Fire departments, EMS recognized for lifesaving efforts in Boalsburg house fire
Several first responders were recognized by the Harris Township Supervisors Monday for their heroic and lifesaving efforts during a fire in Boalsburg last month.
On Jan. 14, the Boalsburg Fire Company, Alpha Fire Company, Centre Hall Fire Company, Centre LifeLink and the State College Police Department responded to a structure fire with entrapment at Centre Estates on Jacks Mill Drive, Boalsburg.
Matt Myers, a driver for Heller’s Gas and an assistant fire chief for the Mifflintown Fire Company, also stopped to help, Amy Farkas, Harris Township manager, said during the meeting.
“He saw the activity from Route 322 and pulled into the lower end of Jacks Mill Drive. He jumped right into the scene, laying hose lines, moving ladders and doing anything he could to assist the crews on scene,” she said.
Board Chair Frank Harden read proclamations recognizing the Boalsburg Fire Company, the Centre Hall and Alpha fire companies, Centre LifeLink and the State College Police Department, and Myers.
“We are grateful to have highly qualified and well trained responders in our area,” Harden read from a proclamation.
While reading a proclamation for Myers, Harden said they were “thankful that there are people like him in our world.”
Boalsburg Fire Chief Van Winter gave the board and a room packed with residents an overview of what happened during the fire call. They were dispatched at 2:53 p.m. on Jan. 14. Just four minutes later, first responders began arriving on scene and saw heavy smoke coming from the structure and a working fire in the multi-family dwelling, he said. The 911 call center confirmed to Winter that there was entrapment.
Crews began to make their way into the building, searching for the person who was trapped in a second floor apartment, he said. The police department noticed a hand out of the back window in the rear of the structure. Firefighter Robert Cinatl grabbed the ladder from the engine rescue and placed it for extrication from the second story window, Winter said.
“Upon arrival of Engine 3, Chief (Eric) Garis got off ... saw the police pointing and rushing to the back of the structure. He got off the engine and made way to the rear of the structure. Firefighter Cinatl had set the ladder up and a State College police officer ... broke the window out,” Winter said. “Chief Garis finished getting his facepiece on, went up into the second division and went into the room, ... and found the victim inside the bedroom.”
Cinatl followed Garis up and was on the ladder at the opening of the window and assisted in getting the victim out.
An engine from the Alpha Fire Company arrived, the crews led by Rob Nese went to the structure and helped extricate the resident. Nese backed up Cinatl as Garis handed the victim out of the window, and brought her down the ladder. Crews also worked to get the roof opened to get the smoke out of the attic area, Winter said.
Fourteen minutes after the initial dispatch, Winter advised that the victim was out of the structure and was with the EMS, which requested a life flight. But because the helicopter was taking too long, an ambulance transported the victim to the hospital.
“In a 14-minute time period, we were dispatched, we were on scene and the patient was out,” Winter said. “Tonight, on behalf of the fire company, I want to thank everybody who participated. That was a group effort by all agencies on scene and ... everyone did what they were trained to do and by nature did what needed to be done.”
