At approximately 0735 this morning Port Allegany Fire & EMS (McKean Dept 3) along with Medic 6 out of Coudersport were dispatched to a two vehicle MVC just west of the borough. It was reported to be a tractor-trailer vs auto with entrapment. First on-scene reports indicated the roadway was completely blocked with one operator self-extricated and the second operator entraped in their vehicle. A request was made for a medivac with the LZ to be at the high school.
Further information will be posted when available.
UPDATE: Photos and some limited information available on Solomon's Words
Two Port Allegany residents were killed and an Eldred woman sustained major injuries in a head-on crash on Route 155 near the Daily Bread Restaurant about 3:45 pm on Saturday afternoon.
David N. Bayline, 42, and his passenger Theresa K. Bayline, 48, of Port Allegany, PA, were killed on impact and pronounced dead at the scene.
Helen I. Bigley, 58, Eldred, PA, was flown to Altoona Regional Hospital by Stat Medivac for treatment of major injuries.
David Bayline was driving a 2003 Jeep Cherokee south on Route 155 and as he negotiated a slight right curve in the roadway, he crossed over the yellow center line for unknown reasons, and into the northbound lane of travel, where his Jeep impacted head-on with a 2009 Ford F-150 driven by Helen I. Bigley.
Kane State Police were assisted at the scene by Port Allegany Ambulance, Priority Care Ambulance, Port Allegany Star Hose Company, Port Allegany Borough Police Department, PennDot, and Coroner Bob Hartle.
Both vehicles were removed from the scene by McKeirnan Towing Service.
Thirteen Alfred students lost everything and businesses were destroyed in an early morning blaze.
Firefighters from across eastern Allegany County were called to the corner of West University Street and North Main Street at around 6:30 a.m., after a report of a fire in progress.
According to firefighters, the original 911 call indicated two students were trapped in the building, but Alfred University and police officials said all the students are now safe.
“We have every reason to believe they are safe and accounted for,” said AU spokeswoman Deborah Clark, later confirming all were fine.
“We’re now saying 11 Alfred University students and two Alfred State College students were living in the apartments,” said Susan Goetschius, director of communications for AU, later this morning.
The students were taken to the Kenyon-Davis Room at the Powell Campus Center, Clark said, where they would be offered counseling, clothing and food. The university did not immediately have the names of the students living in the apartments available for the media.
BALTIMORE — Building codes mandating fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes were upheld as the International Code Council voted Wednesday to disapprove a motion to remove them.
Representatives from the IAFC, IAFF, NFPA and other organizations gave testimony in support of the existing rules mandating sprinklers as the council met in Baltimore.
"Most Americans who die in fires die where they live," said USFA Deputy Administrator Chief Glenn Gaines. "In addition to saving the lives of building occupants, residential sprinklers significantly reduce the risk that residential fires pose to firefighters."
While Gaines went on to cite supporting statistics, other testimony included impassioned pleas.
"On what basis would we look to step backwards from this point?" said Jeff Johnson, president of the IAFC.
After a seven to four vote and a majority of the ICC audience in opposition to the motion to remove mandatory sprinklers from the guidelines, the moderator was met with cheers as he said "that motion clearly fails."
A Firefighter from Westover Borough (Clearfield County) Fire Station #45 has died in the Line of Duty while operating at a house fire in Westover Borough.
Firefighters responded to a reported working fire early this morning and upon arrival, started their attack and related operations. Reports are that Command then decided to allow the fire to burn because it was a vacant abandoned structure.
While operating at this fire, a 42 year old male Firefighter reported that he did not feel well. Paramedics were already on the scene, treatment was started and the Firefighter was transported to Miners Hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, the Firefighter went into what appeared to be cardiac arrest and later died in the Line of Duty, at the hospital.
UPDATE:
As you know, Fire Lieutenant Roy Everett Westover Jr., 41, who lived in Westover, PA died in the Line of Duty yesterday while operating at a vacant house fire. That fire has now been declared an arson fire. The cause of death was ruled as a stress-induced heart attack. The fire was started an abandoned house off Route 36.
All utilities had been cut off at the building, which has been vacant for about 30 years. His death will probably now be ruled a homicide because the arson fire set off a chain of events leading to his death.
The Lieutenant had been working an exterior handline at the fire, which was discovered shortly after midnight.
When Lt. Westover went back to the fire apparatus, he became lightheaded and told others he was not feeling well. Westover was transported by Hastings Emergency Medical Service to Miners Medical Center, about eight miles south of the fire scene, arriving there at 0102 hours. He passed away after his arrival at the hospital.
He had been a charter member of the Westover Fire Company in 1980. He is survived by three young sons, 2 of which are Junior Firefighters in the company. Their Mom, who was the Lieutenants wife, had previously passed away.
Plymouth Twp. Volunteer Fire Company 1 illustrated growing problems with Pennsylvania's reliance on its volunteer emergency response force by its surprise response to the township's move to consolidate fire companies.
Rather than turn over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment to the township for use by a newly consolidated fire company, Plymouth No. 1 gave the material to the Mount Zion Bicentennial Volunteer Fire Company in Exeter Twp.
Development of a consolidated fire company in the township was predicated at least partially upon the use of the equipment, which had been purchased partially with township funds and with many donations from township residents.
It's not yet clear how the township will proceed, but it is clear that Plymouth Twp.'s volunteer firefighting issues are not unique.
Volunteers becoming scarce
Due to economics, lifestyle and firefighting changes over the years, Pennsylvania's volunteer firefighting force has shrunk rapidly. There are about 50,000 volunteer firefighters statewide, down from more than 300,000 in the 1970s and about 75,000 in 1990.
And according to a survey conducted earlier this year by Fireman's Fund Insurance Co., to which 915 Pennsylvania fire companies and 9,500 nationwide responded, 60 percent of volunteer and combined volunteer/full-time departments are losing volunteers who need to use their time in paid employment.
The survey found that 66 percent of volunteer departments in Pennsylvania have delayed buying new equipment; 54 percent do not have protective gear for all personnel to deal with hazardous materials; 24 percent do not have modern equipment to extricate victims from vehicle crashes; 27 percent do not have adequate search and rescue equipment; and 68 percent have increased the amount of time that volunteers spend raising money rather than training or fighting fires.
An Eldred volunteer firefighter has been charged with the fires at the Eldred Borough and Township Fire Department buildings. State Police say 38 year-old Scott McClain of Eldred is charged with arson and criminal mischief for the two fires, one early Monday at the borough fire department and the second blaze at the township fire department building on August 6th. Investigators say McClain ignited rolls of bathroom tissue in the storage closet in the men's bathroom early Monday at the borough building. The fire caused more than $5,000 in damage to the structure. Police say that fire in August at the township’s second station was set by McClain who ignited a flare that burned a fire truck and building and caused more than $300,000 in damages. McClain is jailed on $500,000 bail. There are several other fires that the Fire Marshall is looking into, including one on July 20 at the Eldred Borough Ambulance building, which destroyed two ambulances. No one has been charged in any of those fires.
Further information can be found on the Bradford Era web site.
The Eldred Borough Fire Department's social hall was saved from destruction overnight when an automatic alarm system reported a fire in the building.
Eldred Boro, Eldred Township, Otto Township, and Port Allegany Fire Departments were dispatched shortly after 1:00 am on Monday to the social hall where bingo is held weekly.
The first chief on scene reported smoke in the structure, and a few minutes later, reported a working structure fire in a bathroom in the building. The fire was reported out 15 minutes later.
WESB reports bingo is cancelled for Monday night, because of the damage done from the fire.
Eldred area Fire and Ambulances services have been disrupted previously by structure fires that destroyed buildings and equipment on two previous occasions. State Police have not yet issued a report on the cause of the latest blaze.
