increase from $25 million to $40 million. Funding for the program does not come from the state's General Fund, but is distributed from the State Gaming Fund. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, this is a Bi-partisan issue, that should be supported on both sides of the floor to help our Volunteers.

If you are a firefighter or EMS provider in PA or support the Fire/EMS Service, it's vital that we all contact each elected official in PA and tell them we need their support of HB955 which is the reauthorization of the Fire grant. This bill will also give stand alone QRS services like Columbia QRS the opportunity to receive funding via the grant bill. Without this bill many departments will be faced with the cut of approximately $12-15,000 per department in revenue. This bill helps all of us, from the residents of PA to each and every fire/ems provider.

Please take a moment and contact your elected officials now and urge them to approve HB955 which is vital to the Volunteer Fire & EMS Sevice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania! Please feel free to pass this along to family and friends or anyone in your neighborhoods that are supporters of the Fire/EMS service and all that we do.

Thanks for everyones continued support of all that we do

Chris Schwartz

Fire Chief, Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company

610-825-2250
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For those of you in the local area, below are the links for the website of our local Representatives / Senators that serve our area. Each can be emailed from that site. There is also links to every Representative / Senator if you are in another district.

Representative Michael Gerber

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=148

Representative Matthew Bradford

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=70

Senator Vincent Hughes

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?districtnumber=7

Senator Daylen Leach

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?districtnumber=17

Email Listing of ALL Senators

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/email_list.cfm?body=S

Email listing of ALL Representatives

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/email_list.cfm?body=H


 

The Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company in partnership with 6ABC's Operation 6, Save-A-Life Program, offers free smoke detectors to the residents of Whitemarsh Township.  If you need of a smoke detector(s), please call 610-825-2250 to make arrangements to have them installed.  Our Volunteers will be happy to come out and install the necessary detectors in your residence.

Think it won't happen to you.....

Check out the the news story by 6ABC's Shirleen Allicot of a Lafayette Hill resident who was able to safely evacuate her house at a recent house fire because of the early detection provided by a smoke detector from this program. 

                  http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=8515999

Back in June 2001, the Volunteers of the Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company installed smoke detectors in this resident's house.  In November 2011, the elderly homeowner requested assistance with changing the batteries in her smoke detectors.  Volunteers from BHFC went to the residence and found that the smoke detectors were ten years old and in need of replacement.  New detectors were installed in the residence and just two months later, proved to be a life saver.

Call 610-825-2250 for more information on smoke detector installation at your home.

It was another busy year in 2011 for the VOLUNTEERS of the Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company.  Below are teh Year-End Totals along with an estimated number of hours that our VOLUNTEERS, Volunteered!

Calls for Emergency Service - 503

          Estimated Man Hours of Emergency Service - 3,916.66

Weekly / Colonial Rescue Task Force Trainings - 63

          Estimated Man Hours of Training - 2,532

Special Services - 97

          Estimated Man Hours of Special Services - 1,915

TOTAL NUMBER OF MAN HOURS VOLUNTEERED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BARREN HILL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY IN 2011:

          8,363.66 MAN HOURS / 348.49 DAYS

We appreciate the continued support from the Whitemarsh Township Community!

A house fire was reported at 4146 Joshua Road, Whitemarsh Township. Engine, Tower, and Pipeline 29 responded, along with units from Spring Mill as automatic aid. Units responding were advised that smoke and fire were reported in a bedroom. Chief 29 arrived on scene of a 1½ story S/F/D, approximately 30 x 30, with a medium smoke condition throughout. Engine 29 went in service with an 1¾” handline to extinguish a small fire on the first floor.

It's that time of year.  Santa Claus will be coming to town atop a fire truck on Saturday, December 17th, 2011.  Santa will be leaving the Firehouse between 4:00pm and 4:30pm. 

(For the parents, unfortunately we cannot predict what time Santa will arrive in a particular neighborhood.  We try to complete all of our routes by 9:00pm)

We appreciate the Communities continued support for our Volunteer Firefighters!

On Friday, December 2nd, 2011, members and invited guests of the Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company celebrated 96 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Whitemarsh Township and neighboring communities at their annual Banquet.  This year's banquet was held in the Hall of the Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company and was attended by more 100 members and guests.  The banquet was well received by everyone in attendance.  Outstanding food for the night was catered by the Lucky Dog Saloon and Grille. 

This year's award recipients were as follows:

2011 Fire Police Officer of the Year - Scott Rotenbury

2011 Chief Engineers Award - Ed Swift

2011 President's Award - Member of the Year - James McCann III

2011 Firefighter of the Year; Fire Chiefs Award - Jordan Waxman

Congratulations to all of this year's award recipients.  Thanks for everyone's dedicated service.

Fire was reported in a vacant house across the street from 248 Flourtown Road, flames from the roof. Deputy 29 arrived on scene with smoke showing from the roof of a vacant 3 story single family dwelling, heavily surrounded by brush. The first in ladder was advised that chain saws were needed to clear a path through the brush to gain access to the building. Engine 29 went in service with an 1 ¾” to the third floor to knock a bulk of the fire and ladder companies assisted with overhaul. DC29 placed the fire under control within 45 minutes.

Pipeline, Rescue, and Engine 29 responded to a reported vehicle accident with rescue near the intersection of Germantown Pike and Church Road. Units on scene reported that the vehicle’s engine compartment was on fire and confirmed entrapment. Victims were removed from the burning vehicle and the fire was quickly extinguished by Pipeline 29. One victim was transported by medical helicopter and others were transported by ambulance.

Station 29 was called to assisted 45 with a reported house fire, 9 Stevens Court, Whitemarsh Township.  Police arrived on scene with heavy smoke in the basement of the dwelling.  Units arriving on scene reported a shed, below a deck, on fire with smoke filling the dwelling.  The fire was quickly extinguished with one handline.

A house fire was reported at 208 Marble Lane, Whitemarsh Township. Engine, Tower, and Pipeline 29 responded, with units from Spring Mill, Lincoln, Harmonville, and Plymouth fire companies as mutual aid. Police arrived on scene reporting fire in the rear of the property. Chief29 arrived on scene with a two story S/F/D with fire showing from the rear and first floor throughout. E29 went in service with an 1 ¾” hand line to the first floor to knock down a bulk of the fire. A second handline was placed in service to the rear of the building.